Muscat: Bearing in mind the promising potential of renewable energy in Oman, a webinar was conducted recently between Omani and Canadian delegates which explored the value of increasing investments from Canada, in Oman.

The webinar titled, “Canada-Oman Energy Webinar and B2B Programme” was led by Asila bint Salim al Samsamiyah, Under-Secretary for Investment Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and she used the platform to encourage investment across all sectors, including renewable energy.

Commenting on ease of business and overall investment-friendly environment that Oman offers, al Samsamiyah said, “Today, we are proud to say that Oman is taking great steps towards achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040, which includes among its priorities, economic diversification, encouragement and facilitation of FDI, and strengthening of the role of the private sector in contributing to the economy.”

Highlighting the presence of world-class logistical infrastructure, al Samsamiyah emphasized Oman’s development and implementation of, “first-class roads, which are recognised as among the best in the world, the award-winning airports, state-of-the-art deep-water ports, flourishing industrial estates, free zones, technology parks and Free Trade Agreements”.

Extending an invitation for Canadian firms, al Samsamiyah stated, “Going forward, I fully expect to see more international and domestic collaboration in the clean technology value chain, especially in equipment manufacturing, installation, civil works, retail, maintenance and R&D. We welcome Canadian interest and involvement in Oman’s renewables sector, helping the Sultanate to achieve the ambitions set out in its National Energy Strategy.”

Supporting the Under Secretary’s statements,  Martial Page, Chargé d’ Affaires, Embassy of Canada, Saudi Arabia, highlighted Canada’s “world-class expertise” in the energy sector commenting, “Canada’s energy sector has developed into a world-class energy sector operating under a strict set of rules and regulations that have been put in place to protect the environment. This has resulted in the development of expertise that Canada can now export around the world.”