A new Anglo-Omani partnership is being envisioned by Oman and the UK with the goal of powering the Sultanate’s ambitious sustainability and green projects plan.

The association is expected to help bridge the gap with existing industrial expertise and eco-friendly energy strategies devised by the UK.

This is in lead up to the upcoming ‘Climate Change Summit’ that will be held in November 2021 in the UK. This is the first summit of its kind after the Paris Accords was formulated back in 2015.

The Sultanate has been leading by example with exemplary statistics; such as being 3rd among the Arab Nations in terms of sustainable development by the UN in 2020, ranking 9th globally in implementation of environmental laws; and standing 22nd worldwide in the sectors of green tourism and travel development.

All of these are affirmative actions towards Oman’s Vision 2040.

To achieve these goals, Oman has partnered with many nations, chief among them being the United Kingdom, which in itself has been a pioneer in sustainable resource management and green technology with a community pool of high-skilled experts.

Oman plans to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy sources under the Oman Vision 2040 initiative, and with easy access to resources – primarily solar and wind energies – and vast uninhabited lands providing a base for green projects, the new partnership should help the country make headway in the sustainability front.

Chief among these is the Harweel wind project, which was brought online in 2019. Other pilot projects in Dhofar and other southern Wilayats will silver-line the wind energy projects.

Burgeoning Oman-UK partnership

With an investment of £14bn in 2019 alone, the UK has a strong industrial base that employs over 750,000 personnel in the green technology and energy sector.

The UK has also been poised in providing cutting-edge technologies globally, and Oman has witnessed constructive partnerships that have led to value-added green solutions such as innovative waste management projects, renewable energy-based power plants, and high-yielding desalination plants.

This includes Oman’s ‘Wakud’ project that has been established in tandem with the UK’s GreenFuels to provide 20 tonnes of biofuel using recycled cooking oil.