Dhofar Governorate, a comprehensive development renaissance

Dhofar Governorate witnessing comprehensive development

Salalah: The Dhofar Governorate, like the rest of the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, is witnessing comprehensive development in various economic, developmental, service and tourism sectors, and an acceleration in efforts to employ the comparative advantages of the governorate and benefit from them in promoting the process of comprehensive and sustainable development and achieving the goals of the ambitious future vision of Oman 2040.

During the current year, the Municipality of Dhofar witnessed many pioneering development projects that focused on humanizing cities, and included developing tourist sites, improving the infrastructure of the road network, lighting, and rainwater drainage, expanding beautification, afforestation, and environmental preservation, digital transformation, and improving various municipal services.

H.E Dr. Ahmed bin Mohsen Al-Ghassani, Mayor of Dhofar, said that the work of paving internal roads in the governorate’s states with a length of 84 km has been completed, in addition to enhancing some service works in tourist sites by establishing a service road to reduce traffic congestion in the Itin area in Salalah, and constructing A tunnel to facilitate traffic from the main road to Wadi Darbat, in addition to creating parking lots in some tourist sites.

His Excellency added that the most prominent road projects whose financial budgets were approved are the Sultan Qaboos Street Duplication Project at a cost estimated at 18 million Omani Riyals, the project to construct a tunnel at the intersection of Etienne Street and November 18 Street in the state of Salalah at a cost of about 7.5 million Omani Rials, and the Road Duplication Project. Sultan Taimur, at a cost estimated at 6 million Omani riyals, in addition to the Al-Farouq Street duplication project in the Sahalnut area in Salalah, at a cost of 5 million Omani riyals.

His Excellency pointed out that the Municipality of Dhofar has awarded tenders for internal roads for the year 2023 in the state of Salalah (the plain and the mountain) with a length of 70 kilometers in the areas of (Al-Murooj, Sahelnut, Awaqd, Jarziz and Dounb), in addition to a tender for the design and construction of internal roads in the states of Taqah and Mirbat (the plain and the mountain) with a length of 42 km. / km, in addition to a tender for the design and construction of the (Shehit-Darbat) road with a length of 5 km, in addition to road and lighting works in the states of Salalah, Mirbat and Thumrait, with a total of 87 km.

Regarding dealing with climatic conditions, His Excellency explained that the rainwater harvesting drainage networks project in the Wilayat of Salalah was assigned at a cost of approximately 4 million Omani riyals, and the first phase of the valley protection project cost approximately 3 million Omani riyals, and their implementation will begin next year. An international consulting company has been appointed to develop long-term solutions for rainwater drainage in the states of the governorate that are exposed to climate extremes. The study is expected to be completed in early 2024.

These development projects come within the strategic plan of the Municipality of Dhofar to raise the efficiency of the road network and protect against rainwater.

Regarding development and tourism projects, Dr. Mayor of Dhofar pointed out that projects have been implemented within the governorates’ development allocations, joint projects with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and the Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran), and development projects approved in the municipality’s budget or allocated to investments in usufruct lands that were offered to investors. Establishing the gold market in Salalah, developing the Haffa Beach market, and operating some municipal services such as slaughterhouses.

His Excellency added that the projects implemented within the governorate’s development allocations included the establishment of a commercial site in Itin for small and medium enterprises and job seekers, a site for Madhabi and Razat, the development of the Muqshin Oasis to provide services to visitors of the Dhofar Governorate via the land road, a service road near the Salalah Free Zone and Al Khadf Road in the Wilayat of Thumrait, and the duplication of a street. Mirbat, and the development of the “Agbeer” outlet in the state of Mirbat.

Dr. Ahmed bin Mohsen Al-Ghassani stated that the upcoming work for the governorate development allocation projects is to develop many of the views in the states of Dhofar Governorate and establish a number of development projects, explaining that the municipality has completed several tourism projects in partnership with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and the Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran), which included Hamrir view, Darbat view, Ain Gerziz development, and the waterfront of Mughsail beach.

