Public-private-partnership to be outlined next week

Muscat: Oman’s strategic economic plan and the priority areas for investment through public-private-partnership will be outlined by Dr Ali Al Sunaidy, the minister of commerce and industry, at the Outlook Oman conference, on October 24.
In the keynote address at MEED’s Outlook Oman forum at the Shangri-La Hotel in Muscat, Dr Al Sunaidy will outline the sectors where the government is prioritising for investment opportunities through public-private-partnerships (PPP) and finance raised from the local and international banking market.
“This is timely conference that will bring together key stakeholders in the public and private sector to discuss and facilitate investment opportunities that will progress the Sultanate from an infrastructure and economic development point of view,” said Dr Ali Al Sunaidy.
He will be supported by Hamoud Sangour Al Zadjali, executive president of Central Bank of Oman and more than 25 other speakers and panelists representing the government and business sector.
As Oman enters its ninth five-year development plan, a key indicator of the Vision 2020 programme’s achievement will be the launch of projects priortised to achieve the goal of economic diversification. With several projects in the pipeline, Muscat is focused on establishing the public-private-partnership (PPP) framework to solve the funding challenge and attract much-needed investment.
The Outlook Oman Forum will discuss these seminal developments in detail and examine plans for further expansions in Oman’s power and water production capacity and its domestic transport and telecommunications infrastructure.
The one-day programme will also take a look at initiatives to boost tourism, including the opening of the new terminal at Muscat International Airport this year and the expansion of Oman Air’s global network.
Packed into a single day, the forum has designed an agenda to provide a complete outlook of the $209 billion projects market with speakers lined up to discuss Oman’s progress and plans for its non-oil manufacturing and service industries, housing and real estate projects and further expansions in education and healthcare.
“This is one of the most important conferences MEED has ever held,” said Richard Thompson, editorial director at MEED. “In common with all oil producing countries, Oman is facing major economic challenges. Dr Al Sunaidy is driving an ambitious economic reform programme in response. It will touch every aspect of business in the Sultanate and we are honored and privileged to have his support in this important event.”