Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) held the fourth Omani Translators Forum, bringing together professional translators from various organisations to discuss best practice and debate themes relevant to their profession.

The event, which was attended by more than 350 participants, was held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre under the patronage of HE Sayyid Saoud bin Hilal bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat.

The theme of the forum was “The Language Industry and its Contribution to National Economies” and there were three main presentation papers on different topics related to the subject, a discussion panel on future trends in the language industry as well as two practical workshops on interpreting and translator employment skills.

PDO’s Head of Translation Services Saleh Al Alawi said, “The organisation of this forum stems from our belief that Oman is well equipped to be a trailblazer in the translation industry at the regional level. This acquires importance as the editorial and translation sectors are becoming increasingly more significant in the age of the knowledge economy, and is in line with the Oman 2040 vision for economic diversification.

“The discussion today has attempted to answer the questions of the future, by delving into the current status of the translation industry in the country and shedding light on artificial intelligence technologies which are reshaping the practice.”

New website

During the event, the Company also launched a new website for its magazine Al Manhal, which explores new initiatives and achievements in the Omani oil and gas industry, specifically those carried out by PDO. The modern digital site replaces the printed version of the magazine, which was first launched in 2003, catering for the interests of its largely student audience and providing a platform for reader interaction.

Attendees came from a variety of organisations and numbered translation professionals from the public and private sectors, translation enthusiasts and students from Sultan Qaboos, Sohar and Nizwa Universities.

The PDO Translation team, which has established a leading reputation for its work on Arabic and English texts, staged the event as part of its continued endeavours to build a centre of excellence for translation services and skills in the Sultanate.

PDO originally issued one of the first bilingual newsletters which was titled “PDO News” and now publishes two regular magazines, in both English and Arabic and a host of other corporate publications. All Company communications have always been bilingual. English is widely used in transacting its business and Arabic has been crucial in engaging with local stakeholders, both internal and external.

The PDO Translation team is well-established, with experience spanning more than 40 years and with many publications to its credit. It is widely known and respected within Oman and the region, not least for its 10 bilingual books and magazines, in the oil and gas industry and beyond. The team issued Oman’s first Oil and Gas Dictionary in 2006, with an updated version published in 2014, and has published glossaries on oil and gas, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and renewable energy.