Dhofar Governorate won the governorate competition for the best development project proposal this year with the (Al-Rasha Boulevard) project, which aims to create an integrated site to enhance the sustainable tourism, commercial and entertainment aspects in the city of Salalah on an area estimated at 470,000 square metres, and contributes to creating an environment that meets The needs of all segments of society with innovative, human- and environment-friendly ingredients.

The city of Salalah also won the Sustainable and Resilient Arab City Award (third place) within the awards of the fourteenth session of the Arab Cities Organization Award for the year 2023.

Salalah Airport achieved rapid growth in the number of passengers and flights, as Engineer Zakaria bin Yaqoub Al Harrasi, Executive Vice President of Oman Airports Company at Salalah Airport, confirmed that Salalah Airport is implementing the royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik regarding direct support for fuel prices. At Salalah Airport, equivalent to the fuel prices at Muscat International Airport, it contributed to facilitating travel and tourism, increasing the number of flights, enhancing competition to attract airlines to Dhofar Governorate, and reducing air ticket prices for citizens and residents of the Sultanate of Oman.

He added that the airport recorded in the Dhofar Khareef season an increase in flight traffic by 29%, and in passenger traffic by 43.4% until the end of August of this year compared to the same period in 2022, indicating an increase in the number of scheduled domestic or international flights in the Khareef season of 2023 to resume. A number of Gulf airlines operate during the tourist season, and operate direct charter flights from Europe during the winter tourism season, including operators from Poland, Slovakia, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

He pointed out that Salalah Airport received a five-star rating for the fifth time in the Skytrax World Airport Awards for the year 2023 in the category of airports with less than two million passengers, in addition to the airport being honored by Airports Council International as the best airport in the Middle East in the same category in the areas of service quality.

He stated that Salalah Airport succeeded in renewing the carbon emissions accreditation certificate from Airports Council International (ACI) and upgrading it to the third level as part of the efforts of the Oman Airports Company in adopting clean energy projects to reach zero neutrality in carbon emissions.

The logistics sector plays an important role in promoting trade growth in the Sultanate of Oman and creating investment opportunities due to its distinguished strategic location, which constitutes a logistical hub for global sea and air trade.

In this regard, Mohammed bin Awfit Al-Mashani, CEO of Corporate Affairs for Salalah Port Services Company (Salalah Port), said that this year, in cooperation with Oman Airports Company and with the support of the Customs Department of the Royal Oman Police, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and the Asyad Group, the port implemented an air-sea logistics solution. Through the Sultanate of Oman to transport goods from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Cairo (Egypt).

He added that the port attaches great importance to the application and implementation of the government’s strategy in the field of mining, as it is the largest exporter of gypsum in the world with an export volume of more than 12 million tons in 2022, and the port is working to expand its capacity to meet the demand for this material in the markets in the future, in addition. To its exports of limestone.

In a related context, the Salalah Free Zone is a leading center for high-quality industrial and logistical activities in the Sultanate of Oman due to its strategic location near the port of Salalah, overlooking the route of the most prominent global shipping lines. The number of cumulative investments in the Salalah Free Zone, affiliated with the Asyad Group, amounted to 127 projects with a cumulative investment volume of 4 billion and 500 million Omani riyals. Industrial projects account for the largest percentage in the Salalah Free Zone with 71 projects, while the The rest of the projects focus on service, commercial, logistical and support activities.

During the current year, the Salalah Free Zone attracted 7 new investment projects, including the Exahertz International Company for Digital Solutions, the ferroalloy and packaging paper manufacturing project for the Chinese silicone manufacturer Pesto Hengda Oman, in addition to the first Gulf factory for the production of baked goods and chocolate.

