A master of all trades

Nawar Sukkar: I am very optimistic

As the government relies more and more on the private sector to fill in the gaps services provision, Nawar Sukkar, President of The Nasco Group, talks to FW: Magazine about his many divisions, the importance of learning from others, and joining the forces of the public and private sectors.

Nawar Sukkar & Co. “NASCO,” was established in 1988, providing services for oil companies. “We are the main service provider for oil companies operating in Syria. We provide the manpower, catering, transportation, and civil work as our core business,” says Sukkar.

Today, NASCO has a substantial share of the oil services market and represents several major international companies in the oil, electrical and mineral resources sectors, providing consulting services to the companies operating in the petroleum sector. It has therefore established a solid track record of success when working with reputed oil-exploration and production companies.

Following several years of success in the area of oil services with an established reputation for excellence in service provision, the company established the Syrian Company for Agricultural Services, (SASCO). The professional engineers at SASCO designed and built the drainage and irrigation systems at the Ebla Golf course and the renovation processes of most of the football stadiums in Syria in addition to executing the landscape of the 26 villas built for Arab leaders who took part in the recent Arab Summit held in Damascus. The company’s activities were also expanded to cover agricultural machinery, fertilizers, irrigation equipment, peat moss and substrates.

The company has also developed its own Health Safety Environment Policy and Plan, HSE, ensuring compliance with the set quality assurance standards. They are also involved in Syrian Medical Services (SMS), which was established in 2004, to provide services and equipment to the country’s medical sector. Services that SMS provides include: sales, installation, maintenance, and after sales of medical equipment. SMS is also involved in providing turn-key solution to the health sector, both public and private, through its alliance with major international players in this field.

The group’s board of directors, which includes Mohammed Tarif al-Kozbari, Amer Tayan and Karim Tabah (FW’s first Faces of the Future), has a strong belief that commitment, professionalism, and excellence are behind the success of the company. A manifestation of this belief is in the success attained by the Allied Expo, a leading Syrian exhibition organizer who has the knowledge and expertise to organize and promote specialized trade exhibitions at international standards. Allied Expo’s activities and services include: organizing exhibitions and conferences, integrated exhibition services, and marketing and promotion.

Allied Expo was established in 1998, when it organized the first Syrian International Oil & Gas Exhibition, SYROIL 98, which became one of the most prestigious exhibitions in Syria and the Middle East.  As SYROIL became a success, Allied followed with several successful events in the automobile industry, the environment sector, the electricity and energy field. Sukkar notes the importance of the exhibitions, which offer exposure to the international market, sharing knowledge and experience in technical seminars, “and where our manpower and engineers learn about the latest technologies. It is a win-win approach.”
Sukkar expressed pride that his company provides services of international standards accepted by international companies. On the role played by the private sector in serving the national economy, he felt that the distinction between the private sector and the government sector should be established more clearly. “The government sector should concentrate on the infrastructure of the country, and provide good services for the nation,” says Sukkar. “Meanwhile, the government should use the private sector’s specialization in certain domains and services to achieve the set objectives.”

Measures have been taken to get the private sector involved in joint-venture investment projects with the government in every sector in the country. Sukkar feels that the Syrian private sector has been brought to the scene as a key player in developing the country’s economic processes, which is coupled with the introduction of new regulations creating a new optimal environment for the private sector.
For Sukkar, things are improving in the country at the economic level. New banks and insurance companies are opened, oil companies are licensed, and new laws have been enacted providing much more favorable investment conditions. “I am very optimistic,” says Sukkar. “Syria is witnessing a rise in business just now.”

He voiced support for gradual reforms, because, “we are not ready for big structural changes. It takes time to be digested and we still have to establish the tools for that.” Still, the fact that there are so many that are ready to embrace change is very encouraging. “Syrians are definitely motivated,” says Sukkar.