MUSCAT: A business delegation representing leading players from the highly regarded water sector of the Netherlands visited the Sultanate of Oman recently to offer their expertise to the Omani government, as well as the public and private sectors, in addressing the country’s longstanding water-related challenges.
Organised by the Netherlands Water Partnership and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Oman, the visit coincided with the recently concluded Oman Sustainability Week (OSW) – a three-day forum of activities focusing on a broad array of topics revolving around UN SDGs, sustainability, the energy transition, circular economy and climate mitigation, among other related areas.
Around a dozen leading lights of the Netherlands’ water, environment and sustainability industries showcased their expertise at a Dutch Pavilion set up in the expo area of the forum.
The line-up included: Vopak (key infrastructure solutions), Royal Eijkelkap (soil and water solutions), Sensoterra (sensors), The Open Mind Company (revolutionising materials innovation and local manufacturing), Hydraloop (smart water recycling), H2O Biofouling Solutions (controlling biofouling in industrial water systems), Slamdam/Zephyr Consulting (flood and drought resilience), Witteveen+Bos (GReen Oxygen, Hydrogen and Wasteheat (GROHW), Hubert Stavoren (innovations in water intake screening), Deltares (enabling Delta life), Hydrovolta (desalination technology: water treatment containers for seawater and brackish water applications), OCI Global (low carbon fertilisers, fuels, and feedstock for agriculture, transport, and industry), and Port of Rotterdam (sustainable development, management and operation of large ports).
Ongoing bilateral cooperation between Oman and the Netherlands, centring on energy and sustainability, was also highlighted by Stella Kloth, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Sultanate of Oman, during the opening of a seminar held as part of the OSW forum.
This cooperation, the Ambassador noted, was intensified in 2017 with the establishment of the Oman Netherlands Taskforce on Water, which paved the way for numerous successful follow-up meetings and exchanges of ideas and recommendations.
During their latest visit, the Dutch delegation also toured the sites of a number of Omani stakeholder institutions, notably the Al Ansab Water Treatment Station of the Oman Waste & Wastewater Services Company (OWWSC).
The team also met with officials of Oman Airports to discuss challenges, such as the high water table and reed growth, encountered by the local authorities. Earlier, the Task Force met with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources to explore opportunities for water cooperation.
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