Meeting on medicinal value of Frankincense in Oman

Energy Monday 03/September/2018 20:45 PM
By: Times News Service
Meeting on medicinal value of Frankincense in Oman

Muscat: Sultan Qaboos University, represented by the Office of the DVCs for Postgraduate Studies and Research and the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, University of Nizwa, Oman, Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Centre and Qatar Qur’anic Garden are holding the first international conference on Frankincense and Medicinal Plants: ‘Recent Advances in Research and Industry’ from October 30 to November 1, 2018.
Due to the increasing interest in exploring new drugs and products emanating from medicinal plants in general and from frankincense resins in particular, coupled with the need to link the industry with academia, it is mandatory to provide a platform to discuss the recent advances in this field.
The conference aims at promoting an exchange of knowledge and information about frankincense between specialists and researchers and at establishing linkages between producers, industrialists, and consumers of frankincense products worldwide. To this effect, acclaimed scientists from across the globe have been invited to participate in this distinguished event.
This will result in raising the value of frankincense and medical plants, increasing its contribution to the national economy, enriching scientific research in Oman and promoting the country’s cultural heritage.
The first part of the conference will revolve around the traditional use of frankincense, taxonomy, horticulture, conservation and harvesting. The second part, however, will shed light on the chemistry, biology and health aspects of frankincense. The conference will include various activities, including an exhibition for frankincense companies and producers to showcase their latest products in this field.
All interested entities or organisations will be given the opportunity to participate in the exhibition to benefit from the international experiences in this field. Start-ups and student companies will also have the opportunity to showcase their experiments and products. The exhibition will be a great scientific platform to exchange knowledge and information, which will be of great significance to all the participating entities that seek to develop their products in this field so that they go hand-in-hand with international discoveries, standards and interests. Those interested may register through the following link, http://conferences.squ.edu.om.icfmp2018. The other part of the exhibition will be devoted to scientific posters, which will focus on the latest medical and scientific discoveries in medicinal plants and relevant fields.
Given the important status and the historical and cultural value of frankincense, a number of organisations and institutions from the public and the private sectors are participating in supporting the conference as a strategic partnership, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Omani Botanic Garden, and the Omani Environment Association. Oman LNG is participating as the bronze sponsor of the event.
The preparations for this conference started a year ago and many committees have been formed, including the executive committee, the administrative committee, the scientific committee, the organising committee, the technical support committee and the exhibition committee. These committees have spared no efforts in preparing for the event. The scientific committee, for instance, is responsible for receiving and reviewing research summaries within the time allocated for proposal submissions. The scientific committee is also responsible for preparing the event’s schedule by allocating sessions in accordance with the various parts of the conference.