November 3, 2006

THE SULTANATE OF OMAN CELEBRATES THE WORLD FOOD DAY. THE OMANI MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE: INVESTMENT IN THE AGRICULTURE ACHIEVES FOOD SECURITY AND SOCIAL STABILITY. THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION ACHIEVES THE PROJECT OF AL RUSTAQ MASKAN ROAD. THE SIGNING OF A MEDICAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN OMAN AND MOROCCO. The Sultanate of Oman joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Food Day, under the banner "Investing in Agriculture to realize Food Security". The day falls on October 16 every year on the occasion of the anniversary of establishing world Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on October 17, 1945. The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Sheikh Salem bin Hilal Al Khalili said in a speech that since the inception of the Renaissance era, the government of the Sultanate under the wise directives of Sultan Qaboos, has accorded much importance to production of what is needed by the citizens. The Sultanate has taken all necessary steps to make available various food commodities in the market. There are 850 million poverty-stricken people in the world. The Minister added that investment in the agriculture achieves food security and social stability. The Agriculture and Livestock Department has organised a celebration on the occasion of World Food Day. A lecture was organised at the Zinab bint Rasul Basic School on the significance of World Food Day and efforts of the World Food Organisation (WFO) in the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries. In 1970 the Sultanate's economy, was entirely based on agriculture and fisheries. Over half the total Omani population is still engaged in the agricultural and fisheries industry. A large number of people hold cultivable land and a large percentage of the Omani population live in rural villages. However, the stimulus to the national economy derived from the exploitation of oil and gas has also benefited the development and modernisation of agriculture, so that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was enabled to achieve self-sufficiency in food production. Agriculture and fisheries are Oman's main non-oil exports, representing 70% of the country's non-oil exports. The Sultanate of Oman lies in an arid region of the world, but owing to its size and topography it has considerable variations of climate. The backbone of the country is the Hajar range of mountains extending from the tip of the Musandam Peninsula in the north to the south east corner of the Arabian Peninsula in the south. The northern end of the range is largely porous limestone rock, which is the source of water used for irrigation purposes on either flank of the mountains. The southern part of the range is of igneous or volcanic rock. The Hajar range, rising to over 10,000 ft at its highest points, attracts the most rainfall of the Sultanate, much of it as heavy localised thunderstorms during the summer months, and from depressions crossing the Arabian an Peninsula from the west during the winter. However, as elsewhere in the Sultanate, except in the extreme south, is subject to considerable annual variations. The coastal plain and sea ward-facing slopes of the mountains in Dhofar in the extreme south receive regular light monsoon rains from June to September. The coastal Batinah plain extending north-westwards from just north of Muscat to the border with the UAE, and to the east of the Hajar range, is the most densely populated and heavily cultivated region of the country. Agriculture is totally dependent on irrigation from fresh-water wells sunk into the aquifers, which in turn derives from the rains that fall over the adjacent mountains. High-quality dates are the major product of the Batinah plain, while limes are grown in quantity, dried and exported. Mangoes, bananas and other fruits are also grown, as well as tomatoes, onions, aubergines and tobacco, for local consumption. The area under cultivation on the Batinah coast has increased greatly in the last quarter of a century. Inland on both flanks of the Hajar mountains there are considerable areas of cultivation in the wadi beds dependent on water supplied by aflaj (plural of falaj). Dates are the major product of the cultivated areas in the Interior, in addition to other fruits and vegetables. In years of good rains corn is grown as well. In the south, on the coastal plain around Salalah, coconut palms are grown in place of date palms, which are not suited to the local climate. Bananas thrive in quantity on the coastal plain, with papaya and other fruits. Cattle fodder is also grown, but there are plans to transfer fodder cultivation to the inland side of the coastal range, in view of increasing pressure on water resources on the coastal plain. