Muscat: Elections to the 21-member board of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) will be held on Tuesday. There are nine contestants in the fray for a lone expat category seat among a total of 122 contestants for membership to its board of directors and its branches for 2022-2026 across 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman.
It may be noted that for the first time the OCCI has opened the doors for foreign investors for the sole seat. The chamber said the OCCI has issued a number of important directives for the voting day which begins at 8 am and ends at 6 pm on Tuesday.
The voters must carry their ID card, and photography inside the voting halls is strictly forbidden. The ID card must also be produced by the voters at the headquarters of the OCCI at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center in Muscat, the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in the Governorate of Dhofar, the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Khasab and the Chamber’s office in the Wilayat of Dibba in the Governorate of Musandam, the headquarters of the Chamber in the Wilayat of Al Buraimi in the Governorate of Al Buraimi.
Voters in the elections will also be received at the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Rustaq in Al Batinah South Governorate, the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Sohar in the governorate of North Al Batinah, the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Nizwa in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Ibra in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah, the headquarters of the Chamber in the Wilayat of Sur in the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah, the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Ibri in Al Dhahirah Governorate, and the Chamber’s headquarters in the Wilayat of Haima in the Al Wusta Governorate.
The OCCI has called on everyone not to be drawn into emotions during elections saying: “Dear voter, to ensure the opportunity to actively participate in voting on election day, you must be careful to activate the electronic authentication feature in the ID card and do not let emotions affect your decision, vote honestly; choose the qualified candidate to represent the private sector.”
Meanwhile, ROP announced that the issuance of the ID card for its citizens and the resident card for the expats will be suspended on Tuesday for OCCI elections.