by Times of Oman

MUSCAT — Tariq Hilal Al Barwani, Internet services manager at OHI Telecommunication LLC, has been voted Oman’s best dotcom idea, and the first IT portal, www.ohitariq.net, was voted the number one portal for year 2000, according to a press release received here.

Business Today had shortlisted 100 business leaders in Oman to conduct a quantitative survey for determining companies, individuals and ideas considered the best in business by the Omani business community. The survey was conducted by Simpa Marketing & Research Company (SIMPA).

Tariq Hilal Al Barwani, known for his computer activities and weekly articles in the Times of Oman (Tariq online), has been voted Oman’s best dotcom idea.

Coincidentally the portal www.ohitariq.net, which is under Tariq’s supervision also, was voted Oman’s number one portal.

In addition to this, his former and much-associated portal www.omanaccess.com, was voted Oman’s number two portal. "I feel that I have hit three birds with one stone. This was great and unexpected. I think hard work pays," said Tariq.

Recalling the launch of the first IT portal www.tariq.net on November 23, 1999, Tariq said within a month the portal was the leading portal in terms of hits, and in three months the portal was acquired by OHI with the big lump, and accordingly, was renamed www.ohitariq.net.

Today, seven months since the official launch, www.ohitariq.net has become the number one in Oman.

"This is a great news for me as well as for the OHI," Tariq added.