Shura Council to host Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion
Muscat: The Shura Council will convene its 12th, 13th, and 14th regular sessions during the period from Tuesday to Thursday, 24–26 June 2025, as part of the second annual sitting of the Tenth Term (2023–2027).
The sessions will include discussions on a number of draft laws, reports submitted by the Council's standing committees and working teams, in addition to the ministerial statement to be delivered by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
In a statement, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Nadabi, Secretary General of the Shura Council, explained that the Council will host Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, on Wednesday and Thursday, 25–26 June, to deliver his ministry's statement before the members of the Shura Council in a public session.
The statement will be delivered in accordance with Article (69) of the Council of Oman Law, which stipulates that the Shura Council shall, at the beginning of each annual session, determine the programme of ministerial statements and their discussion points based on a joint proposal by the Bureau of the Council and the chairs of the standing committees.
The programme is then submitted to the government, along with the key elements and themes each statement must include according to the topic or sector it addresses.
According to the Secretary General, the ministerial statement will focus on six main themes, namely: the contribution of the commerce and industry sectors to the gross domestic product (GDP); the Ministry's vision for the future of the industrial sector; projects implemented during the period 2020–2023; the evaluation of free trade agreements and the 'Nazdaher' programme; the volume and trends of foreign direct investment; and the Ministry's future outlook.
He added that the statement will present statistical analyses and performance indicators reflecting the current status of the commerce and industry sectors, while emphasising the importance of promoting investment by offering incentives and legislative facilitation, strengthening the legal framework, enhancing digital platforms, and supporting national initiatives such as 'Invest in Oman.'
The statement will also evaluate the outcomes of economic agreements concluded with GCC countries and other international partners.
The Council's 12th regular session, scheduled for Tuesday, 24 June, will be dedicated to discussing a number of draft laws, including the draft amendment of certain provisions of the Cultural Heritage Law, and the draft Law on Combating Cybercrimes.
The relevant committees have reviewed the proposed laws and compared them with similar regional legislation, introducing appropriate amendments to enhance their effectiveness in alignment with national priorities.
These proposed amendments will be discussed in preparation for referral to the State Council.
The session will also include discussions on the report of the Services and Public Utilities Committee concerning the draft air services agreement with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with reference to Curaçao.
Furthermore, the Council will review reports submitted by working teams formed during the current session to study various national topics.
These include the report of the working team tasked with reviewing the benefits of the social protection system, and the report of the working team studying the digital economy file, aimed at supporting Oman's orientation towards enhancing the digital economy in line with Oman Vision 2040.
Also on the agenda are several reports submitted by the standing committees. These include the following:
The report of the Health and Social Committee on the proposal to enhance investment in the private health sector;
The report of the Services and Public Utilities Committee on the proposal to improve the quality of telecommunications services in the Sultanate of Oman;
The report of the Education, Research, Innovation Committee on the proposal to introduce mechanisms to maximise the economic impact of scientific research and innovation in the Sultanate;
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