Success in Oman - The Spirit of Enterprise
by Allegro International Magazine Oman Observer

Tariq Al Barwani is one of the most admired and, dare one say, envied your Omanis.  His is a story of a man whose love for, and knowledge of computers has earned him names such as, the Whiz Kid, Oman’s Computer Expert, Tariq-online and so on. “There are many attributes to success,” he says, adding that, “the most important are self-discipline and time-management.  Furthermore, knowledge, experience, ambition, good listing and the art of dealing with people are also crucial for success”.”

What do you study about in the computer world? 

The world of information technology is fast moving and I must always stay abreast of new happenings.  The internet is my best source of knowledge but I do seek information from newspapers, books, magazines and even, though rarely, through the television set.

How did this relationship with computers start?

My interest in computers started from the early age of five.  This powerful vehicle has never ceased to be the object of my passion.  When my father realized that I had special skills in computing, he worked on grooming them by getting me teachers to aid me in areas where I had some weaknesses.  My interest in the internet started when I managed to persuade my father to connect to CompuServe before GTO introduced the service in Oman. 

What can be done to spread this passion into the hearts of your Omanis? 

Indeed, the government can play a bigger role by initially introducing the internet into schools and making it easy to accesses.  I think there is also a need for a college specializing in IT.  

Needless to say, I would like to see a more advanced computer business in Oman. 

How do you view the importance of quality “recreational time”? 

Socialising with friends is very important.  However, it must not take up

All of one’s time.  At the same time, one must not spend one’s life before a machine!  Recreational time helps you be more productive.

What are the achievements of which you are most proud? 

The achievement of which I am most proud came when Dr. Mohammed Mousa (Chairman of Al Yousef group) and Mr. Maqbool Hameed (Chairman of the OHI group) were competing to acquire tariq.net and Tariq as Internet Services Manager for the project.  Dr. Moussa’s offer was exceedingly favorable in financial terms but I chose to go with OHI as I knew it would have, therefore, gain a better experience.   

There are a few other steppingstones of which I am particularly proud, including my development of a programme that simplified the setting for all internet users in Oman, and my creation of software to combat the “happy99”, “I love you” and “FIX2000”viruses.  An unforgettable moment in my life came about when I was notified that I had been voted as Oman’s best dot.com idea and www.ohitariq.net had been selected as the country’s number one portal. 

What is your immediate Goal? 

My chief goal now is to pursue further studies at a university abroad.  I would like to acquire a Masters’ degree in Computer Science with Business Administration.

What is your advice to Omani families on the issue of encouraging their children to use the internet? 

I would say that the bigger portion of learning is done at home; it is crucial that parents teach by example.  There is no escape from change.  Teach your children while they are at an early age and let them practice and discover, if they are not interested, do not force them. 

What is your definition of success? 

To be useful to your country, parents, children and community. 

What are the advantage and disadvantage of the internet? 

Look at the internet as you would at a car; it can take you to a good place or a bad one, depending on your usage of the vehicles.  The internet can be used for negative reasons but it is also the most powerful tool when it comes to obtaining information. 

Why did OHI acquire the tariq.net portal and why were you given the high post of the Manager? 

OHI mad a very smart move; they knew that to create an IT portal and promote it will be a costly affairs and it would probably not meet their high expectations.  My skills do not end with

the computer related matters but I had acquired good managerial skills, especially in the areas of Sales and Marketing; that is how I fitted the profile of internet Manager.  I have learned a lot since my move to OHI where I have been able to foster my talents.

Computer programming is a highly skilled job; what courses did you take to reach this standard? 

When I finished my higher education here in the Government School, my father enrolled me in different types of local collages such as Modern college of business and Science, The British Council, APTECH and NIIT.  In these collages I studied English, Business studies and various types of computer studies apart from the skills that I taught myself in software such as Dbase III and IV, FoxBASE and Fox Plus, GWBasic, Qbasic, Dos Batch Files, creating internet WebPages, Javascripts, Gif Animations, Macromedia Flash, Microsoft FrontPage, CGI Scripts, ASP, Multimedia on Wed and Internet Security.  I also completed a Diploma course in Information and System Management, E-Commerce Practice and Technique, Professional Selling Skills and many other specialized courses. 

What is unique about the portal www.tariq.net? 

It is the first IT portal in Oman; it is the first portal to be acquired in the entire Middle East within three months of its launch, not to mention that it is the idea of a 19 year old Omani.  The launch of tariq.net took many IT companies by surprise because of its user-friendliness and innovative ideas.

Tell us about www.tariq.net being hacked? 

Two months after its launch, tariq.net was hacked by an international hacker.  On 23rd January 2000, the portal was hacked for six hours and thirty minutes.  The hired hacker replaced the front page of tariq.net with a cartoon which boasted that the hacking would last 72 hours.  I managed to regain the tariq.net; the operation, which took six hours and thirty minutes, would have taken me only two hours had the hacker not been simultaneously supported locally. 

Your weekly, Tariq online articles are very popular and simple to follow even by non IT person, how do you gather the information? 

I started in February 1999 with an article.  It was well received and I continued writing.  The writing of the articles made me read a lot in order to keep abreast of advances in the IT sector.  In answering the queries, I draw my own knowledge, experience and research.

What did you learn while working with United Media Services (UMS) and then Oman Holding International (OHI)?

In UMS, I learned about marketing and in OHI I learned selling and management skills, such as dealing with my staff, my peers and superior, conducting meeting and making presentations