Salalah Free Zone provides support facilities for industrial projects in line with its vision of building a long-term partnership with its customers by establishing modern, integrated infrastructure in a distinctive geographical location, and providing attractive incentives, a safe environment, and reliable services. These facilities include the presence of a corridor for bulk and liquid goods with a length of “5,740” meters linking the free zone and the port of Salalah to serve methanol, liquefied natural gas and ammonia projects, in addition to establishing a network of gas lines with a daily production capacity of one million cubic meters to meet the gas needs of existing and future factories, and developing the infrastructure. Its digital core and installing the latest telecommunications technologies for all sites in the free zone.

The Salalah Free Zone offers many economic incentives and facilities to investors, the most important of which are tax exemptions and the right to full foreign ownership of investment projects, in addition to its strategic location adjacent to the Port of Salalah, which has infrastructure and equipment that places it among the elite commercial ports in the world.

With the aim of linking the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman to a world-class road network, achieving the desired development in this sector and providing a safe and integrated infrastructure with urban and economic development in order to achieve Oman Vision 2040, the General Directorate of Roads and Land Transport in Dhofar Governorate completed a number of projects during the current year, including a modification project. The route of the road at the Harit police station at a cost of RO 1,169,999, in addition to the construction of box ferries in Wadi Adounab at a cost of (1,489,426) Omani riyals.

The Directorate is implementing a number of projects, including a project to design the (Sih Al Khairat – Al Shasr) road in the wilayat of Thumrait, with a length of about (44) km, a project to design the road (Shahab Asaib – Rakhyut) in the wilayat of Rakhyut, with a length of about (11) km, and a project to design and implement work to stabilize slopes on the (Arjot) road. – Sarfit) in the Wilayat of Dhalkut, at a cost of (11,364,210) Omani Riyals, and the project to construct the Wadi Afful Bridge on the (Raysut – Al Mughsail) Road in the Wilayat of Salalah, at a cost of (3,052,299) Omani Riyals, in addition to the project of paving the (Harwib – Al Mazyouna – Maiten) road in the Wilayat of Al Mazyouna, with a length of (210). km at a cost of (28,598,336) Omani riyals, and a project to implement asphalt roads in the Wilayat of Muqshin, with a length of 170 km, at a cost of (13,500,000) Omani riyals.

In the health sector, the Ministry of Health, represented by the General Directorate of Health Services in Dhofar Governorate, seeks to raise the level of health and treatment services in its various institutions.

Dr. Ali bin Abdullah Al-Muqbali, Director General of the General Directorate of Health Services in Dhofar Governorate, said that health services in the governorate witnessed an expansion of therapeutic and interventional services at the level of Sultan Qaboos Reference Hospital and primary health care institutions, and the total number of health institutions in the governorate reached /44/ institutions, of which /7 Local hospitals and 36 health centers.

He added that the new Sultan Qaboos Hospital project in Salalah is one of the existing development projects in the health sector in the Sultanate of Oman, where the current completion rate has reached (59.2%) of the total project and its cost is RO 138,000,000, and it consists of 7 floors with a capacity of 700 bed and 3,238 rooms, and it will be provided with the latest medical devices, equipment and specialties.

He explained that Dhofar Governorate is witnessing the establishment of Al Mazyouna Hospital at a cost of (15,359,970) riyals as part of the efforts of the Ministry of Health to develop the health system in the Sultanate of Oman and raise its efficiency in line with the population increase and the requirements of the states and governorates, as the hospital’s completion rate reached (71.47%), in addition to the expansion in the number of From health centers in the states of Salalah, Thumrait and Mirbat.

The General Directorate of Education in Dhofar Governorate works to implement plans and programs that achieve the Ministry’s objectives. In this regard, Mayzoon Bint Bakhit Al Shehri, who is in charge of acting as Director General of the General Directorate of Education in Dhofar Governorate, said that the Directorate, represented by the Ministry of Education, works to provide a stimulating and attractive educational environment for students and to provide programs. Supporting and rehabilitating students who face educational difficulties, providing psychological and social support, engaging students in a number of local and international activities and competitions, and continuing to modernize, develop and prepare school buildings to create an encouraging educational environment.

