She knitted together numbers and passion to stitch a new product and profession and the success of that is the company she and her husband manage, which is one of the most successful and leading businesses in Oman.

For someone fascinated by numbers and dreaming to become an auditor, sky was the limit for her fire and fervour, but destiny landed her in the airline industry where she began her career with KLM which was followed by a four-year stint at Oman Air and she had to wait for some time to hitch her wagon to a star. It was during this wait she and her husband decided to build up something of their own, something unique, and that’s how they decided to start up a uniform-manufacturing business in Oman.

“In 2002, when we launched the business, it was not common for Omanis to be in the uniform-manufacturing field. It was a risk at that time, but we had a vision and we believed that we both would complement each other with our strengths and build this business to be one of the most successful and leading businesses in Oman and I’m proud we made it!” Raheela Khalid Al Busaidi, Managing Director of Al Obaidani International LLC, recalled with a smile of satisfaction. 

For all who have not cracked the secret of success in business and life, her advice is simple: have the right product, the right passion and the right knowhow…and then take a break now and then.

Raheela plays an important role in strategising the business and taking it forward along with her husband, Mr Jamal Salim Said Al Obaidani, Chairman and CEO of Al Obaidani International LLC.

Al Obaidani International grew slowly yet steadily and soon, being one of the foremost uniform and tailored garment manufacturers in Oman, the company was busy creating uniforms for the Armed Forces of Oman, Oman Air, Oman Airports, Salam Air, Muscat Duty Free, Orpic and Qatar Airways, to name a few. “In the uniforms industry we provide a head-to-toe solution for our clients as we have a strong and a highly qualified design and development team that helps to create unique designs of uniforms and accessories to meet the evolving needs of our clients,” said Raheela.

For someone who has had no background in business, Raheela has been at the forefront of the company’s success as a key decisionmaker and, numbers being a passion for her, she was very clear in driving the business. “Although I did not study business as a course, I read up on the business and immersed myself into the nuances of the garment industry. Together with a strong and wonderful team in our organisation, I have been able to learn and understand the business well,” she said.

When asked about the success of a business, she said: “Starting and running a business isn’t easy. You need to have the right product, the right passion, and the right know-how. These are three key elements to make a business successful. People tend to think it’s easy to gain success overnight; that is not true. You need to have the passion to succeed. To succeed in work and life, you should have the right passion.”  While Raheela is hands-on with everything in the business, she follows a key principle that has helped her in running the business.

“One has to be hardworking and passionate. It is also equally important to know when to stop and take a break. You cannot pour from an empty cup. I have noticed that the younger generation these days tends to burn themselves out. They work so hard to gain success that they forget about their other needs, which does not help. Take time off regularly. Rome was not built in a day.”

Busy she is, so how does she manage her work-life balance? “I am a mother of five children, and I have a great, big responsibility in making sure that I give the best being the mother for my children and spend as much as possible time that I could with them while I also ensure that I give the same priority to my professional life as I have to be hands-on in my business to ensure consistency and growth,”  Raheela said. She takes small breaks out of business “to spend time with my family and that’s what I advise all my staff too: take breaks, go on leave, spend time with your loved ones.”

At the moment, Raheela is busy cooking something deliciously different. And that’s not just for her family, but for the whole of Oman. She is working on a business model to transform her baking passion which is expected to make its debut in Oman very soon….and let us wait to hear more…