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Merge 104.8 | 22 June 2020
The World Economic Forum (WEF), has reviewed the Sultanate’s experience in facing the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, describing the pandemic as “a true test of the Sultanate’s response to the crisis.”
As Oman News Agency (ONA) reports, the WEF explained in its published review that, thanks to the community’s awareness, cohesion, spirit of initiative and innovation, and as a result of the early measures taken by the government, the Sultanate was able to contain the virus and slow its spread.
The WEF article also reviewed the economic diversification strategy adopted by the Sultanate within the ‘Oman Vision 2040’, noting the role that non-oil economic sectors have contributed to promoting sustainability and growth. It also highlighted the logistics sector which, despite the closure of the airports, the ports of Sohar, Duqm, and Salalah have been operating normally with 200 ships calling per week.
The WEF pointed out in its article that the readiness of Oman’s technology sector has enabled it to overcome many repercussions of the pandemic. It added that the infrastructure of its telecommunications network helped to promote online work, activate digital learning platforms, and promote e-commerce across governorates of the Sultanate.
The review also highlighted the success of the Sultanate’s endeavours to support and encourage innovation to build a conscious society in this role, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The WEF said: “These efforts paid off thanks to the supportive centres for innovation, such as the Research Council (TRC), the Industrial Innovation Center (IIC) and the Oman Technology Fund (OTF). Omani innovators were able to obtain the necessary support to conduct research and tests and transfer their ideas into products that contribute to facing this virus. The OTF allocated $2.6 million to support startups and encourage them to devise ideas for near- and long-term projects to cope with the pandemic.”
The WEF elaborated that the COVID-19 pandemic came as a test of resilience to Oman’s plans for economic diversification and investment in development, as it highlighted the robust society and entrepreneurial spirit of Omanis who are considered the most important wealth of this society.
Source: ONA
(Also read: Merge Recap: Indian Ambassador to Oman, H.E. Munu Mahawar on ‘Afternoons with Chris Fisher’.)
