BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, DEC 6
The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates “Madayn” organised on Tuesday ‘Building and Construction Business Meet’ at Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC, which aimed at highlighting the latest developments and technologies at the local and global scale in the building and construction industry, the key role played by the building and construction industry in the manufacturing sector, as well as the dynamic role of related businesses in supplying high-quality products for infrastructure projects.
Speaking at the event, Mundhir bin Ali al Nasseri, Acting Director General of Marketing and Commercial Affairs at Madayn, stated that statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information indicate that the total contribution of the manufacturing industries in the Sultanate has touched RO 2.3 billion by end of the first half of this year compared to RO 1.4 billion during the same period last year. Al Nasseri added that Oman Vision 2040 has placed the manufacturing industries as one of the key drivers that lead the industrial sector supported by the availability of natural resources and the strategic location of the Sultanate that facilitates the export of these industries.
Delivering his presentation at the event, Jalal al Hadhrami, Director of Local Content and Business Opportunities at the Industrial Innovation Academy, said that the academy is developing innovative programmes aimed at empowering the industrial sector and the SMEs through focusing on the local content and capacity building, and adoption of automation and Industry 4.0 technologies through the associated supply chain.
Al Hadhrami then elaborated on ‘Rabt Programme’, which is being implemented by the academy to link the existing industries in the industrial cities with the government tenders.He also informed that a platform is being developed for ‘RabtProgramme’ to serve the industrial sector in the Sultanate through encouraging investments, facilitating purchases at the sector level, and enhancing the local value.
Eng. Bader al Haddabi, Founder of Keystone Architectural Consultancy, delivered a presentation on ‘Adobe Construction’, which utilises affordable, fireproof, recyclable and environmentally friendly materials as adobe bricks can be easily cut for fitting and can be provided with holes for reinforcing and services. Al Haddabi added that intensive R&D has to be conducted on Adobe to improve its properties and recommended that national awareness campaign to be implemented in this regard.
On his part, Dr. Hilal al Dhamri, General Manager of Manufacturing at Oman Cement Company, elaborated on stages of cement manufacturing, cement types and specifications, and the challenges and future of cement industry in the Sultanate.
The event included a panel discussion moderated by Ayman al Hasani, Managing Director of Modern Dairy Factory, and featuring Rashid al Jabri, Chairman of Speed House Building and Construction, Faisal al Hajri, Shareholder Representative at Oman Aluminium Rolling Company, Khalid al Hosni, Founder and CEO of Titronic Middle East, Eng. Salim al Shanfari, CEO of Global Mining Company, and Dr. Hilal al Dhamri, General Manager of Manufacturing at Oman Cement Company.
The panel discussion highlighted importance of manufacturing industries locally and globally, role of manufacturing industries in economic growth and competitiveness, obstacles facing manufacturing industries, future of manufacturing industries in general and building and construction industry in particular.