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Programs The Ministry has recently carried out a programme to improve, develop and diversify the cultivation of field crops and fodders, with the aim of identifying the best local strains and improving them. Under the programme, new types of field crops and fodder were evaluated and introduced to the Omani environment. Other objectives included the preparation of programmes aimed at increasing the grain production of the field crops and improving field crop cultivation methods. Particular attention has been given to diseases which attack limes, date palms, coconuts, bananas and tomatoes. Programmes have also concentrated on biological prevention methods. The Ministry provides the Omani farmer with a number of services which he is unable to undertake on his own, and which require high technical and other facilities. On another development the ministry of Transportation and Communications achieved the project of Al Rustaq Maskan road. Oman's road network is well developed, particularly along the Gulf of Oman coast, where a highway connects Muscat with Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Another major highway connects northern Oman and Salalah in Dhofar. The Oman National Transport Company (ONAT) operates inter-city buses providing daily services to the main provincial towns. Internal roads construction project in different parts of the governorate of Dhofar amounted RO9,373,402. The Muscat Municipality continued the work on the second phase of Al Bahri Road project. New flooring surfaces and decorated concrete barriers were erected from Muttrah Roundabout to Muscat Gate. Work is under way at the waterfalls site opposite Riyam Garden. The project includes colour water fountains, sunshades, rest areas and aisle. The work during this stage also includes removal of upper marine wall and replacing it with granite blocks. The project also includes extension of car parking at the waterfall site, Al Insherah Restaurant in addition to fixing decorated lamp-posts. The project is part of the initiatives taken by Muscat Municipality to contribute in making the Sultanate a tourist hub. The beautification works includes renovation of number of tourist sites like Night Market, Muscat Port, forts in addition to upgrading infrastructure projects and utility services. The project is expected to be complete before the 36th National Day Celebration. A Master Plan for a National Road System is being designed to strengthen and expand road network in the Sultanate up to the year 2030. The master plan study, led by experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, will cover all regions of the Sultanate, with the exception of Muscat Governorate where road communications are under the purview of Muscat Municipality. It will identify the need for new highways, carriageways and secondary roads as well as suggest improvements to the existing roads. The 40-45 km Southern Expressway, estimated to cost RO90 million to RO100 million, will link key areas of Muscat city and eventually link Dubai. Some of the major road projects currently under way include the RO56.2 million Sur-Qurayyat coastal road project. The 88 km dual carriageway will drastically reduce travel time between Muscat and Sur, as well as open up large stretches of the Sultanate's eastern coast to potential tourist and economic development. This apart, a number of major road contracts have been awarded recently including: A 40-km link road connecting remote Mahout on the Wusta coast with the Nizwa-Thamrait highway. Rehabilitation of the Nizwa-Thamrait highway, linking of north Oman with the central and southern regions of the country. On the other hand Oman Aviation Services (Oman Air) reported a net profit of RO1.452 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2006. The net profit rose by more than seven per cent from RO1.351 million in September 2005 to RO1.452 million in September 2006. "During the period under review, the national carrier carried 931,753 passengers, recording a 10 per cent passenger traffic growth over the previous year. We have recorded a 75 per cent seat factor. Airport services business improved as flight movement rose by 2,312 flights or 15 per cent. We have also recorded a higher catering uplift (by 699,180 meals or 28 per cent) during the first nine months of the current year," Said bin Hamdoon Al Harthy, chairman of Oman Air, said. The airline has managed to maintain its market share despite increased competition from existing carriers as well as new entrants. "We haven't suspended or reduced operations on loss making routes," he said. Oman Air recently signed lease agreements to acquire two new B737-800 aircraft by May 2007 and March 2008, one of which will replace an existing B737-700 aircraft. "We will continue to explore new high potential routes such as Amman, probably by the end of this year. We are also aiming at strengthening our air charter services in Oman. The company is working closely with Petroleum Development of Oman to upgrade air services to PDO oilfields with jet aircraft," Al Harthy