Latest news with #AlMaawali
Observer
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Council of Oman at OIC Parliamentary Union session
JAKARTA: The Council of Oman participated in the 19th session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday. The Council of Oman's delegation was headed by Khalid bin Hilal al Maawali, Chairman of Majlis Ash'shura. He delivered at the opening session in which he emphasised that the Sultanate of Oman's experience in promoting good governance has always been a focus of attention in shaping the future and planning the country's national visions. He added: 'Through Oman Vision 2040, the government has attached great attention to the principle of governance due to its importance in promoting comprehensive national development. Governance has been adopted as one of the fundamental principles for achieving efficiency in institutional performance and ensuring transparency and integrity. Oman Vision 2040 seeks to establish an integrated system of good governance based on the foundations of accountability, justice and the rule of law while adopting the best administrative and technical practices to ensure the quality and sustainability of government services. The vision also emphasises the importance of involving the community in decision-making and achieving a balance between economic growth and social development within an effective and transparent regulatory environment.' 'In our discussion of good governance and strong institutions, we have to point to the alarming international failure to address the humanitarian tragedies, flagrant violations of international law, the absence of justice and the violation of human rights inflicted on the Palestinian people particularly in Gaza. The horrific events in Gaza have exposed the absence of fair global governance and the weakness of the international accountability system which led to the continuation of the occupation, the exacerbation of suffering and the loss of hope,' Al Maawali said. The Council of Oman's delegation participating in the 19th session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC comprises SShaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Nadabi, Secretary-General of Majlis Ash'shura; Mohammed bin Salem al Harthy, Member of the State Council; Khalil bin Khalfan al Wahaibi, Said bin Mohammed al Saadi and Younis bin Mohammed al Siyabi, members of the Majlis Ash'shura. — ONA
Observer
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Council of Oman participates in OIC Parliamentary Union session
JAKARTA: The Council of Oman participated in the 19th session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday. The Council of Oman's delegation was headed by Khalid bin Hilal al Maawali, Chairman of Majlis Ash'shura. He delivered at the opening session in which he emphasized that the Sultanate of Oman's experience in promoting good governance has always been a focus of attention in shaping the future and planning the country's national visions. He added: 'Through Oman Vision 2040, the government has attached great attention to the principle of governance due to its importance in promoting comprehensive national development. Governance has been adopted as one of the fundamental principles for achieving efficiency in institutional performance and ensuring transparency and integrity. Oman Vision 2040 seeks to establish an integrated system of good governance based on the foundations of accountability, justice, and the rule of law while adopting the best administrative and technical practices to ensure the quality and sustainability of government services. The vision also emphasizes the importance of involving the community in decision-making and achieving a balance between economic growth and social development within an effective and transparent regulatory environment.' Al Maawali went on to say: 'In our discussion of good governance and strong institutions, we have to point to the alarming international failure to address the humanitarian tragedies, flagrant violations of international law, the absence of justice and the violation of human rights inflicted on the Palestinian people particularly in Gaza. The horrific events in Gaza have exposed the absence of fair global governance and the weakness of the international accountability system which led to the continuation of the occupation, the exacerbation of suffering and the loss of hope.' The Council of Oman's delegation participating in the 19th session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprises Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Nadabi, Secretary-General of Majlis Ash'shura; Mohammed bin Salem al Harthy, Member of the State Council; Khalil bin Khalfan al Wahaibi, Said bin Mohammed al Saadi and Younis bin Mohammed al Siyabi, members of the Majlis Ash'shura.
Gulf Insider
26-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Oman Air Cuts 1,000 Jobs Including 500 Expats In Major Restructuring Effort
Oman Air has cut 1,000 jobs, including 500 expatriate positions, as part of a major restructuring effort aimed at improving efficiency and achieving financial sustainability. Eng. Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of Oman Air and Oman Airports, said the move was necessary to align staffing levels with industry standards. Before the restructuring, around 45 percent of the airline's workforce consisted of non-core employees, a figure far higher than regional averages. Oman Air previously employed about 4,300 people, compared to an industry benchmark of around 2,700 for airlines with similar fleet sizes, Al Maawali said. The reduction included a voluntary retirement program, accepted by 310 employees. Others were offered alternative positions with the same salaries but reduced benefits. Of the total cuts, 400 were Omani nationals. Al Maawali also responded to reports regarding the sale of aircraft to Qatar Airways, denying any direct transaction. He said the aircraft were sold through a public auction and involved older planes no longer in active use. Separately, the Acting CEO of Oman Airports outlined development plans for the old Muscat airport, including tenders to assess the site and proposals for new investment projects, such as establishing a company to support fish exports.
