MUSCAT: Amidst accelerating global shifts driven by climate change and the growing imperative to safeguard natural resources, water is increasingly emerging as a strategic resource closely linked to economic resilience, urban stability, sustainable growth and community wellbeing.
Against this backdrop, Nama Water Services (NWS) is advancing a new operating model that brings water, sustainability and technology closer together by embedding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into its operations and corporate decision-making.
The approach is designed to support the transition towards a more efficient, resilient and sustainable water sector, while keeping pace with global trends that increasingly connect the management of critical infrastructure with climate priorities, economic development and long-term sustainability.
The company’s sustainability strategy is aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative standards. NWS is also implementing a phased roadmap extending to 2027, focused on developing frameworks and policies, strengthening operational integration and driving continuous improvement, with the longer-term objective of enhancing the company’s readiness for internationally recognised sustainability and governance ratings.
Eng Ahmed bin Rashid al Khamisi, Chief Executive Officer of Business Assurance and Excellence, said water could no longer be viewed merely as an operational resource.
“Water has become a strategic resource directly linked to economic resilience, sustainable cities and community wellbeing. Against this backdrop, Nama Water Services continues to integrate ESG principles across its operations and strategic decision-making, strengthening its future readiness and supporting the objectives of Oman Vision 2040”, he said.
“For NWS, these principles represent an integrated approach to resource management and the creation of sustainable value for society, the economy and the environment. Sustainability is a day-to-day practice whose impact is felt today while extending its benefits to future generations”.
Al Khamisi said innovation remains central to the company’s sustainability journey, with NWS increasingly leveraging data, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies across its operations.
“As part of our approach to harnessing innovation for sustainability, we are developing a more intelligent operating ecosystem powered by data and artificial intelligence, while deploying advanced technologies across our operations. This reflects a vision that sees water as a long-term investment in a more secure and resilient future”, he said.
“As digital solutions expand across our operations, data is becoming a key driver of decision-making and more efficient resource management, strengthening operational resilience, enhancing infrastructure readiness and enabling the company to anticipate and respond to future challenges more effectively”.
NWS has also developed and launched a Sustainable Finance Framework, one of the company’s key initiatives supporting its broader sustainability ambitions. The framework enables the company to access sustainable financing instruments, including green, blue and social bonds and sukuk, to support projects that generate positive environmental and social outcomes and create sustainable economic and developmental value.
Al Khamisi said NWS is among the first companies under the Oman Investment Authority to develop an integrated Sustainable Finance Framework, strengthening its position within Oman’s and the region’s evolving sustainable finance landscape and supporting its ability to attract sustainability-linked investment.
“This direction is aligned with our long-term vision, which looks beyond infrastructure projects themselves. We see these investments as long-term commitments to resource security, sustainable cities and community wellbeing, while strengthening water security and safeguarding the continuity of essential services for future generations”, he added.
The company is also expanding the use of low-emission solutions and renewable energy as part of its efforts to build a more efficient operating model, support net-zero ambitions, strengthen sustainable resource management and reduce its long-term environmental footprint.
Green harvesting is another pathway supporting NWS’s efforts to build a water system that is better equipped to adapt to climate-related changes by maximising the value of natural resources and reducing exposure to environmental and climatic fluctuations.
The company is equally investing in a safer and more sustainable working environment, based on the principle that sustainable operations begin with protecting people and embedding a strong safety culture across the workplace, including among NWS employees, business partners and supporting companies.
NWS currently serves more than four million beneficiaries through an operational network spanning governorates across the Sultanate of Oman. Its in-country value exceeded RO 100 million last year, reflecting the company’s contribution to the national economy, the development of small and medium enterprises and the growth of local content.
Eng Raya bint Ali al abri, ESG Project Manager at Nama Water Services, said ESG principles have become important strategic enablers for sustainable resource management and for strengthening the water sector’s readiness to address emerging environmental and climate challenges.
“The world is undergoing rapid change, requiring operating models that are increasingly efficient, resilient and forward-looking. Sustainability is no longer confined to environmental considerations; it has evolved into an integrated approach that is reshaping how resources are managed, projects are developed and decisions are made, with the aim of creating long-term value for society, the economy and community wellbeing”, she said.
Al Abri added that integrating ESG principles helps improve resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact and support the development of sustainable projects and initiatives built around innovation and digital transformation.
She said the approach also contributes to creating an operating model capable of adapting to future climate and resource challenges, while supporting an equitable workplace that promotes equal opportunities and empowers national talent, alongside community initiatives and local development.
Nama Water Services continues to strengthen its position as a key driver of more sustainable and innovative water resource management, bringing together technology, governance, operational excellence and sustainability under a long-term vision that sees every drop of water as an investment in resource security, a resilient future and the prosperity of generations to come.
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