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Times of Oman
20-05-2025
- Times of Oman
All pilgrims completed requirements for performing Hajj rituals
Muscat: The number of pilgrims from the Sultanate of Oman for 1446 AH reached 13,944, with 99.6% having completed all requirements for performing Hajj rituals, while 56 pilgrims are still finalising procedures. This was announced during a press conference held by Oman's Hajj Mission at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, which reviewed the indicators, statistics, and improvements for this year's Hajj season. Ahmed Saleh Al Rashdi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs and head of Oman's Hajj Mission, stated that Oman's Hajj quota for this year was 14,000 pilgrims, including 13,530 Omani citizens and 470 residents. The total quota was distributed among the governorates based on population density (number of residents) for those aged 18 and above. He added that Muscat Governorate received the largest share at 24% of the total quota, followed by North Al Batinah Governorate at 19%, while Musandam Governorate received the smallest share, amounting to less than 1% of the approved quota. He noted that eligibility was granted electronically through Oman's Hajj registration system, using mathematical formulas based on Sharia principles and jurisprudential considerations that account for various aspects and objectives, including social factors. Regarding the distribution of pilgrims by Hajj type, he explained that obligatory Hajj pilgrims constituted the largest group, totalling approximately 11,780 pilgrims (84% of the quota), followed by voluntary pilgrims, those performing Hajj on behalf of the incapacitated, executing wills, performing Hajj on behalf of the deceased, and finally, pilgrims with chronic illnesses. As for age demographics, he reported that the 30–45 age group ranked first at 39%, followed by the 45–60 age group, then those over 60 (approximately 16%), and finally the youngest group (18–30) at 5%. He further stated that most of Oman's pilgrims chose air travel (over 63%), while 37% preferred land. The average cost for land pilgrims is OMR1,417, compared to OMR2,063 for air pilgrims. He highlighted that Oman's Hajj Mission launched several qualitative initiatives this season, including the Awqaf Beit Al-Ribat initiative to support eligible social welfare recipients for Hajj 1446 AH, benefiting over 150 pilgrims with a total exceeding OMR150,000. Additionally, the first Hajj and Umrah Exhibition saw participation from more than 30 government and private entities. He added that the mobile cart initiative for elderly pilgrims aims to provide carts for performing Tawaf and Sa'i rituals, with around 450 elderly and special needs pilgrims expected to benefit this season. Meanwhile, the electronic wristband initiative provides wearable devices for elderly pilgrims and those with medical conditions to enhance safety, tracking, and reduce cases of loss. He noted that the Hajj Company Readiness Assessment initiative seeks to ensure the highest standards of efficiency and quality while improving the performance of Hajj companies in line with future stages of managing Oman's pilgrims based on specific performance indicators. The expansion of land travel arrangements initiative aims to reduce the average waiting time for buses at land ports from four hours to approximately 45 minutes. He explained that the Mission implemented several new improvements for this year's Hajj season (1446 AH) in Oman's camps in the holy sites across key service sectors. In Mina camp, 75 new restrooms were added, bringing the total to 267, along with 250 new ablution stations (total: 356). For air conditioning, 150 new split units were installed, raising the total to 900, in addition to other cooling systems. In Arafat camp, 100 new restrooms were added (total: 320), along with 250 new ablution stations (total: 312). Air conditioning was also upgraded, with 60,000 cooling units now covering every 32 square meters, compared to 40 square meters last season.
