Sultan Qaboos at Omani Council of Ministers: Our economic, financial status is firm, govt. pins hopes on economic mega projects

Sultan of Oman discusses with Emir of Kuwait bilateral cooperation, regional and international developments

Omani minister of information patronizes celebration to name winners of media innovation award

Undersecretary of information says ministry going ahead with expanding scope of interest, practical rehabilitation

Australian magazine highlights Oman's prestigious ranking on the level of international tourism

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman and Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al Ahmed al Jaber al Sabah held a brotherly meeting at Bait al Barakah during which they reviewed the strong relations that bind the two brotherly countries and scopes of current bilateral co-operation to serve the interests of the two peoples.

They also reviewed a number of issues of common concern in the light of regional and global developments. The meeting was attended from the Omani side by Sayyid Ali bin Hamoud al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Supervisor of the Ministry of Finance, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Dr Mohammed bin Hamad al Rumhy, Minister of Oil and Gas.

From the Kuwaiti side, it was attended by Sheikh Mishaal al Ahmed al Jaber al Sabah, Deputy Chief of the National Guard, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Sabah al Salim al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah al Ahmed al Sabah, Oil Minister, Sheikh Mohammed al Khalid al Hamed al Sabah, Adviser at the Emiri Diwan and Mostafa Jassim al Shimali, Finance Minister.

His Majesty the Sultan hosted a special luncheon at Bait al Barakah in honor of Sheikh Sabah and his delegation. The Emir left the country later after a two-day private visit. His Majesty the Sultan led the farewell party for the Emir and his delegation at the Royal Airport.

He was also seen off by His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al Said, Sayyid Ali, Gen Ali bin Majid al Maamari, Royal Office Minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, Abdulnabi Macki, Dr Al Rumhy, and Shamlan Abdulaziz Mohammed al Romi, Ambassador of Kuwait to the Sultanate, and members of the embassy.

His Majesty the Sultan has received a cable of thanks from Sheikh Sabah on the conclusion of his visit to the Sultanate in which he expressed his utmost thanks and appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to him and his delegation. He also expressed his great delight with meeting His Majesty the Sultan and the consultation and views exchanged on various issues of common concern.

Sheikh Sabah wished His Majesty good health and happiness and the country and people continued progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Majesty.

Meanwhile, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said presided over the Council of Ministers' meeting at Bait Al Barakah.

His Majesty the Sultan opened the meeting by thanking Allah, the Almighty for his continuous blessings and great bounties, praying to the Almighty to bestow Oman with more bounties to remain the country of peace and security with God's willing.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has reviewed domestic, regional and international situations. At the domestic front, His Majesty the Sultan cited the economic and financial position of the country as solid and stable. He said that the government places great expectations on the various mega economic projects at the regions of Al Duqum and Al Batinah due to be linked with the railway line to facilitate the transport movement between them and between the AGCC states in the future, God's willing.

His Majesty the Sultan has also showed his satisfaction with work progress in the tourism sector. He directed the Council of Ministers to study this side as to revive the seasonal tourism of some regions in the Sultanate.

He stressed the importance of availing employment opportunities priority to Omani youth, male and females, generated by all these fields of activities.

In this connection, His Majesty the Sultan hailed the culture of work gained by the Omani citizen in terms of accepting all types of work. It had become tangible in all walks of life, thanks to the combined efforts of the government and citizens which call for pleasure and satisfaction.

His Majesty the Sultan stressed the importance of linking the education output with the development and labor requirements to enable the Omani citizen to compete fairly and be well trained and qualified in order to join the labor market.

During the meeting, His Majesty the Sultan touched on the current situations at the regional and international arenas.

He stressed that the Sultanate will continue it's support for the main issues at the Arab arena, addresses developments of regional issues to support the efforts aimed at establishing stability in the region, stemming from the Sultanate's keenness that it's relation with all countries of the world be based on optimum co-operation and mutual respect.

His Majesty the Sultan also reviewed a number of issues being of concern to the homeland and the citizen. He issued Royal directives to their Highnesses and ministers, members of the council of ministers to achieve further development and the envisaged goals. He wished all the success to achieve wellbeing and prosperity to this beloved country and its faithful people.

