National Finance: Best SME Finance Solutions Oman 2021

National Finance recognises SMEs as the backbone of Oman’s economy, and has been providing financing to them — as well as larger corporates and individual clients — for over three decades. It’s a lean operation, with a 300-person team looking after 70,000 customers — 10,000 of them SMEs. National Finance is the largest non-banking financial institution in Oman, claiming 42 percent of the market share. The listed company is licensed and regulated by Oman’s central bank, and its origin story centres around SMEs. It began by financing equipment for construction and transportation companies — still a central part of its business today. It has worked with Oman-based businesses across a range of sectors and gained in-depth knowledge of the local market. National Finance acquired the local affiliate of a large Japanese multinational which enabled a doubling of balance sheet and expansion of the network to 20 branches. National Finance had adopted a tech-first business model with continuous investments since 2011 which benefitted the company on several levels, particularly customer service and also smooth assimilation of the acquired entity. During the pandemic, Oman went into full lockdown — but National Finance, with its hi-tech operations, had no interruption of service. Further investments over the past four years have ensured a thoroughly modern tech infrastructure. The company has gone almost completely paperless, inspiring others to follow the trend. Clients can visit a local branch or call the help centre with any queries — including assistance on how to use the app. The CFI.co judges present National Finance with the 2021 Best SME Finance Solutions (Oman) award.