Municipal Council of South Al Batinah reviews service, development projects
Al Rustaq: The Municipal Council of South Al Batinah Governorate held its sixth periodic meeting for the year 2025 on Tuesday, under the chairmanship of Eng. Masoud Said Al Hashmi, Governor of South Al Batinah and Chairman of the Council.
The meeting approved the minutes of the fifth session for 2025, followed by a review of several service and development projects in the governorate. The council examined developmental projects presented by the Ministry of Education, along with topics related to the services provided by Nama Electricity Supply and Distribution Company.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
14 minutes ago
- Times of Oman
Shura Council hosts Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion
Muscat: The Shura Council on Wednesday hosted Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, to discuss the ministry's statement across six key themes: the contribution of the public and private sectors to GDP, the ministry's vision for the future of the industrial sector, its projects during 2020–2023, an evaluation of free trade agreements and the Nazdahir program, foreign direct investment flows and the ministry's future aspirations. This took place during the Council's thirteenth regular session of the second convening of its tenth term. The Minister stated that the trade sector's contribution to GDP at constant prices reached approximately 8.3% in 2024, amounting to OMR3.225 billion, with a cumulative growth rate of 6.6% during the Tenth Five-Year Plan. He added that the manufacturing sector recorded the highest growth rate among economic diversification activities, at 8.6%, reaching OMR3.6 billion at constant prices by the end of 2024—constituting 10% of GDP. He highlighted that industrial exports reached OMR6.2 billion in 2024, reflecting the growing added value of national industries and their ability to penetrate regional and global markets. He noted that over 260 initiatives are currently being implemented in collaboration with partners and stakeholders as part of the Industrial Strategy 2040. The Minister revealed that the number of Omani Standard Specifications issued by the ministry by the end of 2024 totalled 7,523, with 17 technical services streamlined. Additionally, the Invest Oman platform received around 90 investment requests worth OMR5.38 billion between its launch in February 2023 and June 2025, with 43 projects worth OMR2.25 billion localised in strategic sectors such as industry, healthcare, food security, and renewable energy. The minister pointed out that cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) in Oman rose to nearly OMR30 billion by the end of 2024. The ministry has simplified commercial and industrial procedures through the Oman Business Platform, which processed over 800,000 transactions in 2024 and added 24 digital services. To combat concealed trade and ensure fair competition, the ministry has enforced measures including mandatory electronic payment methods for commercial activities, aligning with global trends in the digital economy. A ministerial decision was also issued to enhance corporate governance standards for closed joint-stock companies, said the minister. He further added that the ministry has bolstered community participation in the local economy through initiatives supporting consumer cooperatives, including regulatory incentives such as streamlined registration and commercial site allocation. In e-commerce, new regulations were introduced, and the Ma'roof Oman platform was launched to certify online stores, boosting consumer trust and increasing licenses by 236.4% within a year. He pointed out that key programmes launched include the Industrial Observatory to monitor sector performance and optimize supply chains, the Automation and AI Program to modernize factories, 'Tasneea' to localize procurement, and 'Ta'meer' to link major urban projects like Sultan Haitham City with local products—fostering economic integration.
Times of Oman
2 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Model farms programme boosts famers' income Al Dhahirah
Muscat: The model farms programme in Al Dhahirah Governorate is aimed at boosting the income of famers by providing them with high-yielding varieties of seeds and modern irrigation system. The project is supporting over 250 farms by providing them with more than 15,000 date palm offshoots and fruits seedlings. The Al Dhahirah Governorate is currently witnessing agricultural development through model commercial farms in which a variety of date palm and fruit trees have been planted. The programme, kicked off in 2020, saw unambiguous achievements with the sowing of date palm and fruit trees over an area of 140 fedans for farmers in the various wilayats of the governorate. These remarkable achievements in Al Dhahirah Governorate represent an integral part of the plan of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources aimed at enhancement of food security and achievement of sustainable agricultural development in the Sultanate of Oman. The programme, which covers other governorates also, is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources in close cooperation with farmers. The programme aimed to make a qualitative shift in the agricultural sector to ensure improvement in quality and productivity to increase the income of farmers. The idea of the programme is to boost the income of farmers with the ministry providing a variety of date palm offshoots and fruit seedlings known for their high quality and optimal productivity. The fruit varieties offered to farmers under this programme include mango, Adalia lemon, Omani lemon, guava, figs, and grapes. Data released by the Directorate General of Agriculture and Water Resources in Al Dhahirah Governorate indicated that some 9,000 date palm offshoots and approximately 6,000 seedlings of some fruit varieties have been distributed to the farmers associated with the programme in the governorate. The distribution of date palm offshoots and fruit seedlings is made in accordance with specific controls and conditions aimed to ensure the project's success, notably in terms of installation of modern irrigation systems, which contribute to rationalisation of water consumption and increasing the efficiency of production. These efforts make these farm models agriculturally sustainable.
Times of Oman
3 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Invest in Oman platform receives over OMR 5 Billion in applications since launch
Muscat: Since its launch in February 2023 and up until June 2025, the Invest in Oman platform has received approximately 90 investment applications with a total value of OMR 5.38 billion. Of these, 43 projects have been localised, valued at OMR 2.25 billion, in strategic sectors such as industry, health, food security, and renewable energy, according to the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion. The Shura Council hosted His Excellency the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion at its 13th regular session of the second regular session of the 10th term to discuss the ministry's statement on several topics. Most notably, these included the contribution of the public and private sectors to the gross domestic product (GDP), the evaluation of free trade agreements, and the "Nazdar" programme. The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion stated that the manufacturing sector recorded the highest growth rate among economic diversification activities, at 8.6 per cent, reaching OMR 3.6 billion at constant prices by the end of 2024. This represents 10 per cent of the gross domestic product. "More than 260 initiatives are currently being implemented in cooperation with partners and relevant authorities as part of the implementation of the outcomes of the Industrial Strategy 2040." "The manufacturing sector has attracted foreign direct investment worth OMR 2.489 billion by 2024, confirming the attractiveness of the industrial environment in the Sultanate of Oman." "The volume of foreign direct investment in the Sultanate of Oman has increased cumulatively, reaching approximately OMR 30 billion by the end of 2024." His Excellency the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion noted that the trade sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) at constant prices for the year 2024 reached approximately 8.3 per cent, amounting to OMR 3.225 billion, with a cumulative growth of 6.6 per cent during the tenth five-year plan.
