Wasting no time is a stable of the Al Maimani School of Management: “The secret is time management. I delegate. I no longer attend meetings that do not provide any value to me or the client. I also use concentrated work hours. Everyone at Abdul Wahab Office works from 9 AM to 3 PM. I do not attend many physical meetings. They are a waste of time. Most things can be done online. What would take an hour to discuss in person would take just 20 minutes online. No more, no less.”
Al Maimani sure knows how to master his time in more ways than one – as well as building a mega business, he has two Master’s degrees – one in Industrial Engineering, and the other in Business Administration – he’s also the man behind the book “Business in Short,” which he wrote in just 24 hours.
Despite his varied successes, Al Maimani’s journey has been no walk in the park. Reflecting on his initial foray into business when he was only in Grade 5 at school, he recalls, “The first thing I did was buy different types of toys at wholesale from local grocery stores and resell them at school.” This early spark of business acumen continued in Grades 7-8 with freelance mobile phone programming. “I got my first cell phone, a Nokia N-Gage, in Grade 7 and started programming it. The phone broke after a week, so I moved on to the Nokia 6630. Programming wasn’t a daily activity, but it was my introduction to the world of technology,” he shares.
During his university years, Al Maimani pursued a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering and transitioned from iOS to Android programming. In 2015, he founded Al Muhandis Integrated Services, offering conference management and graphic design, marking a pivotal career moment. Two short years later, he had moved on into marketing and events management, before turning his attention to renewable energy and technical consultancies.
Al Maimani’s no-frills approach to life and work could probably be must succinctly surmised by his brief foray into publishing. In 2019, he released his book, titled Business Short, a handbook to implementing business as a lifestyle, which is perhaps most accurately portrayed by its tagline – “Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication.”
Today, Al Maimani has moved on to the world of luxury products, launching Arabic-calligraphy inspired timepieces under his new brand Waqt Watches. “Watchmaking is a passion. Since I have my Master’s in Industrial Engineering, I do enjoy the intricacy that comes with it. Watchmaking is an art. A science. We produce high-end, complex timepieces, including unique models with Arabic calligraphy and gemstones,” he remarks.
With two Master’s degrees, it’s clear that education is important to Al Maimani. “You cannot remove education from success. Continuous self-improvement is key. Many influencers mislead people with oversimplified success stories. Real success comes from hard work, education, and practical experience.”
In a plea to the next generation, Al Maimani said: “Do not be convinced that education is not important. Education is crucial. It is not just about formal education, but also continuous learning. The billionaires that you read about on those influential lists, they all read a lot and consult educated people. You don’t need a PhD to be clever, but you might need someone with a Master’s or PhD for specific, deep knowledge. Further education broadens your knowledge. It creates in-depth knowledge in certain areas, not just broadening your horizon.”
This education does not need to be formalised. One example Al Maimani uses to illustrate this in action is Bill Gates, who famously dropped out of Harvard University to found Microsoft. “While he might not have a degree, Bill Gates never stopped learning. After establishing Microsoft, he continued learning about new trends, technology, and programmability. If you bring him to a debate about technology, he will know how to answer it comprehensively.”
Attributing his success to his love of education, hard work, and his ability to balance his personal and professional life, Al Maimani is less than impressed by the get rich quick life that seems to fill most social feeds. “Many current influencers focus heavily on mass consumption and fake news, often projecting different personalities across various social media platforms. For instance, they may portray one persona on Twitter, another on Instagram, and yet another on Snapchat, while in reality, they might be introverted. This creates a misleading image of success based solely on materialism and social media presence.”
He adds, “True success, however, should be measured by the positive impact one has on society, not by the superficial trappings of wealth. Many billionaires remain unknown because they choose to lead private lives, focusing on family and personal time rather than constant business engagement. This perspective shift that I had last year, helped me realise the importance of balancing work with personal life. Now, I dedicate my working hours to business and reserve the rest of my time for family and friends.”
A fan of “boring work”, Al Maimani believes that innovations require a purpose, else they will inevitably fail. “I’m not a fan of the word ‘entrepreneur’. Entrepreneurship is where it mixes with innovation-based processes, creating something new and disrupting markets, creating something that was not seen before. Most of the time, the concept is not carefully thought out. I prefer boring work. For example, if you have a pen – all you need is a book and you are good to go. If you have a smart pen, you need a smart book. Why not release a device that caters to those who are visually impaired? It seems like a missed opportunity.”
He adds, “People will always want new toys, but they will always need the boring ones – like office spaces, pens – that’s where the money is.”
Speaking of money, Al Maimani explains that while he believes that monetary wealth can be seen as important, he feels that true wealth comes from time spent with loved ones, which led to the launch of his restaurant Hummingbird.
“I own Hummingbird – it’s a fusion restaurant in Oman. We are involved in the entire supply chain process. It helps us ensure that what we serve is of absolute quality. So, rather than buying fruits, mixed vegetables, and meat produce, we set up our own farm in Oman – it’s about 300,000 square metres. We also own and operate a few cloud kitchens in Salalah and Muscat. We plan to expand globally soon.”
Clearly, Al Maimani is a man with a vision that stretches across industries and lifestyles, but the key moment in his journey was criticism, not unbridled ambition, and a lesson that he plans to take into the future: “Someone once told me that no one would ever take me seriously unless I had white in my beard. I planned to prove them wrong. I believe I have, and I will continue to do so. I refuse to believe that age should be a defining factor of wisdom, or a deciding factor of someone’s influence.”
A timeline of Al Maimani’s business journey
2011 – 2014
Focused on Android programming while pursuing a Bachelor’s degree
in Industrial Engineering. “I diverted from iOS to Android, continuing this work until my graduation.”
2015
Founded Al Muhandis Integrated Services, offering conference management and graphic design services. “Al Muhandis Integrated Services was a turning point. It served my university and offered both paid and free services.”
2015 – 2016
Led major student projects, gaining international recognition. “I represented Oman at the UNESCO International Youth Forum in Paris and won the Best Student Project award at a conference in Malaysia.”
2016 – 2017
Executed a large-scale government project for SME exhibitions. “This project was a significant leap. I started with a capital of $600, but the project required $75,000, so I did crowdfunding to bridge the gap.”
2017
Expanded into a group of companies: Kalima Marketing Services and Golden Leaf Events Planning & Management. “We realised the need for specialised services, which led to the creation of Kalima Marketing Services and Golden Leaf Events Planning & Management.”
Opened an office in the UK and joined the Customer Success Council at GoDaddy. “Expanding to the UK was a strategic move that opened up new opportunities.”
2018 – 2019
Branched into renewable energy and technology. “We ventured into the solar industry and technical consultancies, marking a new chapter in our growth.”
2019
Launched Abdul Wahab Office and published Business in Short. “I published ‘Business in Short,’ a book written in 24 hours, outlining key business concepts and their applications.”
2020
Launched the first digital International Youth Forum and established a business centre. “The digital forum was timely, coinciding with the onset of COVID-19, and it saw participation from over 70 countries.”
2023 – 2024
Invested in raw materials, manufacturing facilities, and luxury products like Waqt Watches. “Our focus shifted to investing in raw materials and first-stage manufacturing processes.”
2025
Plans to mark a decade of business with significant milestones. “We aim to accelerate our involvement in the energy transition, focusing on renewable sources and sustainable practices.”