On the other hand, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said gave an audience at Bait Al Barakah to Dennis Ross , the special advisor for the U.S. Secretary of State on the Gulf and South West Asia Affairs.

During the audience, bilateral friendly relations and means of enhancing the existing cooperation, as well as, a number of other issues of mutual interest were reviewed.

Garry Grappo, U.S ambassador to the Sultanate, and Lt. Gen. John Allen, Deputy General Commander of the U.S Central Command attended the audience.

Meanwhile, HE Maqbool Bin Ali Bin Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said that Oman’s long-term development strategy of reducing its dependence on oil is well on track with the industrial sites Sur and Sohar set to host a diverse blend of large-scale industries when they open for business, according to.

In an exclusive interview with Oxford Business Group (OBG), acclaimed global publishing, research and consultancy firm, Maqbool said: “All institutional and physical infrastructures (at Sur and Sohar) are now in place and the participation of foreign investment is in full swing.”

The interview features in ‘The Report: Oman 2009,’ the most comprehensive and accurate review of the country’s economy available, which is published by OBG. Rated as the premier source of information for foreign direct investment into the country’s economy, it is a vital guide to the many facets of Oman, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, political landscape, banking and sectoral developments.

‘The Report: Oman 2009’ has been produced by a team of OBG analysts based in Oman who have conducted some 200 interviews with leading political, business and economic figures. Maqbool is one of the politicians interviewed in ‘The Report: Oman 2009’, where the full version of his interview appears. While providing the most comprehensive and accurate review of Oman’s economy available, the report offers a detailed sector-by-sector guide for foreign investors.

Bin Ali Sultan said that the operations at Sur and Sohar were examples of the extent to which Oman had set in motion its policy of diversifying the Sultanate’s economy.

Oman, he said, was utilizing the gas reserves available to build up the downstream, heavy industry and energy sectors.

“Development of the manufacturing sector is considered the first mechanism to achieve diversification of the economic base,” he said. Oman expects to further host an expanding food processing sector, together with petrochemicals and pharmaceutical industries and knowledge-intensive businesses.

The government is also channeling its energy into tourism, with a long-term development plan in place aimed at transforming Oman into a competitive destination for visitors.

Businesses have been given incentives to encourage them to play an active role in Oman’s changing economy, Maqbool said. The government is offering soft loans, along with tax relief and customs exemptions, while entrepreneurs have been informed that industrial sites will be fully serviced with modern infrastructure.

The minister said that Oman has a newly-appointed director-general of small and medium-sized enterprises who will play an active role as the Sultanate’s economy makes the transition to one with a higher level of private sector participation.

He was positive about the growing number of job opportunities becoming available in the private sector. He said that as more Omanis learned new skills, more nationals would be able to take advantage of the increasing number of jobs on offer in private industry.

“With greater skill acquisition and training there could be much greater absorption of Omanis in the private sector,” he said.

Available in print form and online, ‘The Report: Oman 2009,’ forms part of the range of OBG’s publications renowned as leading sources of information on developing and emerging economies around the world.

Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, which publishes economic and political intelligence on the markets of the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and North and South Africa.

Through its range of print and online products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of political, macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, energy, infrastructure, industry and insurance.

HE Hamed Bin Mohammed Al Rashdi, the Omani Minister of Information, presented the second prize in the category of best stories to Aziz Al Rahbi of Oman Tribune for his report on the risks of tobacco addiction.

The award was given to Aziz Al Rahbi at the 4th contest of creative information at a ceremony held under the auspices of the Ministry of Information.

During the program, the minister honored several retired employees from the Ministry of Information for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. He also gave away certificates and gifts to the winners.

The ceremony was attended by a number of Their Excellencies, retired officials from Ministry of Information and others.

In his address, HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Shuwain Al Husni, Undersecretary of Information and head of the principal committee of the creative information contest, spoke about the importance of the contest and the way it would encourage Omani media people.

A drama, scripted by Mohammed Bin Saif Al Rahbi and directed by Yousif Al Balushi, was staged on the occasion. On behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, HH Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers, received Roland Koch, Minister-President of the State of Hesse in Germany on Tuesday.

Koch, who was on a visit to the Sultanate, conveyed the greetings of the German leadership along with their best wishes to His Majesty the Sultan, the Omani government and the people.

