The importance of OCCI Chair for economic studies

Haider Al lawati -

haiderdawood@hotmail.com -

Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry is seeking to adopt a number of projects of interest to domestic enterprises and companies and their international operations. While some are related to supporting SMEs, driving youth towards self-employment and increasing productivity and creativity, others are concerned with national manpower issues and Omanisation.

They focus on promoting commercial and economic relations with companies, enterprises and the private sector inside and outside the Sultanate by activating joint committees recently formed for this purpose.

OCCI is also adopting and announcing the tender of many other projects to facilitate and promote private sector business, with the most recent project aiming at cooperation with academic institutions and establishment of a Chair for Economic Studies for OCCI at Sultan Qaboos University.

The overall objective of university chair programmes for enterprises is to establish cooperation networks between higher education institutions on one hand and enterprises adopting important projects on the other hand.

Research chairs are efficient means of supporting and catalysing scientific research, which is an essential source of disseminating scientific knowledge and modern technologies, enhancing social community development achieving excellence in scientific, economic and social disciplines, etc.

This makes them an essential tool for building the capacities of higher educational institutions and research through the exchange of knowledge, information and research conducted in various fields of mutual interest and in the spirit of solidarity and public interest of institutions and students as well.

Economic chairs also contribute in supporting the culture of innovation and creativity and distinguished scientific work, instilling the concept of community partnership in both materialistic and humanitarian aspects, utilising science, technology and academic potential in serving society and addressing its issues and taking part in upgrading a country to the global and most prestigious scientific status of innovation, creativity, advancement and sustainable development.

The main aspiration is that OCCI Chair becomes an important research chair at SQU, assuring cohesion and cooperation between OCCI and the private sector on one hand, and the Omani society in general on the other hand.

This Chair seeks promotion and understanding of current economic issues in the Sultanate, whilst contributing to enhancing the role of the private sector in achieving economic diversification and international competition.

Saeed bin Saleh al Kiyumi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OCCI, noted that OCCI Chair for Economic Studies is an unprecedented initiative at the regional and global level, aiming at promoting the understanding of current economic issues in the Sultanate along with contributing in enhancing the role of the private sector in achieving economic diversification and international competition.

Through this initiative, OCCI aims at making the Chair a pioneer in economic studies through empirical studies and economic analyses and setting up a database for research and economic analyses.

OCCI has expressed its willingness to provide support in pinpointing the most important trade and economic issues in the Sultanate through studies conducted by SQU and postgraduate students.

These studies shall cover the strategic sectors included in the Five-Year Development Plans along with practical solutions to be utilised by commercial enterprises and companies to move forward and set up a database for research and analysis on domestic and global economic issues.

This project is the first-of-its-kind initiative at the regional and global level, where the private sector takes on developing and supporting applied research related to Omani economy through SQU, and achieving the country’s strategic goals in accordance with the current Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020).

The Chair will guide decision-makers, politicians, businessmen and other stakeholders to take appropriate decisions that will contribute to the economic and social development of the Sultanate together with attracting domestic and foreign investments for national industries.

Meanwhile, the Chair will act as a channel that supports faculties and students in acquiring knowledge and skills in disciplines relevant to economic studies.

The project for establishing an OCCI Chair at SQU comes under the ideas and initiatives presented by OCCI-formed committees to discuss issues of interest to each sector, according to Qais bin Mohammed al Yousuf, Chairman and member of the Economic Committee.

The Research Chair will enhance awareness and understanding of current economic issues in the Sultanate in general, and benefit decision and policy makers, enterprises and the private sector in particular.

The project will yield positive results to the Omani market, especially with the presence of several thorny issues facing the private sector and national and foreign investments, considering

that the majority of the country needs more projects, infrastructure and development.

This entails facilitating matters relating to commercial activities with investors and providing them with the necessary services to continue with their projects instead of going abroad.