Hydrographic meet discusses Indian Ocean region marine spatial database

Muscat: The 19th meeting of the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission (NIOHC), kicked off at the Grand Millennium Hotel yesterday under the patronage of Mohammed bin Nasser Al Rasbi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence.
The meeting is hosted by the Sultanate, represented by Oman National Hydrographic Office (ONHO), in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Mohammed bin Nasser Al Rasbi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defence said that choosing the Sultanate to host this meeting is an indication of the Sultanate’s capability to accommodate and organise such specialised international meetings.
He pointed out that the meeting seeks to activate joint cooperation among member countries in the field of hydrography and to view the latest scientific and technical developments in the field of hydrography and a number of related topics.
The meeting will discuss emerging issues in NIOHC work and follow up all matters related to hydrography in the North Indian Ocean countries, in addition to discussing the annual hydrographic services to member states to provide views and suggestions and discussing the mechanism for expanding hydrographic services in the region.
The meeting includes several topics, the most important of which is the discussion of reports issued by the other committees of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), as well as the discussion of the annual book issued by the organisation, in addition to dealing with matters related to the infrastructure of the marine spatial database, which contributes to saving hydrographic and navigational data in general.
The meeting aims to discuss the developments of NIOHC’s work with regard to hydrography and ocean sciences in the North Indian Ocean Region, ways to develop the hydrographic activities of the member states, activating the joint cooperation among the member states and ensuring compliance with IHO requirements for maritime safety, in addition to following-up capacity-building and ensuring its consistency in the field of hydrography and production of navigational maps and laying the foundations for cooperation with the organisation. -ONA
The meeting, which continues till 28 March involves participation of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia, in addition to the associate member states including the Sultanate, Australia, France, Mauritius, Seychelles and the United States of America, as well as observer states, such as Russia, Yemen and Somalia. Present at the meeting are representatives of the International Hydrographic Organisation, the World Maritime Organisation and international companies specialised in hydrography systems and programmes.
The opening ceremony was attended by Lt.Gen. Ahmed bin Harith Al Nabhani, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF), commanders of the SAF, other military and security departments, undersecretaries, senior officers at SAF and other military and security departments.