Times of Oman
29-04-2025
- Health
- Times of Oman
Endowment Institutions in Oman explores challenges, investment opportunities
Muscat — The first meeting of endowment institutions in Oman, organized by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Muscat today, addressed the challenges facing endowment institutions and compliance standards. The event was attended by Ahmed Saleh Al Rashdi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs. The Undersecretary stated that this inaugural meeting serves as a crucial platform bringing together all endowment institutions, both public and private. In a statement to Oman News Agency, he noted that the meeting, attended by 35 institutions, discussed challenges and solutions for endowment entities, along with implementation strategies. He highlighted the ministry's launch of the Endowment Institutions Readiness Assessment initiative, which evaluates institutions across governance, regulation, compliance, board formation, executive management, and investment. Each criterion carries a different weight in determining overall readiness. Al Rashdi emphasized that the average readiness of endowment institutions reflects their maturity, noting that Oman's endowment history spans over a thousand years and remains active today. He explained that modern endowment institutions operate professionally, with structured boards, executive management, educational committees, and risk, legal, and investment departments. While institutional management of endowments in Oman is relatively new, Al Rashdi acknowledged significant progress, attributing it to the vital role these institutions play in serving society—particularly in health and education. The ministry aims to strengthen public trust in endowment institutions, which now exceed 70 in number, including prominent entities. The ministry acts as a regulator, legislator, and overseer, having established governance frameworks for both public and private endowment institutions in collaboration with a governance firm. Additionally, it mandates external auditors for these entities. On his turn, Hilal Hamad Al Sarmi, Executive Director of the Athar Health Endowment Institution, stressed the importance of this first meeting in highlighting the role and achievements of endowment institutions. He told Oman News Agency that while these institutions are still nascent in Oman, governance-based operations require time to fully develop. Regular meetings, he added, would enhance awareness of their programs and facilitate experience-sharing among stakeholders. Al Sarmi pointed to financial constraints, the lack of core supporters, and difficulties in initiating endowment investments as key challenges. He called for collaborative investments between institutions and the ministry, particularly in financial digitization. Athar, he noted, focuses on healthcare improvements, partnering with medical institutions and seeking donors to fund essential equipment and medicines. Meanwhile, Eng. Mohammed Salim Al Busaidi, Board Member of the Bousher Endowment Institution, described the meeting as pivotal in uniting stakeholders. He told Oman News Agency that institutional endowments are still "new" in Oman, with governance charters, boards, and executive councils in place under the ministry's oversight. The meeting, he said, provided a forum to discuss challenges and exchange expertise. Al Busaidi highlighted the ministry's role in offering investment opportunities through endowment assets, noting over 39,000 endowment assets in Oman—many requiring investment. He urged the ministry to enable institutions to capitalize on these funds. For his part, Dr. Badr Khalfan Al Rashdi from Sumail Public Endowment Institution stated that the meeting aimed to address challenges faced by both public and private endowment entities while showcasing their experiences. He emphasized Oman's deep-rooted endowment heritage but stressed the need for institutionalized operations today, citing governance, revenue generation, investments, and partnerships as key hurdles. Emerging institutions, he added, face challenges in revenue streams, marketing, investment expertise, and workforce development. During the event, Dr. Mohammed Fakhri Suwailah from Bank Nizwa gave a visual presentation titled Accounting Standards for the Endowment Sector, covering financial accounting, auditing, and professional ethics. He outlined core accounting principles, including monetary unit, historical cost, revenue recognition, materiality, full disclosure, accrual basis, and consistency. Endowment assets, he noted, are classified as immediately usable or intangible. The meeting underscored the growing institutionalization of Oman's endowment sector while addressing financial, operational, and governance challenges to enhance its societal impact.
Times of Oman
27-01-2025
- Health
- Times of Oman
Al Amerat Heights Health Complex opens
Muscat: As part of the Sultanate of Oman's commitment to enhancing a sustainable healthcare system and ensuring community well-being, and in response to the growing demand for healthcare services, the Ministry of Health (MOH) celebrated on Monday the opening of the Al Amerat Heights Health Complex in the Governorate of Muscat. The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of Ahmed Saleh Al Rashdi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, in the presence of Dr. Ahmed Salim Al Mandhari, MOH Undersecretary for Planning and Health Regulation. During the ceremony, Dr. Samira Mousa Al Maimani, Acting Director-General of Health Services in the Governorate of Muscat gave a speech during which she pointed out that the opening of the health complex is part of ongoing efforts to provide high-quality healthcare services that meet the needs of both citizens and residents. She emphasised that this represents an important step towards achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040, which aims to build a sustainable healthcare system that enhances the quality of life and raises the standard of healthcare services. The Al Amerat Heights Health Complex offers a comprehensive range of primary healthcare services, including general medicine clinics, an expanded immunization program, as well as a variety of specialized clinics such as those for chronic diseases, hypertension and diabetes, and asthma. Furthermore, the complex includes dedicated clinics for maternal care, an early detection program for non-communicable diseases, breast cancer screening, elderly health checkups, and a smoking cessation clinic. With regard to specialised care, the complex includes a range of secondary healthcare specialized clinics, such as internal medicine, pediatrics, otolaryngology, and ophthalmology, as well as a laboratory, pharmacy, two examination rooms, a meeting and training hall, and a room for computer system control. Additionally, the complex is equipped with 19 beds, with the possibility of expansion, distributed across various clinics within the facility. It is worth noting that the construction of the complex took 16 months, covering a building area of 15,000 square metres, with a total cost of approximately OMR750,000. This complex represents a significant addition to the healthcare system and reflects the government's ongoing efforts to provide comprehensive healthcare services with high-quality standards.
