Oman Maritime, Ports, Energy Forum kicks off
The inauguration ceremony was held under the auspices of Eng. Said Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.
The forum aims to highlight Oman's position as an integrated regional hub connecting global port, energy, and maritime service systems. It also focuses on showcasing pioneering experiences in addressing challenges and opportunities arising from global trade shifts and technological advancements.
Reflecting its importance as an international platform for exchanging insights and expertise, the forum sees a wide participation from over 200 participants representing around 70 leading global institutions in the ports and energy sectors. Its program includes seven specialized papers addressing key innovations and challenges in the energy and ports sectors, along with topics on digital transformation and investment in national talents.
Asyad Group, the strategic partner, is taking center stage at the forum showcasing its advanced solutions in ports, maritime transport, clean energy, and smart logistics services, reinforcing Oman's position as a global provider of integrated logistics services. The group will also showcase its strategic partnerships with different international organizations in the sustainability sector, including innovative projects for generating clean energy using wave power in Sohar and Duqm, as well as investments in green hydrogen, supporting the transition towards a sustainable energy future.
The forum comes as Asyad Group continues to enhance its global presence as a leading provider of integrated logistics solutions through tangible achievements and strategic investments in 2024. These achievements include increased handling of general and liquid cargo, as well as container volumes, outstanding operational performance in shipping and dry dock services, and a reduction in carbon emissions from its maritime fleet. This reflects the group's firm commitment to transitioning to clean energy and reducing the environmental impact of its operations, in line with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Asyad Group was ranked fourth as the largest sustainable transport and logistics company in the region according to the Middle East and North Africa Sustainability Leaders list by Forbes Middle East. Additionally, Salalah Port was ranked as the second-best global port in container handling efficiency over the past three years. The group also ranked 18th globally in crude oil tanker ownership, 21st in LNG and oil transport, and 51st in container transport, highlighting its efforts and pursuit of excellence by adopting global technologies and practices across its business units.
Commenting on the forum and Asyad Group's participation, Omar Mahmoud Al Mahrazi, CEO of Asyad Ports and Free Zones, emphasized the Group's strategic partnership with the forum embodying its commitment to realizing Oman's vision for developing the maritime and logistics ecosystem. He noted that the forum serves as an important platform for exchanging expertise and discussing key challenges and future opportunities amid rapid global transformations.
Lesley Bankes-Hughes, Managing Director of ship.energy, said: 'This important event highlights Oman's leadership and innovation in the maritime and energy sectors. We hope the conversations that begin this week will continue long after the Forum and will lead to new and fruitful collaborations between Omani and international companies.'
The forum's program includes a series of panel discussions covering the prospects of energy in the Middle East, the development of port infrastructure, changes in the marine fuel market, and topics on innovation, growth, partnerships, and building national workforce capacities. A specialized workshop on marine fuel measurement technologies and the role of digital solutions in improving operational and commercial efficiency in fuel supply chains was held yesterday on the sidelines of the forum.
The forum will conclude with a visit to the fuel supply ship "Margherita Cosulich," equipped with mass flow meters, providing participants with a practical and interactive experience that combines knowledge exchange and exposure to the latest technological innovations in the maritime sector.
This extensive international presence and close cooperation between the organizing entity (ship.energy) and Asyad Group underscore the forum's significance as a platform highlighting Oman's pivotal role in the future of the energy and shipping sectors, opening new horizons for investment and partnership, thereby enhancing its competitiveness on the global economic map.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
20 hours ago
- Observer
Oman's digital transformation performance up 80%
Muscat - The National Program for Digital Transformation (Tahawul) (2021-2025) has recorded an 80 percent increase in overall performance since its launch until the end of May 2025. The program achieved a 19 percent qualitative leap over its performance recorded at the end of the first half of last year, confirming the effectiveness of the implemented strategies and the levels of progress achieved in organizational and digital structures as an effective tool for leading the digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman towards a digital government that applies the highest standards of efficiency, speed of implementation, and quality of services. The average readiness of government institutions for digital transformation rose to 81 percent, a seven percent increase over the rate recorded at the end of June 2024. Meanwhile, the readiness of the digital infrastructure in government institutions rose to 86 percent, and procedures for 96 percent of targeted and priority government services were simplified, including 381 services whose procedures were simplified in Manjam's laboratories for simplifying government procedures. 74 percent of targeted and priority government services were digitized. 48 government agencies completed 11,439,542 digital transactions between January and May 2025. 