Oman’s “Noor Majan” To Build MidEast’s First Electric Car
Oman’s own car with Massage Seats to Boot
Sultan Al Amri, an enterprising young Omani, is ready to manufacture Oman's first indigenously-built car that's designed with amenities galore that's ready to roll into the market.
Each success story starts with a dream. A dream which needs hard work and patience to get transformed into reality. Sultan Al Amri's childhood dream, of making his own cars, turned into a passion in his youth, and he now sees himself on the threshold of entering the Omani market with his own indigenously built automobile.
An enterprising young man, with a drive that accelerates faster than a Ferrari, Sultan is one of those Omanis who does not believe in getting everything readymade. He is a self-made man and he always likes to do things himself rather than procure it from elsewhere. His passion for cars which began in early childhood is also testimony to his never-say-die spirit which ultimately led him to manufacture cars that could be sold in the local market as well as in the gulf region in a few years time. As soon as he gets necessary government clearance, Sultan is ready to roll by manufacturing a batch of ten cars to start with.
In a chat with Hi, Sultan, who hails from Barka, revealed that he had been educated at the Kodaikanal International School, in Kodaikanal city in India, and had graduated in 1991. However, it had been the year 1986 that he produced his first car. "It was very basic and I used simple materials to make it. And my family was very proud of me when they read about it in an Arabic newpaper in Oman the following year," said Sultan, recalling how his passion for making cars took momentum ever since.
After graduating, Sultan got himself a job at the Diwan of Royal Court but eight years later he chose to move onto a different career path, one in which he had his heart and soul.
He started his own business (in 1999) when he created 'Noor Majan' a firm wherein he could manufacture his own goods and sell them in the market.
Sultan's interest in making machines was always fueled by his thought to have indigenous goods in Oman. Whenever he purchased anything, the thought that always crossed his mind was 'Where is this manufactured? Is it made in the Arab world or has been imported from the West? Are there any inventions in the Arab world? Why can't we make these things? Why don't we?' And it would motivate him to reinforce his dream.
Sultan has gone through many obstacles on his way to making cars, and there still are a few hurdles ahead, the main challenge being convincing the customer that Arabs can manufacture not just cars but also consumer items like wristwatches, cell phones, etc. It had not been an easy job gaining the trust of customers in the market in the Gulf region but he did manage to impress upon buyers with unique features of most of his goods.
Starting out with wristwatches, Sultan moved on to set up his own car manufacturing unit in 2007. It took him a year and nine months to design his car and, in order to do so, he visited car factories in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Hong Kong. After doing a feasibility study, he set up his workshop for producing the initial 'Noor Majan' car and it took him four years to make his own vehicle see the light of day.
Now, Sultan is not solely involved in the manufacture of vehicles, he has the services of six Omani engineers and a few expatriates in his team. Since there are no institutes in the Arab world which teach about CNC engines, the most important part of a car, he had to send his engineers for training in a car factory in Hong Kong.
Having secured a copyright on his invention from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Sultan is all set to start production. However, he was not successful in securing a plot of land from the government to build his car factory and is still seeking help in this regard. His car has been ready since November 2012 and initial tests were also carried out in April 2013 but official clearance to come out with it in the market is still awaited.
Sultan's car can very well be termed as Oman's first invention, once the necessary clearance comes by, as it would allow him to produce Oman's very own automobile, something which people had never imagined a few decades ago.
Sultan Al Amri, an enterprising young Omani, is ready to manufacture Oman's first indigenously-built car that's designed with amenities galore that's ready to roll into the market.
Each success story starts with a dream. A dream which needs hard work and patience to get transformed into reality. Sultan Al Amri's childhood dream, of making his own cars, turned into a passion in his youth, and he now sees himself on the threshold of entering the Omani market with his own indigenously built automobile.
