English abstract
This paper examines the impacts of the 1998 ban on Oman fish exports to the EU markcts and ensuing the internationalization of Oman fish companics. The ban raises two concerns that the paper intends to answer: (i) how firms have responded to surmount the ban, and (ii) which strategics are more effective in the process of internationalization. The paper distinguishes three sets of actions: during the ban and immediate actions; short term actions; and long term actions. Besides government support for the implementation of international norms of quality and safety control, firms have responded individually to the EU ban. The actions subscquently undertaken by firms in response to the ban were selected: identification of new markets (alternatives); implementation of the required regulations and nceded support to continue exporting to traditional European markets (competence); and long term business and marketing strategics (strategic thinking). These actions or steps represent the internationalization process or approach followed by the fisheries firms in Oman. All these actions have been undertaken after the EU ban, which leads to the conclusion that the ban has indeed worked as a driving force to internationalize, i.e. to develop the requisites of intemational markets.
