Muscat: The Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has committed to supporting a host of new initiatives to benefit communities and boost sustainable development across the Sultanate.

The initiatives include commitments in the key areas of health, safety, and the environment, community infrastructure development as well as youth and women empowerment all of which are fully aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Eleven Memorandums of Collaboration (MoCs) confirming these commitments were signed at an official ceremony held under the patronage of Dr. Laila Ahmed Al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, today at the PDO Knowledge World venue in Muscat.

PDO will be funding the purchase of a new mini Dialysis unit for Al Mazyoona Hospital to support the provision of the best health services to citizens residing within the Company’s concession area. The project will ease the suffering of patients that would otherwise have had to travel 280 km to Salalah for treatment.

Other HSE pledges include PDO’s support to people with disabilities and genetic diseases. As part of this, the Company is backing five non-governmental organizations by providing assistive devices for people with mobility disabilities to the Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children and the Oman Association for the Disabled in Ibri and Sohar. PDO will also fund awareness and therapy programs to be provided by the Oman Down Syndrome Association and Oman Hereditary Blood Disorders Association.

Providing job opportunities for Omani youth is one of PDO’s main priorities. In line with that, PDO is funding the establishment of four kiosks to create 15 job opportunities for recovered drug addicts with the Amanah Waqf Funds Management Company.

PDO will also sponsor the establishment of five Agricultural Reserves which will be used to train people with low income on growing seasonal agriculture products to be sold in different outlets creating an extra income, which is fully aligned with the government’s efforts in achieving the no poverty goal of the UN SDGs and supervised by Dar Al Atta Association. The Company will also support the distribution of 116 laptops manufactured by an Omani SME for low-income students.