Oman Governors’ Forum Begins in Salalah to Advance Decentralization

Oman Governors Discuss Decentralization Reform at Forum in Salalah

Salalah (ONA): The deliberations of the Governors’ Forum, attended by the Governors of the Sultanate of Oman’s governorates, alongside the Chairmen of Muscat Municipality and Dhofar Municipality, commenced today at Dhofar Municipality headquarters in Salalah.

The Forum is convened as part of ongoing efforts to enhance institutional cooperation and integration among governorates, facilitating the exchange of expertise, experiences and successful practices in administrative and developmental spheres. It comes to foster synergy of efforts, complementarity of roles and elevation of performance and achievement standards. These efforts are aligned with the strategic objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and are designed to support the comprehensive and sustainable development agenda.

In his welcome address, HH Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, emphasized that the forum represents a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and perspectives, as well as drawing upon the diverse experiences of the various governorates. He noted that the distinct characteristics, resources and challenges of each governorate constitute a source of mutual learning and experiential integration.

His Highness affirmed that the current phase calls for a transition from reviewing past accomplishments to charting future aspirations, while enhancing the capacity of governorates to shape development policy and efficiently leverage their resources and comparative advantages.

He highlighted that one of the key agenda items for this year’s forum is the deliberation on a proposal to reform the decentralization framework in the Sultanate of Oman, developed by a joint team of governorate representatives over the preceding period. The objective is to come up with a more mature and practical vision that accurately reflects the needs of the governorates and reinforces integration among them.

The forum featured the presentation of several working papers and briefings, including a paper on “His Majesty the Sultan’s Award for Governorate Development,” delivered by Eng. Mohammed bin Saif Al Amri, Director General of Governorate Affairs at the Ministry of Interior. His presentation addressed the award’s objectives and its role in stimulating positive competition and raising the standards of developmental performance and achievement.

Additionally, Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al Farsi, Advisor to the Governor of Dhofar, delivered a presentation on perspectives regarding administrative and economic decentralization in the governorates, encompassing a number of proposals and visions related to strengthening the governorate framework and empowering it to manage local development while optimizing the utilization of its resources.

Participants engaged in discussions on various perspectives and proposals related to the development of governance mechanisms within the governorates, with a view to formulating a shared and integrated vision for subsequent review by a joint committee comprising relevant authorities and governorate representatives.

The forum underscores the importance of inter-governorate communication and the exchange of expertise and best practices in administration, development and investment, thereby enhancing operational efficiency, coordinating efforts and advancing the trajectory of decentralization and local development across all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.