Oman sees 300% rise in EVs

Muscat: There has been a 300% rise in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Sultanate of Oman in 2024 compared to 2023.

There were only 550 EVs in 2023 which rose to 1,500 in 2024, said Eng. Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Transport.

Eng. Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi said that green mobility is at the top of the sustainable development agenda in the Sultanate of Oman, explaining that the government has taken important steps over the past years towards achieving the vision of the future of green mobility for the year 2050 to reduce carbon emissions.

He pointed out that the total number of electric vehicles in the Sultanate of Oman amounted to about 550 in 2023 compared to 1,500 electric vehicles in 2024, with a growth rate of about 300 percent.

In the field of infrastructure development, he stated that the Ministry, in cooperation with the private sector, in 2023 installed more than 120 charging points for electric vehicles, and we expect by the end of this year the number of charging points is expected to reach more than 200, and more than 350 charging points by 2027 in various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.

He pointed out that the ministry is making efforts to convert current port equipment to operate on electric power, as well as converting its airports to be environmentally friendly through several upcoming initiatives such as the sustainable fuel production for aircraft. He said that the ministry is making efforts to reduce emissions in data centres and communications towers as a direct way to reduce emissions.

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has implemented several local initiatives in the field of green mobility, including the initiative to implement the Dibba-Lima-Khasab road project using electrical equipment to reduce carbon emissions, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East. It also launched the Green Corridors Project for trucks that operate on green hydrogen energy, in addition to a pilot project to activate electric bicycles in food delivery.

The forum’s activities included holding workshops and dialogue sessions with the participation of representatives and experts from the Sultanate of Oman and the GCC countries to discuss ways to enhance green mobility by encouraging the use of electric and hybrid vehicles in the region, providing an integrated network of fast and slow charging stations, and reviewing the latest modern technologies for electric vehicles.

The workshops and dialogue sessions also came up with a proposal for a joint platform to determine the locations of charging devices with the aim of facilitating access to information related to their locations, the amount of available energy, and charging prices, which will help improve the driver experience, encourage the use of electric vehicles, increase network efficiency, and use joint green methods in GCC ports for shipping.

One of the most prominent outcomes of the workshops at the Second Green Mobility Forum is the development of innovative spare parts technologies, as member states will focus on supply chains for spare parts for electric and hybrid vehicles, which will help reduce the cost of vehicle maintenance, improve their efficiency, and encourage their use, in addition to enhancing cooperation and joint coordination between member states, and working to implement joint projects in the field of green mobility to increase investment efficiency and reduce costs.

The second Green Mobility Forum concluded its activities in Salalah on Friday evening, reviewing the latest innovations, trends and local initiatives in the field of green mobility. It was organised by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology with the participation of specialists from the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The forum discussed the latest innovations and trends in the field of green mobility over two days.

The aim was to raise awareness on reducing pollution and promoting the concepts of sustainable mobility, in addition to strengthening partnerships between various sectors in a way that contributes to developing effective strategies to achieve sustainable development goals.