Gulf News
26-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Oman Air cuts 1,000 jobs including 500 expats in major restructuring effort
Dubai: Oman Air has cut 1,000 jobs, including 500 expatriate positions, as part of a major restructuring effort aimed at improving efficiency and achieving financial sustainability. Eng. Saeed bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Chairman of Oman Air and Oman Airports, said the move was necessary to align staffing levels with industry standards. Before the restructuring, around 45 percent of the airline's workforce consisted of non-core employees, a figure far higher than regional averages. Oman Air previously employed about 4,300 people, compared to an industry benchmark of around 2,700 for airlines with similar fleet sizes, Al Maawali said. The reduction included a voluntary retirement program, accepted by 310 employees. Others were offered alternative positions with the same salaries but reduced benefits. Of the total cuts, 400 were Omani nationals. Al Maawali also responded to reports regarding the sale of aircraft to Qatar Airways, denying any direct transaction. He said the aircraft were sold through a public auction and involved older planes no longer in active use.
Observer
23-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
The goal is to have a strong foundation for Oman Air
MUSCAT, APRIL 23 The transformation plan for Oman Air that began in 2023 has started showing positive results, the company said in a joint media briefing that was jointly held on Wednesday under the leadership of Saeed bin Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology and Chairman of Oman Air and Oman Airports. Al Maawali said that consultants for the airline's transformation plan were selected based on the tender, and they did not help the company reduce operational losses. "If you do not have a good financial foundation, you cannot grow. We aim to set a solid foundation for Oman Air, and we are already working towards that goal both internally and externally, because it is an enabler for other sectors like tourism, logistics, and business." The airline emphasised the point-to-point services, which increased to 40 per cent in 2024 from around 27 per cent in 2019, while the load factor recorded last year was 75 per cent. The airline said that its load factor in Q1 2025 was the highest in its history. The airline is expected to add three 737 Max and two 787s as per its expansion plans. Con Korfiatis, CEO, said that since its transformation in 2023, EBITDA improved by 51 per cent in 2024, compared to 2023 (after audit) as it carried over 5.4 million passengers, with the number of available Seat Kilometers (ASK) reported at around 19.4 billion. Other achievements included 92 per cent On-Time Performance. The airline said it sold 13 excess aircraft through an auction to serve the optimised network. Speaking on the contentious issue of rightsizing, the airline said it redeployed 74 Omani employees within the airline, while 87 have been offered roles across the aviation ecosystem. 293 have opted for severance packages ranging from 12-24 months, with the airline having invested around RO 15 million in severance packages to provide those affected with financial security. He said the rightsizing will help save RO 18 million annually. The expatriate workforce was reduced by 487 and replaced with Omanis, helping the company to increase its Omanisation rate to 79.4 percent. With the airline set to formally join the OneWorld alliance in June this year, its new expansion plans include flights to Amsterdam, double daily to London, and daily service to Moscow, codesharing with the budget airline SalamAir and ongoing discussions with them to swap certain routes as per the market needs and requirements. Meanwhile, Al Mawali said that consultants for the airline's transformation plan were selected based on the tender, and they did not help the company reduce operational losses. "If you do not have a good financial foundation, you cannot grow. We aim to set a solid foundation for Oman Air, and we are already working towards that goal both internally and externally, because it is an enabler for other sectors like tourism, logistics, and business." He also said that old aircraft were sold through an auction by an agency. "These old aircraft had served their purpose and were less efficient compared to modern planes. Overall plans include having a unified fleet of Boeing 737 Max and 787 aircraft.