An enterprising young man, with a drive that accelerates faster than a Ferrari, Sultan is one of those Omanis who does not believe in getting everything readymade. He is a self-made man and he always likes to do things himself rather than procure it from elsewhere. His passion for cars which began in early childhood is also testimony to his never-say-die spirit which ultimately led him to manufacture cars that could be sold in the local market as well as in the gulf region in a few years time. As soon as he gets necessary government clearance, Sultan is ready to roll by manufacturing a batch of ten cars to start with.
In a chat with Hi, Sultan, who hails from Barka, revealed that he had been educated at the Kodaikanal International School, in Kodaikanal city in India, and had graduated in 1991. However, it had been the year 1986 that he produced his first car. "It was very basic and I used simple materials to make it. And my family was very proud of me when they read about it in an Arabic newpaper in Oman the following year," said Sultan, recalling how his passion for making cars took momentum ever since.
After graduating, Sultan got himself a job at the Diwan of Royal Court but eight years later he chose to move onto a different career path, one in which he had his heart and soul.
He started his own business (in 1999) when he created 'Noor Majan' a firm wherein he could manufacture his own goods and sell them in the market.
 | Sultan Al Amri Proprietor, Noor Majan "Whenever, I buy anything, I always check out where it has been manufactured and always wonder why we, in the Arab world, cannot manufacture it. I am sure, Omanis have the talent and capability to manufacture anything that comes in from the west." |
Sultan's interest in making machines was always fueled by his thought to have indigenous goods in Oman. Whenever he purchased anything, the thought that always crossed his mind was 'Where is this manufactured? Is it made in the Arab world or has been imported from the West? Are there any inventions in the Arab world? Why can't we make these things? Why don't we?' And it would motivate him to reinforce his dream.
Sultan has gone through many obstacles on his way to making cars, and there still are a few hurdles ahead, the main challenge being convincing the customer that Arabs can manufacture not just cars but also consumer items like wristwatches, cell phones, etc. It had not been an easy job gaining the trust of customers in the market in the Gulf region but he did manage to impress upon buyers with unique features of most of his goods.
Starting out with wristwatches, Sultan moved on to set up his own car manufacturing unit in 2007. It took him a year and nine months to design his car and, in order to do so, he visited car factories in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Hong Kong. After doing a feasibility study, he set up his workshop for producing the initial 'Noor Majan' car and it took him four years to make his own vehicle see the light of day.
Now, Sultan is not solely involved in the manufacture of vehicles, he has the services of six Omani engineers and a few expatriates in his team. Since there are no institutes in the Arab world which teach about CNC engines, the most important part of a car, he had to send his engineers for training in a car factory in Hong Kong.
Feline Design | |||
The car, says Sultan, has many unique features which cannot be found in any other car. It is a four door salon car, the design of which is inspired by the form of an Omani cat. Weighing more than three tones, this car is fuelled by electricity and can be recharged at home at a 220 Volt point for 4 hours. The rear seats can be reclined to form a majlis while passengers can also enjoy watching 12 television channels aired via satellite on an inbuilt screen. The car also has LED lights, a GPS facility and cameras on the rear-view mirrors, while its air-conditioning is powered by solar cells which can work for up to 24 hours even if the car has not been used for a few years. Attention has also be paid on minor details, which most established brands overlook, like provision of a mini waste-bin, a dedicated space for placing a tissue box, facilitation for Bluetooth, internet connectivity, etc. As for changing flat tyres, which is a difficult task for women drivers, the vehicle has provision for elevation of tyres as well release of the bolts with the simple touch of a button. The car also has a 'black-box' connected to all the 4 cameras, which can be of help during eventualities. |
Having secured a copyright on his invention from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Sultan is all set to start production. However, he was not successful in securing a plot of land from the government to build his car factory and is still seeking help in this regard. His car has been ready since November 2012 and initial tests were also carried out in April 2013 but official clearance to come out with it in the market is still awaited.
Sultan's car can very well be termed as Oman's first invention, once the necessary clearance comes by, as it would allow him to produce Oman's very own automobile, something which people had never imagined a few decades ago.
