A new factory backed by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and specialising in providing scaffolding products and services to Omani industry has been officially opened in Sohar under the auspices of Dr Mohamed Al Rumhy, the Minister of Oil and Gas.
Triangle Engineering will supply the Sultanate’s oil and gas and construction sectors and act as a hub for training and developing Omanis in the scaffolding trade, according to a PDO release.
The manufacture of Scaffolding materials and the provision of professional scaffolding services was one of the opportunities identified in the in-country value (ICV) blueprint strategy unveiled in 2013 for oil and gas sector. It is one of a large number of industry opportunities that PDO has been leading in recent years.
Scaffolding is also one of the initiatives that the company is spearheading in the manufacturing sector of the Tanfeedh national programme for enhancing economic diversification. Under the chairmanship of Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and in close cooperation with the Tanfeedh delivery unit, Triangle Engineering in gaining the necessary permits, certifications, land allocation, utilities extension, raw materials, machinery and corporate tax enablers. Similar joint efforts are also in place to realise a number of other manufacturing opportunities like flanges and valves.
“PDO is determined to support Tanfeedh and the implementation of the ICV Blueprint Strategy to diversify the economy and ensure more of the wealth of the oil and gas industry is retained in Oman,” said PDO’s external affairs and value creation director Abdul-Amir Abdul-Hussein Al Ajmi.
“With our partners in Government, other operators and private enterprise, we are identifying areas of high-industry demand but with low Omani employee numbers, and scaffolding is one of those areas that offers great potential for future growth and employment.”
PDO has supported Triangle Engineering by hiring Simian Risk Group, a world-renowned scaffolding training, health and safety consultancy, to audit and close any competence gaps.
PDO is also providing Omani jobseekers with the opportunity to participate in the Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) training at certified training institutes so they can qualify to work in the industry.
Triangle Engineering will become the second Omani scaffolding factory to serve the national economy. The first to open was the Nafal Contracting and Trading Company facility which is also based on the Sohar Industrial Estate.
“This is all about developing Omani capability and capacity in a key sector so we shorten the supply chain with local vendors and businesses serving our national economy safely, competitively and reliably,” added Al Ajmi who is responsible for PDO’s wide-ranging in-country value programme.