The number of educational bodies in Dhofar Governorate schools for the current academic year 2023/2024 reached (7,224) teaching and administrative staff, while the total number of students reached (63,739) male and female students in government schools in the various educational stages, distributed among (164) schools in all states of the governorate, while The number of employees in private schools (523) from both teaching and administrative staff, and the number of students in private schools reached (11,529) male and female students distributed among 62 private schools, and the number of students in the early education stage “preparation classes” reached (3477) distributed among (43) schools. Government in the various states of the governorate.

In a related context, the merger of the Technical and Applied Colleges in Salalah with its new name (University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Salalah Branch) is an important step in the pursuit of academic excellence. With this merger, the university takes a firm step towards establishing a unified educational institution that seeks to leave an influential mark in education, research and innovation.

The number of students at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Salalah Branch, exceeds 4,900 students in the academic year 2023-2024, and the branch offers a number of specializations in several fields of study at the diploma, advanced diploma, and bachelor’s degree levels. The General Directorate of Culture, Sports and Youth in Dhofar Governorate pays attention to the development of Omani youth by implementing a number of initiatives and programs and enabling them to assume a leadership role in serving society in accordance with the future vision of Oman 2040.

Musa bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Director General of the General Directorate of Culture, Sports and Youth in Dhofar Governorate, said that the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah, which includes 28 cultural, sports and entertainment facilities on a total area of ​​(237,368 square meters), is one of the development edifices that contribute to meeting the standards of empowerment in the field. Cultural, social, sports and youth, and raising the cultural and intellectual level through its specific activities, programs and events.

He added that this year the complex hosted Asian hockey championships and the Arab Junior Athletics Championships, and attracted nearly 60,000 visitors as part of the Dhofar Fall programs this year. He pointed out that Dhofar Governorate includes the Al-Saada Sports Complex, whose capacity in the second phase of its expansion is 18,000 seats, and the Salalah Sports Complex, which includes a football field, an athletics track, several training fields, and housing for sports teams.

He explained that the sports center project was completed in each of the wilayats of Taqah, and it became the headquarters of the Taqah Club after its announcement, and the wilayats of Sadah, Thumrait, Al-Mazyouna, Shaleem, and the Halaniyat Islands, which will be received during the coming period. While the completion rate in the sports center in the state of Dhalkot reached approximately 30%.

Nasser bin Salem Al Hadhrami, Director General of the General Directorate of Labor in Dhofar Governorate, confirmed that until the end of last October, 1,852 male and female researchers had been employed in the private sector, at a rate of 74 percent, of whom 892 were employed for the first time. In addition to issuing 38,300 work permits and 6,314 work permits for individuals.

He pointed out that the General Directorate of Labor in Dhofar Governorate opened two work outlets in the Wilayat of Rakhyut in the Wilayat of Shahb Usayb and the Wilayat of Mirbat, in addition to creating additional service departments and a one-stop service in the Wilayat of Salalah.

He stated that the General Directorate of Labor in Dhofar Governorate has formed a work team with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority and another team to study and analyze companies’ subcontract requests, in addition to forming a team for Omanization and replacement.

Through its administration in the governorate, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority provides many services, financing and training programmes, and incentives in the field of entrepreneurship within the framework of supporting and qualifying entrepreneurs in the governorate.

A number of initiatives, events, training courses and workshops were implemented this year targeting business owners in the governorate, in addition to the “Entrepreneur Readiness Programme”, which is concerned with promoting entrepreneurship through training, consultation and guidance to develop and develop projects and spread the culture of innovative financing mechanisms, in addition to supervising an incubator. Business “Samharam”.

The number of projects funded by the Authority in the Dhofar Governorate reached (342) projects until the end of September 2023, and 30 projects were strengthened with a financing loan, bringing the total number of projects to (372), while the number of Sanad service centers supervised by the Authority in the governorate reached (119) centres.

In the field of craft industries, the Department of Small and Medium Enterprises Development in Dhofar Governorate implements many craft training programs, organizes events and exhibitions, in addition to providing craft support and craft initiatives.

