Forbes Middle East has named six Omani groups in its annual list of the Top 100 Arab Family Businesses for 2022, honouring the region’s most successful legacy businesses, many of which have been handed down through several generations. The ranking reveals the conglomerates moving into new-age industries and technologies under the leadership of the second and third generations

W.J. Towell Group is one among this prestigious clan. WJ Towell & Co. LLC was founded in 1866 and named after William Jack Towell from the UK and is one of the oldest family businesses in the Gulf region. Mohamed Fadhil, the great-grandfather of the Sultan family, was working as a retail trader in Muscat. He became the CEO of WJ Towell & Co. LLC and succeeded in expanding the company’s business. The company started to get mercantile agencies for insurance and imported US produced kerosene as well as commodities and consumer items. Shipping was the company’s main strength and WJ Towell became the agent of British India Steam Navigation (B.I.). B.I started its first regular service to the Gulf in 1862, carrying passengers and goods between the Gulf countries and India. The port of Muscat was a busy port in the region at that time and WJ Towell’s business thrived. The company exported dates, pomegranate, dried fish, dry lime and other agricultural products to other countries in the region and in Europe. Mohamed Fadhil became a deputy to the Consul of the USA in 1893. In 1907 he became the Consul’s representative in addition to his position as deputy. He bought WJ Towell & Co. LLC in 1914, and as Towell had become a well-known company, he decided to keep this British name and WJ Towell became an all-Omani company.

Towell Engineering arm of the W.J. Towell group is a young, dynamic and successful business. Founded in the year 2001 as a one-man operation by Mr. BALAJI SRINIVASAN – The Founder / Group CEO & Managing Director of Towell Engineering Group, – the beginning was very humble in one room at Al Wadi Al Kabir – Muscat – Sultanate of Oman, and we were then dealing with Gas Turbine and diesel engine spare parts. This one-man venture – a small seed sown in 1999 with dreams to make it BIG, – today, has grown into a cluster of specialized companies in the fields of engineering, construction, projects & other services. The capital invested in this venture is sheer hard work, innovation in approach, aggressive (but cautious) business strategies, intelligent commercial and business acumen, unstinted efforts and insatiable urge and commitment to make it BIG among the established players in the engineering project business in Oman. Today, this engineering conglomerate has achieved a magical growth in bottom-line and is in the position of one of the best companies in the sectors of its operations. Moreover, Towell Engineering is regarded today as one of the top performing companies in the Towell group as well.

W.J Towell – Building Materials Division is a dedicated building material trading division specializing in quality Sanitaryware, Ironmongery, Fire Products, Paints, Plumbing & Electrical Products.
The division caters to the needs of the construction industry across Oman through showrooms, offices, and stores located in Muscat & Salalah.
Building Materials Division has been a leading player in the Oman market for many years and represents quality brands from across the world, catering to diverse market segments.
The division supplies to various ministries in Oman namely RCA, ROP, MOD, MOH, ISS etc apart from private sector projects, across all sectors. The division also provides end-to-end solutions and technical assistance for all its products.

Key Brands sold by the Building Materials Division in Oman under various departments are listed below.

• Ironmongery & Steel Doors.
• Fire Products & Plumbing.
• Electrical Products.
• Jotun Paints.