Sunday 23 / November / 2025
Muscat: Oman is mourning the loss of one of its most influential business pioneers following the passing of Sheikh Suhail Salim Bahwan, Chairman of the Suhail Bahwan Group.
He passed away on Sunday, leaving the nation, his family, and thousands of colleagues and admirers in deep sorrow.
A condolence gathering was held on Sunday afternoon in Al Qurum, where citizens and residents came together to honour a man widely regarded as a pillar of Oman’s modern economic development.
The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) expressed profound condolences, describing Sheikh Suhail as an exceptional leader whose contributions strengthened Oman’s business landscape. The OCCI prayed for God’s mercy upon him and patience and strength for his family.
In its official statement, the Suhail Bahwan Group said: “Sheikh Suhail leaves behind a legacy of integrity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the people and progress of the Sultanate of Oman.”
Tributes poured in from employees, business partners, and community members whose lives he touched over the decades.
One longtime expatriate employee wrote: “I had the privilege of working for Bahwan Contracting Company under his able leadership. He will always be remembered as a humble person who shaped the country and many lives.”
Another former staff member expressed gratitude for his generosity: “As a former Suhail Bahwan Group employee, I offer my heartfelt condolences. May Almighty God bless him for his kindness and benevolence.”
A citizen noted the depth of his charitable impact. “Through his generosity and the building of mosques, hospitals, and facilities across Oman, Sheikh Suhail Bahwan Al Mukhaini leaves a legacy of goodness that will endure for generations,” he said.
Another expatriate remembered him as “a visionary legend who inspired hope and uplifted families across the world.”
Born in Sur — a historic seaport long linked to trade with India, Iraq, Zanzibar, and East Africa — Sheikh Suhail grew up in a community shaped by maritime commerce and cultural exchange.
In 1965, he, and his brother Saud, moved to Muscat and began a small trading enterprise in Muttrah. What started as a modest venture blossomed, through ambition and relentless hard work, into the Suhail Bahwan Group, now one of the largest and most professionally managed conglomerates in the Middle East.
Today, the Group’s activities touch nearly every sector of daily life, including automobiles, electronics, healthcare, agriculture, chemicals, fertilisers, retail, construction, engineering, IT, manufacturing, telecommunications, oil and gas services, furnishings, and building materials.
Across these sectors, Sheikh Suhail’s leadership helped shape industries, fuel national development, and improve the quality of life of millions of people in Oman and abroad.
As Oman bids farewell to one of its most respected business icons, his legacy lives on — in the institutions he built, the people he inspired, and the nation he helped propel forward.