During the current year, it implemented (13) craft training programs with the participation of (188) members. With regard to investment promotion, the General Directorate of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion in Dhofar Governorate seeks to organize and facilitate the completion of various commercial transactions and procedures in the governorate.

Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Rawas, Acting Director General of the Directorate, said that Dhofar Governorate witnessed an active commercial movement during the current year, represented by the registration of many commercial institutions and companies, companies subject to foreign capital investment, most notably construction contracting, import and export offices, and many trademarks and licenses of all kinds.

He added that the number of commercial records registered from October 2022 to October 2023 amounted to more than (9,700) commercial records, which varied between companies, self-employment, home businesses, and one-person companies.

He pointed out that the directorate works to follow up and facilitate internal trade, encourage it, organize import and export procedures, monitor markets and industrial facilities, monitor the challenges they face, encourage direct imports, in addition to ensuring the availability of basic products and commodities in the local market, supervising the availability of Omani-made products in the local market, in addition to cooperating with the authorities.

Related to combating money laundering and tax evasion and ensuring the implementation of all procedures related to product safety and quality, in addition to stamping gold and silver, calibrating scales, and approving certificates.

The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry works through its vision to make the private sector an essential partner in sustainable economic development by providing distinguished services with added value to members in an effort to institutional excellence and contributing to the promotion of commercial, industrial and economic activities inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman, as the total number of members of the Chamber’s branch in Dhofar Governorate reached ( 73,339 male and female members, while the number of sectoral committees in the branch reached (16) various committees that include various economic, industrial, commercial, tourism and entrepreneurship aspects.

Nayef bin Hamid Fadel, head of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in Dhofar Governorate, pointed out the organization and participation in a number of meetings and exhibitions that aim to develop and develop businesses in the governorate, in addition to holding training courses to qualify and encourage entrepreneurs, explaining that the chamber branch in the governorate seeks to find economic and investment partnerships.

Between Omani businessmen and their counterparts from other countries, which contributes to enhancing economic development. The agriculture, fisheries and water resources sector is witnessing a number of achievements within the Oman Vision 2040 strategy, through the implementation and follow-up of 51 projects in the plant sector, where the Directorate, in cooperation with the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund, implemented a project to localize turmeric cultivation in the Dhofar Governorate for two consecutive seasons.

Eng. Rashid bin Saeed Al Ghafri, Director General of the General Directorate of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources in Dhofar Governorate, said that the Directorate seeks to pay attention to the food security sector, as 37 usufruct contracts were signed and others are in place for wheat cultivation, in addition to planning a number of projects under implementation, including: 12 projects in the Najd and Salalah regions, in addition to the textile agriculture laboratory project and a tourist agricultural nursery in the state of Salalah.

He added that the Directorate is signing (9) projects in the livestock sector, in addition to three opportunities offered for investment through the (Tatweer) platform, and two opportunities prepared to be offered next year.

In the field of water resources, it was stated that the completion rates in the Wadi Adunab and Anar dams reached 50% and 40.6%, respectively, in addition to the implementation and maintenance of a number of surface storage dams in the states of Rakhyut, Salalah, Taqah, and Mirbat. Work is currently being assigned to maintain and rehabilitate 25 springs in various states. The governorate, in addition to operating and maintaining 575 monitoring points at the governorate level, including 86 stations to measure the amount of rain that operate with a remote monitoring system, and 12 stations to measure water flows in the main valleys.

The Director General of the General Directorate of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources in Dhofar Governorate confirmed that the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources is implementing a project to modernize “mathematical modeling” in the Najd region to know future scenarios as a result of the expansion of agricultural areas in order to enhance the sustainability of food security projects.

In line with Oman’s Zero Neutrality 2050 plan to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector, Nama Holding Group is working on a project to connect the Saih Al Khairat station to the main network.

