Muscat, Oct 17 - Outward Bound Oman hosted an international audit review team, which concluded that the operation in Oman was “absolutely exceptional” with an “excellent focus on real learning”.
The country’s first purpose-built outdoor training centre celebrated its completion last week in the presence of HH Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minster of Heritage and Culture, the Duke of York and Outward Bound Patron HH Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al Said. The Duke had described the Sultanate as “a jewel in the global community”.
First established in the UK in 1941, Outward Bound now operates in 32 countries around the world. Every two years, each centre is independently audited to ensure it performs to the highest international standards.
Oman is the first Arabic-speaking nation to set up an outward-bound operation to develop and challenge its human resources.
Outward Bound Oman General Manager Mark Evans commented: “This outcome is the result of sustained hard work and commitment of many people, and of a genuinely productive and positive partnership between government, the private sector and the not-for-profit community. For people to be speaking so highly of Oman in the global community is a great testimony to what is achievable when everyone works together and reflects extremely positively on the
nation.”
Evans singled out three founding partners who helped first establish Outward Bound in 2009: Dentons, Shell and Suhail Bahwan Group.
“These three organisations took the initial risk of trying to establish the operation here in Oman. They deserve much of the credit. In addition, our extremely committed patron, HH Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al
Said has played a pivotal role in our growth.”
“The support of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has enabled us to plan the construction of three national outdoor training centres, which will enable us to work with greater numbers of participants in the coming years. The first, in the Al Sharqiyah Governorate, has just opened, and construction of the second, in Muscat, will begin before this year-end,” he said.
A key element in the success story is the corporate community in Oman who, through their social investment programmes, fund young Omanis on Outward-Bound training courses, develop their life skills and enhance their employability.
In 2017, Outward Bound Oman’s key corporate partners included BP, Daleel Petroleum, Duqm Refinery, HSBC, Oman Shipping, Omantel, Omran, Ooredoo, Oxy, PDO, Renaissance and Saud Bahwan.
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