added. Oman Air has also taken significant initiatives to enhance quality of its product and services. About 51 per cent of our passengers now use e-tickets. Internet booking has also been launched along with the airline's new website. The airline has also introduced a new customer loyalty programme called 'Sindbad'. To cope with the Seeb International Airport expansion programme, Oman Air is making additional investment in manpower, training, equipment, and systems. "As compared to the previous year, Oman Air added 308 employees at the airport, and invested more than RO1.4 million in new equipment. Shareholders' equity rose to RO18.465 million compared with RO17.010 million at the end of December 2005. As the company distributed 10 per cent bonus shares this year, the net assets per share stood marginally lower at RO1.390 compared with RO1.409. Meanwhile the Sultanate and Morocco signed a joint memorandum of understanding (MoU) relating to enhancing cooperation in various health spheres including exchange of health and medical information and expertise, encouraging direct cooperation among health and training institutes in the two countries. The MoU was signed by Dr Ali bin Mohammed bin Moosa, health minister; and Dr Mohammed Al Sheikh Bidalla, health minister of Morocco, who is currently visiting the Sultanate. The MoU also covered cooperation in primary healthcare through joint coordination and cooperation particularly in the field of fighting current resident and acute diseases, fields of preventive programmes, including TB, malaria and Aids fighting programmes, population health and family planning programmes, pharmaceutical medical equipment, researches, specialised medical training, continuous education in both countries, hospitals and training institutions. The signing of MoU took place during the official session of talks held between the health minister and his Moroccan counterpart on the ministry's premises. At the beginning of the session, Dr Moosa welcomed his Moroccan counterpart, hailing the strong relations linking the two brotherly countries. Dr Moosa spoke about the health system in the Sultanate, demographic and geographic indicators and their impact on provision of health services in the Sultanate and what had been achieved of significant success in various spheres, particularly expansion and total availed health services, vaccination against resident and infected diseases, the Sultanate's efforts to control a number of different diseases, the efforts being made to qualify health and technical manpower and their expected role to enhance healthcare. From his part, the Moroccan health minister expressed his delight over his visit to the Sultanate, which he hoped would promote joint cooperation relations in health sphere. Highlighting the brotherly relationship between His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and King Mohammed VI of Morocco and the good relationship linking the two brotherly countries. The minister praised the advanced level the health services has reached in the Sultanate and the care provided by health institutions in various spheres. The Moroccan minister told ONA that the health services in Morocco and their geographical distribution and achievements were discussed during the meeting. The meeting was attended by Mohammed bin Hassan bin Ali, undersecretary for planning affairs at the Ministry of Health; Dr Ahmed bin Abdulqadir Al Ghassani, undersecretary for health affairs at the Ministry of Health; Dr Ja'afar bin Ali bin Jafar, adviser for health affairs at the Ministry of Health, the Moroccan ambassador to the Sultanate and the delegation accompanying the Moroccan minister. Meanwhile, the Moroccan minister and his delegation yesterday paid a visit to Royal Hospital. He toured various sections of the hospital and familiarised himself with the various specialisations and the progress it reached that match world health establishments. He also acquainted himself with the hospital's modern equipment including advanced treatment and diagnosing equipment, as well as the services it renders as a health referral establishment that serves all Sultanate's regions. He also visited a number of educational establishments affiliated to the Health Ministry, which included the Institute of Health Services, Oman Institute for Pharmacist Assistants and Oman Institute for Specialised Nursing. The guest familiarised himself with the programmes and specialisations taught by these institutes and the education and their training system. He was also briefed on the study system and its various stages until the graduate receives his or her diploma of the specialisations and programmes given by these institutes. The visit of Dr Mohammed Al Sheikh Bidalla and his delegation also included Al Watiyah Complex for Gynaecology, Maternity and Al Watiyah Health Centre where they familiarised themselves with the various services rendered by the two establishments and their work mechanisms.