Sohar International & Visa Launch 'She's Next' in Oman

• The "She’s Next" initiative by Sohar International in partnership with Visa launched in Oman
• The project aims to boost the development of businesses owned by women
• The initiative provides economic assistance, networking, as well as capability-building resources

Sohar International, in association with Visa, has kicked off “She’s Next” in Oman. This is a national initiative which will help cultivate women entrepreneurs.

The initiative is a systematic procedure which will help entrepreneurs gain exposure through finance as well as develop capabilities.

Those shortlisted will go through the evaluation and development level. There will be a finale where the winners will be selected. There will be a total prize pool of OMR 38,000, as the winners will be selected under several categories.

The project aims to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with the means, skills, and tools for sustainable growth, and contribute towards economic diversification and private sector development as stated in Oman Vision 2040.

The program, according to Abdul Qadir Al Sumali, the Chief Retail & Premier Banking Officer at Sohar International, provides women entrepreneurs with not only financial support, but with guidance, capacity, and support.

The program will give the entrepreneur’s access to the bank's Be Zahiya and Zahiya Plus banking services, which have been created to meet the financial requirements of women-led businesses. He pointed out that the partnership with Visa demonstrates shared views with respect to sustainable growth.

The initiatives have been designed to help meet the financial needs of women in different phases of their personal as well as professional lives.

The prize money of OMR 38,000 will be divided among three different prizes: the Main Prize of OMR 21,000, the Runner-Up Prize that consists of OMR 11,500, and the People’s Favorite prize consisting of OMR 5,500.

Besides the monetary investment, the program offers a mentoring component as well. The five finalists will further receive tailored mentorship from Omani entrepreneur Dr. Siham Ahmed Al-Harthi concerning business strategy and scale readiness.

It is also supported by Lahunna, an organization that specializes in women's business development; they shall take over the applicant qualification process and provide help in areas like pitch preparation and evaluation.

Submissions for the She's Next program opened on January 13, 2026, and will continue for four weeks. This initiative is exclusively reserved for Omani women entrepreneurs from different sectors.

Sohar International added that the program is part of its strategy to support inclusive entrepreneurship and eventually help achieve national development priorities through Oman Vision 2040.