#OmanPride: Former SQU student designs glasses which can float on water

More sports Wednesday 21/September/2016 23:12 PM
By: Times News Service
#OmanPride: Former SQU student designs glasses which can float on water

Muscat: An Omani has invented wooden frames for sunglasses, which can float on water.
The inspiration for the creation came when Hamad Al Amri saw his little sister’s wooden comb float on water as they were swimming together.
**media[499993]**
In pictures: Waterproof sunshades made by Omani company
That moment led to the creation of a company, which is now selling designer waterproof sunshades in the same price range as a Ray-Ban.
The new brand’s owner said he is dedicating 10 per cent of the company’s profit to helping people with vision problems.
Featuring seven models, Al Amri started selling the glasses in June 2016 after spending more than three months designing the handmade product.
The 27-year-old engineer is also a diver, who lost many glasses while practising his hobby along the Sultanate’s coastline, eventually leading him to find a fashionable and floatable solution.
**media[499994]**
With the support of his friend Ibrahim Al Sulaitni, the young adventurer started his promising project ‘Kashmah’ in November 2015. Kashmah is a word of Indian origin, which is used by locals in different Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Oman and means ‘glasses.’ He said the glasses are made in Hong Kong and assured they are completely waterproof.
“We learnt how to start a small business project by requesting funds from any authority.”
Al Amri is a Sultan Qaboos University graduate and was the head of the fine arts group in the college. “Art and engineering work well together.
“I have developed a great sense of design. I often get asked by my friends to share my opinion on anything that includes design.”
Knock on wood
“The response to our sunshades so far is just amazing. This encourages us to work harder,” he said, adding that his project is not a business project, but “more of a hobby.”
Kashmah products can be purchased online at http://kashmah.co/ or at the Totem shop in Al Qurum. Models of sunglasses available on the website are Ebony Branch, Zebra Stripes, Black Bamboo and Ancient Ebony, while the medical glasses’ designs are named Sleepy Eyes and Camel Eyes.