Social Investment and Sustainable Development Forum 2026 Opens in Dhofar

Social Investment and Sustainable Development Forum 2026 Kicks Off in Dhofar

Salalah (ONA): Deliberations of the Social Investment and Sustainable Development Forum 2026 commenced today in the Governorate of Dhofar, under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar. The two-day forum is organized by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), represented by its Social Investment Centre.

The forum seeks to underscore the imperative of transitioning social investment beyond the conventional framework of short-term initiatives and charitable contributions toward more integrated, sustainable, and high-impact investment models. These models are anchored in empowerment and human capital development, while fostering synergies among government entities, the private sector, investors, civil society institutions, and social entrepreneurs. Such collaboration facilitates knowledge exchange, partnership building, and the crystallization of actionable, measurable, and sustainable initiatives.

Her Highness Dr. Mona bint Fahd Al Said, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Social Investment Center—affiliated with Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry—affirmed that human beings remain the most critical investment, serving as both the engine of development and the architects of its future. She noted that social investment emanates from this very vision to generate enduring impact that transcends the boundaries of traditional initiatives. She further emphasized that social, economic, and environmental challenges can be transformed into opportunities capable of delivering sustainable solutions—by moving from identifying needs to innovating solutions, and subsequently scaling these into viable, growth-oriented projects.

On his turn, Faisal bin Abdullah Al Rowas, OCCI Chairman stated that the establishment of the Social Investment Center emanates from the Chamber’s commitment to enhancing the private sector’s contribution to the sustainable development agenda and expanding its economic and social footprint. This is, he said, achieved by evolving community initiatives from conventional contribution models into more sustainable projects with measurable impact, thereby addressing societal needs while aligning with the national development priorities of the Sultanate of Oman.

The first day featured a keynote presentation entitled “From Empowerment to Impact: Social Investment and Sustainable Development,” which examined the relationship between human and community empowerment and the achievement of sustainable impact. The session underscored the importance of refining social investment to become more responsive to developmental needs and capable of generating tangible, lasting outcomes.

During the forum, a social investment platform named “Mustafeed” was inaugurated. The platform is developed in alignment with the Centre’s strategic approach toward establishing a comprehensive national social investment ecosystem. This intelligent digital platform is being developed in collaboration with a leading Omani entrepreneur, designed to serve as a bridge between societal challenges and needs on one hand, and investment opportunities, initiatives, partners, and social investors on the other.

It aims to channel resources toward high-impact, measurable initiatives while enhancing transparency and integration among diverse stakeholders, thereby transforming societal challenges into sustainable, scalable social investment opportunities in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Several cooperation agreements were signed between the Social Investment Center and a number of strategic partners, underscoring the critical role of partnership in advancing the social investment ecosystem.

The forum featured a series of institutional experiences and presentations delivered by Oman Investment Authority, the Ministry of Social Development, the Development Foundation of Oman LNG, Matters Foundation, Petroleum Development Oman, and the Zamr platform initiative—providing a platform for showcasing practices and experiences related to social investment, community support, and developmental initiatives.

The sessions highlighted models and case studies that illuminated potential avenues for institutional integration, while exploring collaborative opportunities that can be leveraged to develop initiatives with sustainable social and economic impact. The discussions on the first day encompassed several themes that addressed ways to advance the social investment ecosystem and enhance its capacity to generate sustainable economic and social impact.

These included sessions entitled “From Responsibility to Investment: How Do We Build Sustainable Impact?”, “People First,” and “From Idea to Opportunity.” The forum was accompanied by an exhibition featuring a number of pioneering initiatives and projects in the field of social investment, showcasing practical models that demonstrate how a social, economic, or environmental challenge can be transformed into a social investment opportunity with measurable and sustainable impact.