With the prediction of Oman economy moving further northwards this year, new banks are springing up. Bank of Beirut began its Oman operations yesterday, and a new local bank, Bank Sohar, is under final stages of its formation. With a motive to capitalize on real estate investment and construction, Alliance Housing Bank is offering loan facility to expatriates. Make hay while the sunshines seems to be the motto!

Now, a little bit on Bank of Beirut print ad. The URL mentioned in the ad, http://www.bankofbeirut.com, doesn’t work. It throws up the message, “website can’t be found”. This is another example of regional enterprises ignoring the importance of online presence. Less said the better.