Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi, the External Affairs & Value Creation Director at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), talks about how the development of In-Country Value is vital to the growth of the nation across a multitude of avenues.

Below are excerpts from his speech:

“It is a source of huge pride to me that PDO has been an In-Country Value (ICV) pioneer for many years, creating thousands of job and training opportunities for Omanis both in the oil and gas sector and beyond since 2013.

Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi, the External Affairs & Value Creation Director at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

“We have also awarded billions of dollars in contracts to locally registered contractors and built a network of robust local supply chains.

“At the same time, in the face of mounting climate change realities, we are developing a new ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ to generate a holistic overview of potential job opportunities in the next five years as we make the transition to a greener, more diversified economy, with a greater emphasis on renewables and energy and water conservation.

“There is no doubt there is a huge opportunity for the Sultanate to capitalise on this evolution and become a global centre of excellence in solar and wind power, blessed as we are with the climate and geographical position we have.

“So I urge you all to always keep ICV at the front of [your] mind in your decision-making.

“There are so many opportunities out there for you to explore, not just in the energy industry but also in growth areas such as transport, logistics, tourism and mining, to name but a few.

“Such [an] approach not only helps raise the capacity and capability of domestic businesses to compete nationally, regionally, and internationally – creating thousands of meaningful job and training opportunities – but also reduces supply times and costs. ICV is both a national priority and a business imperative.

“Initiatives such as Ejaad to build closer collaboration between industry and academia are also vital in driving greater alignment on research and development and ensuring that our schools, colleges, and universities are producing students equipped with the knowledge and skills for the modern workplace.”