Eng. Ali bin Issa Shammas, CEO of Nama Dhofar Services Company, said that the project to connect the Saih Al Khairat station to the main network comes within the achievements achieved by the company in developing the electrical network and providing its electricity services, as the Saih Al Khairat station for generating electricity with diesel was dispensed with after converting all the feeding lines. to the electrical grid.

He added that the project to transfer loads from the Saih Al-Khairat diesel power generation station to the electricity distribution network is a strategic project to rationalize and improve energy consumption to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the operational costs of the station, in addition to providing a reliable and high-quality service that meets the needs of current and future consumers, pointing out that the Saih Al-Khairat Generation Station It used to supply diesel fuel to a number of areas, including Sayh al-Khayrat, Hanafit, al-Shasr, and Bithnah.

The work of the Directorate of Social Development in Dhofar Governorate witnesses various programs in Dhofar Governorate emanating from the social work strategy of the Ministry of Social Development, including the activities and programs implemented this year in the axis of family and community development, social care, the rights of persons with disabilities, and volunteer work.

Muhammad bin Humaid Al Kalbani, Director General of the General Directorate of Social Development in Dhofar Governorate, said that in the field of family and community development, the unified guidance campaign initiative was implemented in Dhofar Governorate, which included 9 guidance and awareness stations that included more than 70 activities on various family and child issues in most of the states of Dhofar Governorate.

He explained that the tenth and final station will be implemented during the month of December in Al Mazyouna State, in addition to 148 cases who benefited from the telephone and office family counseling and counseling service.

He added that the directorate provided many services in the areas of economic empowerment for members of social security and limited-income families in the home project or direct employment paths, as 50 individuals from social security and people with disabilities were employed, in addition to implementing a number of training programs in the field of economic empowerment.

Marketing exhibitions for family and women’s products. He explained that 6,300 investigations were conducted for social security and limited income cases, and the services covered 1,400 elderly people through the National Program for Home Care for the Elderly in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, and 361 prosthetic devices and medical aids were dispensed.

He said that a number of appropriate rehabilitation services were provided to 366 people in Al-Wafa Centers for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the governorate, and these centers were strengthened with specialized human cadres, in addition to the readiness of the building of the Vocational Rehabilitation Unit in Salalah and the Autism Unit in Salalah, and the provision of 425 prosthetic devices and services.

The Director General of the General Directorate of Social Development in Dhofar Governorate stressed the importance of supporting and activating the roles of charitable teams in the governorate, as the Omani Association for Persons with Disabilities – Dhofar Governorate branch, was announced, and procedures for organizing volunteer work in Dhofar Governorate continue.

Omani women contribute effectively to the process of construction and development, as they play many pioneering roles in all fields. Perhaps the Omani women’s associations in Dhofar Governorate are one of the evidences of social development, as the number of female members of these associations has reached 1,320 members.

Omani women’s associations in Dhofar Governorate also implemented 43 marketing exhibitions and 99 awareness programs for 5,099 participants this year, in addition to training programs and activities with the participation of 1,509 participants in 81 training programs.

The media plays an important role in achieving national development goals by developing effective plans to enhance the use of it in line with the rapid developments it is witnessing at all levels, especially developments related to modern media platforms and its various tools.

Dr. Muhammad bin Saeed Al Shasha’i, Director General of the General Directorate of Information in Dhofar Governorate, said that the Directorate provides comprehensive coverage of the most important activities and events held in the Governorate, in addition to preparing and producing visual and digital media materials that aim to enhance and highlight national identity, social and cultural development, and introduce civilization, history and authentic Omani values.

He added that the Omani media keeps pace with all developments in modern media, as the directorate works to activate the role of electronic media in publishing and covering various events and producing visual and narrative materials in various forms and in a manner appropriate to social media platforms, in addition to participating in publishing news through the media portal website.

The Director General of the General Directorate of Information in Dhofar Governorate explained that the Directorate’s Television Department achieved a number of achievements starting from January this year until mid-October, which included covering various events in Dhofar Governorate and distributing them to all channels of the Ministry of Information at a rate of nearly 100%, in addition to producing a number of various programs.