Ziauddin Jakti bids goodbye after four decades of stay in Oman

  BY AFTAB H. KOLA ( A short part of this was carried in Times of Oman) MUSCAT: Oman has made strides on all fronts. His Majesty’s commitment to ensure balanced development of all the sectors to achieve an optimal growth has catapulted the picturesque country on to the world map of stable economies, said Ziauddin FA Jakti, branch manager, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles LLC, Ibra, who retired on September 30 after putting in 38 long years in Oman. This Indian national from coastal Karnataka spent 38 years of the prime of his life, all full of accomplishments. His story is a microcosm of Diaspora’s life in Oman. As he said goodbye to a productive career, innumerable positive images flicker through his mind. Recalling the valuable time he spent in Oman, he says, “The freedom that foreigners in Oman enjoy to go about their lives is beyond description. Oman will always have a special place reserved in our hearts. Without doubt, Oman was our home away from home.” Mr. Ziauddin landed in Oman in 1975 as a sales representative for the National Trading Co. Muttrah in its perfume and cosmetics division where he worked till February 1976 and subsequently joined the Suhail Bahwan Group (consumer and building materials division) and worked tirelessly till 1992, based in Nizwa. Harking back to those days, he says, “Oman was just emerging from a cocoon and when I came, signs of road development were just starting to show up. The vision, as set out by His Majesty the Sultan, was slowly taking off and within a decade, state of the art gleaming highways were laid. I was delighted to read recently that Oman ranks third in the world in road quality sub-category, which measures the quality of roads, according to results released by the Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF). HM’s priority for providing education to the locals has now borne fruit.” After a long stint with the main Suhail Bahwan group, Ziauddin was moved to the OTE, which is also a part of the SBG, in 1992. His stint in Nizwa as the branch in charge for the OTE (Hyundai, Isuzu, GM and Subaru) was great as mingling with Omanis was a delightful experience. He says, “Omanis are peace-loving people. They are very helpful. I still remember those days when they used to call me home on festive occasions. I always relished the shuwa which they rustle up so caringly and which used to be prepared with a feeling of bonhomie. I have been myself part of shuwa-making ceremony.” Ziuaddin, who resigned for a brief period and moved to India, was recalled by the SBG which had reposed a great trust in his sales skills and integrity. That he performed his duties with zeal and honesty was evident enough when he was asked to continue even after age was catching up with him. He says, “Suhail Bahwan group, OTE and Suhail Bahwan Automobiles are great places to work. They care for their employees. I have spent the best days of my life in this group and wholeheartedly thank them, especially Sheikh Suhail Bahwan, the chairman of Suhail Bahwan Group, for the love and support they lent in making my stay peaceful.” From Nizwa, Mr. Ziauddin was posted to places like Salalah, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, Shinas and finally Ibra. The young at heart Ziauddin says, “Staying at different places has made me experience the cultural strands of interior and coastal Oman. Omanis have a great respect for their cultural roots and traditions and they are preserving these with great care, notwithstanding the fact that modernity is engulfing them all around.” He sums up, “His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, through his farsightedness, wisdom and kind heartedness, has made Oman an oasis of peace.” Such a person makes all Navayaths proud. By his honesty and integrity he served the company for 38 long years without any blot on his career. May his tribe increase. I have known Mr Ziauddin when I was a child as he was our neighbour in Sultan Street. And when I came to Oman, we became very close. We will certainly miss this gentleman in Muscat!!Mr Ziauddin will be in Oman until Bakrid.