26-04-2025
New book chronicles history of Oman's electricity sector
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, APRIL 26
An insightful new book exploring the history of the Sultanate of Oman's electricity sector — and the broader energy landscape — has been launched at the ongoing Muscat International Book Fair 2025, currently taking place at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Authored by Dr Ali Hamed Al Ghafri, a distinguished veteran of Oman's energy industry, the book offers a comprehensive and meticulously researched account of the sector's evolution. Dr Al Ghafri's career spans over three decades, during which he held senior positions in ministerial institutions, operational roles, and academia, making him uniquely qualified to pen this landmark work.
Believed to be the first literary work of its kind with a dedicated focus on Oman's electricity sector, the book provides industry professionals, researchers, and readers alike with unparalleled insight into the development of electrical energy in the Sultanate. It covers a wide range of topics, including the sources of energy, the means of energy used in Oman before the advent of electricity, the oil and gas industry's role, the introduction and growth of electrical energy, the evolution of electricity usage across the country, the organizational development of the sector from 1970 to 2020, the status of the sector as of 2022, and the future outlook for the electricity sector.
Dr Al Ghafri holds both a Master's Degree and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom. Beginning his professional journey in 1986 as an Electrical Maintenance Engineer, he rose through the ranks to become Director General of Electricity in 2001, and later served as Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Minerals, focusing on Electricity and Renewable Energy, from 2018.