33 advisory and enabling sessions were held in the areas of digital transformation, and 4,100 services were documented and indexed in the digital guide for government services. Dr. Ali bin Amer Al-Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of the Technical Committee for the Government Digital Transformation Program, said that the results and performance indicators of the "Transformation" program reflect the extent of concerted national efforts and the commitment of government institutions to proceed with confident steps towards a promising digital government. He praised the level of institutional integration with the program's vision and objectives, which embodies the ability to keep pace with digital transformations with confident and deliberate steps. Al Shidhani affirmed that the "Transformation" program is moving forward to continue enhancing the efficiency of digital services, improving infrastructure, completing the digitization of more services, and empowering national competencies, in line with an ambitious national direction to build a more innovative future that meets the aspirations of the Sultanate of Oman's renewed renaissance. Among the most notable achievements of the National Government Digital Transformation Program (Tahweel) over the past period is the launch of the unified government services portal, which includes 23 government services for a number of government agencies. The number of portal users reached 35,746, while the number of service requests completed through the portal reached 3,905. The Visual Library section was activated in sign language to support the use of the portal by people with disabilities. The electronic payment gateway (OmanNet) has also been fully operational, contributing to an increase in the volume of electronic payment transactions and reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions. The total number of transactions executed through the platform reached 14.5 million digital transactions during the first quarter of this year. The number of active users of the electronic document and records management system "Wusool" has reached more than 17,000, and the total number of documents created through the system has exceeded 1.5 million, providing services to 20 government entities using the system. The number of digital transactions signed via electronic authentication during the first half of 2025 reached approximately 1,572,638 digital transactions. The number of data records exchanged via the National Electronic Integration Platform during the same period reached 163 million records. More than 90 digital community consultations were conducted to enhance the government's efforts to activate the digital participation approach across various government institutions and governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. It may be noted that the National Government Digital Transformation Program falls under the umbrella of the National Digital Economy Program. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, in coordination with all government agencies, has drawn up a roadmap and an implementation plan for the program spanning the period (2021-2025) to transition to a digital government based on governance principles and the use of emerging technologies to create a future-oriented government agency that provides an integrated digital experience.
Muscat Daily
a day ago
- Muscat Daily
Digital services surge as Oman advances towards e-govt goals
Muscat – The National Programme for Digital Transformation – Tahawul – has achieved an 80% overall performance rate since its launch in 2021, marking a 19% increase over the results recorded in mid-2024. The figures, released at the end of May 2025, highlight progress made across government institutions in digital infrastructure readiness, simplified public services and increased adoption of e-services. According to Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the average readiness of government bodies for digital transformation reached 81%, while infrastructure readiness stood at 86%. Procedures for 96% of targeted government services were simplified, including 381 services revised under Manjam Labs – a collaborative initiative to improve government service efficiency. Additionally, 74% of priority services have been digitised, and between January and May this year, 48 government agencies processed more than 11.4mn digital transactions. A total of 4,100 services were indexed in the government's digital services guide, and 33 advisory sessions were held to support public sector digitalisation. H E Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of Tahawul's technical committee, said the results reflect national efforts and institutional commitment to the programme's objectives. He noted that the direction of the transformation aligns with Oman's broader digital economy goals and aims to enhance service delivery and empower local talent. H E Dr Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology Among key achievements is the launch of a unified government services portal, now offering 23 services from various agencies. The platform has recorded 35,746 users and processed 3,905 service requests. A library in sign language has also been activated to support users with disabilities. The OmanNet electronic payment gateway is now fully operational, handling 14.5mn digital transactions in the first quarter alone. The system is designed to reduce fraud risk and encourage electronic payment adoption. The Wusool system for electronic document and records management has registered over 17,000 active users and processed more than 1.5mn documents across 20 government entities. In the first half of 2025, over 1.57mn digital transactions were signed using electronic authentication. The National Electronic Integration Platform exchanged 163mn records, while more than 90 digital public consultations were held to enhance citizen participation in policymaking. Tahawul is a core initiative under Oman's National Digital Economy Programme. It runs from 2021 to 2025, targeting a shift to a fully digital government based on principles of good governance and adoption of emerging technologies.
Times of Oman
5 days ago
- Times of Oman
Tender floated for Nizwa-Bahla dual carriageway project
Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology clarified that the Nizwa-Bahla Dual Carriageway Project, for which the Projects, Tenders and Local Content Authority has announced a tender, involves doubling the existing road from the Daris Roundabout in the Wilayat of Nizwa to the Jabrin area in the Wilayat of Bahla, within Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, with a total length of 40 kilometres. The ministry noted that the project includes the installation of two traffic signals near Bahla Souq (market), 10 roundabouts at various locations along the route, and several pedestrian and vehicle tunnels in commercial and high-traffic areas. It emphasised that the design ensures functionality in all weather conditions. The ministry stated that the project is expected to enhance traffic flow, strengthen social connectivity, reduce traffic accidents, and boost commercial, economic and tourism activity.
