Muscat: In response to the directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to build bridges of communication with members of the public through open dialogues and activating the role of the society in shaping future visions and strategies, the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers organized the second edition of the ‘Together We Make Progress’ forum under the auspices of HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, on Sunday.
The first day of the forum includes two main sessions with the participation of ministers who will talk about the integration of their institutions with the objectives of the Oman Vision 2040.
The ministers will share statistical data about the sectors under their ministries, their strategic goals, and the most important future projects.
In her speech, the Minister of Education, Dr. Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education, said that more than one million students in schools across the Sultanate, of which 77,000 are Omanis. A total of 18,679 teachers were hired from 2016 to 2023.
She added, "Work is underway on 251 new schools, and 5,000 current school buses will be replaced with new ones from Oman-based Karwa Company in Doqm, at the rate of
1,000 each year."
There are plans to shift all post-noon classes to morning sessions.
Dr. Minister of Education said that the strategic objectives of the national priority for education include several systems, including an educational system characterized by high quality, community partnership, empowering human capabilities, and integrated and independent with national competencies with dynamic capabilities and skills that compete locally and globally.
The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation said that the Sultanate of Oman aims to build competitive capabilities and competencies by improving the quality of university education, supplying the labor market with the required scientific competencies, and enhancing human and intellectual capital.
A monthly stipend is being considered for all students in all private higher education institutions, and a student sponsorship initiative has been launched and there are plans to get more international students to the Sultan Qaboos Univerity to raise its rankings globally.
The forum aims to open yet another channel of communication and interaction between the government and society to enhance trust and partnership, learn about development policies, programs, and government initiatives, to provide an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions and suggestions and share their interests with officials in an environment suitable for exchanging opinions.
HH Sayyid Theyazin will participate in the second session of the forum to be held on Monday which aims to open channels of communication with the participants and address their aspirations and proposals.
Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, and Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labour, will participate in the session.
The main topics of the forum include society and citizenship, education and learning, scientific research, national capabilities, welfare and social protection, health, developing the youth sector and the labor market and employment, and the local media.
The first session will be also addressed by Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Dr. Jokha bint Abdullah al Shukailiyah, CEO of Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Education.
The second session will be addressed by Dr. Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health, Nasser Khamis al Jashmi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Social Protection Fund, and Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najar, Minister of Social Development.
The first day of the forum will include an open discussion session with the supervisors of the national programs at the exhibition accompanying the forum. It will focus on the integration and interrelation of national programmes with the Oman Vision 2040 with the participation of Dr. Ali Amer al Shidhani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communications and Information Technology, Shaikh Nasr bin Amer al Hosani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Dr Nasser bin Rashid al Maawali, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Dr. Abdullah bin Ali al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, Sayyid Dr Munther bin Hilal al Busaidy, Deputy Head of the Oman 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit, Ibtisam bint Ahmed al Furujiyah, Under-Secretary for Investment Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, and Mahmoud bin Abdullah al Owaini Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance.
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