Fahd welcomed Roland and his accompanying delegation, praising the relations and development between the two countries during the past years which show keenness of the two sides to work for the benefit of their people.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to promote and develop the Omani German trade, economic exchange and joint investments. They also discussed ways to get benefit from the German expertise in various fields. They reviewed developments and current issues at the regional and international levels.

Koch expressed his and his accompanying delegation’s pride over the visit. He said the visit will allow him to closely view the continuous progress in the Sultanate led and inspired by the wise leadership of His Majesty the Sultan.

He stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation between the countries, in addition to sharing views on matters of joint interests.

The meeting was attended by HE Sayyid Badr Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and HE Klaus Geyer, Ambassador of Germany to the Sultanate.

HE Ahmed Bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, received Roland Koch and his delegation.

They discussed the issues related to economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Macki said that Germany is an important economic partner of the Sultanate and the volume of the trade and investment exchange between the two countries are increasing substantially.

He hoped that the economic relations between the two countries would further gain momentum with joint cooperation in various developmental sectors.

He stressed the importance of the German companies’ involvement in the economic ventures being implemented by the Sultanate in the sea, land, air transport sectors and other developmental projects. The German companies may entertain the services availed by the ports of Sohar and Salalah and Al Duqum in future besides the new airports services due to be implemented by the government, he added.

Macki also stressed the necessity to encourage aviation services between the two countries through joint cooperation, operating direct flights by Oman Air and Lufthansa of Germany, which will contribute to the encouragement of joint tourism and investment between the two countries.

Koch expressed desire of his country for the growth of economic and investment cooperation, especially in view of the Sultanate’s encouragement to investment environment.

HE Maqbool Bin Ali Bin Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, received Roland Koch and his delegation at his office.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral trade relations and ways to boost them, possibility of cooperation in the field of alternative energy; the solar and wind energy, in addition to, establishing joint ventures in various fields.

The guest briefed on the potentials available in the County of Hesse in terms of its strategic central location in the EU, availability of transport networks, a number of universities, vehicles and chemical plants besides its proximity to Frankfurt airport. It is also considered as the financial centre for 400 banks, he added.

The meeting was attended by the German ambassador to the Sultanate and officials at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

HE Sayyid Hamoud Bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs, received Roland Koch and his delegation at his office.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed strong relations between the two friendly countries, explored areas of environment cooperation and how to enhance them to achieve the joint interests of the Sultanate and Germany.

The two sides also shared expertise in various developmental areas and reviewed issues of joint interests for both the countries.

On the other hand, The Sultanate’s economy is expected to slow down this year, Secretary-General Ministry of Commerce and Industry HE Mohammed Nasser Al Khasibi cautioned on Wednesday.

Al Khasibi’s remarks came during a keynote address he delivered at the launch of The Report: Oman 2009, the fifth annual report on the Sultanate’s economy –– published by Oxford Business Group.

However, he expressed confidence that the government’s proven willingness to shepherd the economy through volatile times will ensure renewed growth once the regional and global economies recover from the slowdown.

The current per capita income and GDP have risen spectacularly despite the global financial turmoil due to the wise policies of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Al Khasibi said.

The Ministry of National Economy recently disclosed that the country’s average per capita income in 2008 registered a three-fold increase over the previous year to reach $19,600, while GDP registered a massive 13 per cent growth.

Stating that the Gulf region and Oman in particular will emerge more powerful economically due to their human capital and business-friendly infrastructure, Al Khasibi said recent studies had confirmed Oman’s enviable position in the current scenario.

“The London-based Economist Intelligence Unit has recently identified Oman as the Gulf nation that is best placed to weather the global economic crisis. Out of the 165 countries that were analyzed, Oman was ranked in seventeenth place just after Canada and Sweden and far ahead of the UK and US,’’ he added.

Asserting that Oman continues to remain an attractive investment destination, the secretary-general said that the government’s long-term ambition was to move away from its reliance on oil under the Vision 2020 program.

“A framework to boost the GDP contribution of non-oil sectors such as industry and tourism is being laid out.

Successful projects such as the Oman-India Fertilizer Company are likely to help the nation reach 2020 program goals and also boost trade,’’ he said.