Brigadier Timothy Landon - OMAN

Amazing what you come across in your old files? Brigadier Timothy Landon - who is that? Very interesting character (Google Brigadier Timothy Landon) confidante to His Highness Sultan Qaboos of Oman and former room mates at Sandhurst Military College in the UK. 

As a CEO of a new Free Zone you have to accept that position comes with potential conflict and battles. One such event in Oman when I was CEO of the Salalah Free Zone - Oman had been trying unsuccessfully to kick off its Free Zones but something or somebody had been 'Frustrating' the process. Initially the Salalah Free Zone was to be launched in concert with the very successful Salalah Port under charismatic Texan - Jack Helton and his efforts to get SFZ off the ground are well recorded in his time line record. Jack was a lovely man and kinda tried to warn me what I was inheriting in taking on the Salalah Free Zone. Jack had been trying for some 9 Years (would you believe) and the Time Line Record on On Again/off again progress was really down to the interference of one man. 

I had been quite successful in securing several key investors into the SFZ but was again being frustrated by Omani Bureaucracy. It still took me 2 years to secure the SFZ Decree and Status ( June 2006) - I left in July 2006. Having secured these investors I needed assurances from the then Minister of Commerce & Industry - One Ali Sultan Maqbool that the FZ Application would be processed and the Financing and Planning could thus proceed. After taking several large investors into the Hon Ministers Office it became obvious that he was in fact trying to undermine the SFZ and divert the investment to the yet to be developed Sohar Port & Free Zone. 

I am not one to sit quiet and pondered how to address this problem. I met in confidence with the British Ambassador Dr Noel Guckian and he was aware of the corrupt practices of several Omani Ministers but couldn't officially say anything.

He then suggested a name - Brigadier Timothy LANDON an old friend of the Sultan and maybe a means to getting the word in the right ear. The Ambassador did warn me though that Minister Maqbool was well established and could flick you off the table like a crumb of digestive biscuit. Either way it was Win or Lose because SFZ would never fly under such conditions.

I managed to speak (off the Record with Brigadier Landon) who knew a darn sight more than he was letting on and he advised me not to proceed as all the Board members of the Salalah Free Zone were entirely beholding to Minister Maqbool for their Positions.

Two significant investments passed by SFZ s a result of these interventions and the motivation to do more drained away day by day. I was ultimately called to the Chairman's office (Chairman of PEIE and SFZ) who was an appointee of the said Minister. "We won't be renewing your Contract as CEO in July 2006. It came as No surprise as it comes with the territory - accept the Corruption and bad System or Bail Out.

However, the story didn't end on my departure, as several years later Two Ministers were summarily dismissed from their positions and faded into obscurity - Minister of Commerce & Industry Maqbool and Minister of Finance Makki.

The trials and tribulations of being Tony Restall...