Q5 expands Middle East presence with new office in Oman

UK consultancy Q5 has said 'Salam Alaikum' to Oman, launching a new office in Muscat. The hub will support public and private sector clients amid the nation's Oman 2040 transformation.

Founded in 2009, Q5 is a consulting firm which helps clients develop strategy, and deliver organisational change. The firm has more than 300 specialists stationed across offices in London, Leeds, Cardiff, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Houston, and New York.

As economic transformation efforts across the Middle East continue at pace, Q5 has opted to expand its presence in the region. Q5 has also operated in the Middle East countries since 2017, via an office in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh. From there, the firm has worked with clients looking to execute Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plans. At the same time, it has been able to work across the GCC region – giving the firm a wealth of experience when it comes to supporting the region’s economic diversification drives.

Now, as it looks to put that expertise to work across more of the region, it has launched a new office in Oman. The locale in Muscat opens its doors as the country pushes ahead with its own Oman 2040 plans - aiming to transition the economy away from its historic oil dependency.

The Oman 2040 plan has earmarked five sectors that have high growth potential and economic returns: agriculture and fisheries, manufacturing, logistics and transport, energy and mining, and tourism. Looking ahead, these are areas Q5 believes it is well positioned to help with from its office located in the Qurum area of Muscat – which opened its doors in mid-2023.

Speaking on the firm's entry into Oman, Phoebe Dunn, managing director for Q5 in the Middle East, said, “We bring global best practice, a track record of success in the GCC region, and a partnership approach with local delivery teams so that you can take all your strategy off the page and deliver at pace. As transformation and change specialists, we’re investing here so we can help client organisations in this next phase of transition, especially when things get tough.”

The firm works across a range of sectors and industries, including: infrastructure; financial services; government and health; retail; culture and heritage; media and technology; and non-profits. These are all essential areas for any nation looking to overhaul its economic infrastructure, boost its private sector, and strengthen civil society in the process. To that end, Q5 supports clients in four key areas: with strategy implementation; organisation design; capability building; and systems design and ways of working.

Considering what the firm can deliver in Oman, Salim Al-Wahaibi, a director at Q5’s new office, added, “Like so many Omanis, I am committed to making our 2040 vision a reality. And by creating Q5 Partners as an Oman company, we want to make a concrete difference to Oman’s national ambition.”