Sunday 22 / December / 2024
Muscat: Oman aims to create jobs in the logistics, fisheries, mining, and energy sectors through a 32-country conference that will take place in February.
The main committee of the Ocean Economy and Future Technology Conference revealed details regarding the conference, which will take place next year.
Dr. Hamed Said Al Aufi, Undersecretary of Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that job opportunities should come from this conference as we explore the technologies that other countries used to boost their Ocean Economies.
“Some of these come directly, and others through SMEs contracted by larger corporations, similar to what is happening with Duqm. You see one corporation that needs the services of 40 SMEs, which all hire workers.”
“The Sultanate oversees three seas and has enormous economic potential. This use of oceans presents an opportunity to unite the Sultanate’s visions regarding fisheries, mining, and energy production,” he added.
Economic activities
A statement by the International Forum for Science and Technology Agency said, “Economic-related studies indicate that ocean-based economic activities reached US$1.5 trillion in 2010, which offers more than 31 million jobs worldwide. The same studies predicted that these numbers will increase to more than double due to scientific and technological advancement in 2030.”
Dr Yousuf Al Balushi, head of Technology Transfer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “We will look at natural reserves that everybody knows about: fisheries, mining, energy. But another source of income will be science and innovation, which can be applied to existing industries. Many are trained in digitalisation, physics and bio-technologies.”
“We can promise, through this conference, to look at all viable opportunities for Oman to create business and work opportunities in the scope of Ocean Economies.”
Omar Al Mahrizi of ASYAD group said, “We can, through this conference, begin to activate our seafaring logistics potential in accordance with Oman 2040. We want the global discussions and stakeholders who participate in the conference to take root
in Oman.”
Yasser Al Touqi of the Implementation, Support, and Follow up Unit said, “This conference will serve in creating job opportunities by bringing in businesses and countries, which will be able to gain technologies. Some countries have learned technologies that help them make better use of their oceans, and this is an experience we wish to replicate, although we also wish to bring in our own experiences.”
The statement said, “This conference comes based on the merit of Oman having a diverse marine environment, which enables the country to build sustainable manufacturing capacities based on future science and technology. Pivotal topics are commercial fishing and aquaculture, shipping and logistics, production and storage of energy extracted from the surface of the ocean and deep ocean, and mining from the surface of oceans and seas and deep sea mining.”
The statement added, “The conference will take place between February 11 and 13 at the Oman Exhibition Centre.”
Ocean economy
This coincides with the international forum, and will “group 32 participating countries. It targets stakeholders of the industry, and will offer a platform to more than 900 attendees. It will also discuss the trends that are forming the future Ocean Economy, including disruptive trends and oceanology, concepts and international case studies”.
The conference will come with a number of events, including “an industry and technology exhibition, a workshop regarding science and policies, as well as a meeting of an international network of Foreign Ministry Advisors for science and technology”.
