Two major research initiatives undertaken by the Earthquake Monitoring Center at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) have generated important scientific outcomes for improving earthquake preparedness, building safety, economic-loss reduction, and long-term urban resilience in Oman.
The projects, M-Rafeeq: Multi-Criteria Risk Assessment Framework for Enhancing Earthquake Preparedness for Urban Environment and Risaalah: Rapid Visual Screening and Seismic Assessment of Al Seeb’s Lifeline Assets for Health, were funded through the Deanship of Research at Sultan Qaboos University and focused on complementary dimensions of seismic risk in the rapidly developing the Wilayat of Al Seeb.
The M-Rafeeq project investigated earthquake risk across the urban and residential environment of Al Seeb. Rather than considering seismic hazard alone, the research integrated earthquake hazard, local ground conditions, structural vulnerability, population and asset exposure, critical infrastructure, preparedness, and potential economic consequences within a unified assessment framework.
A particularly important component of the project was the assessment of potential economic loss associated with earthquake damage. Structural damage represents only one part of the total impact of an earthquake. Repair and reconstruction costs, business interruption, temporary displacement, disruption to roads and utilities, and interruption of schools, healthcare facilities, and other essential services can greatly increase the overall economic burden of a damaging event.
Complementing this urban-scale work, the Risaalah project, focused on the seismic vulnerability, risk, and resilience of hospital and healthcare buildings in Al Seeb. Hospitals are among the most critical facilities in any city because their functionality becomes even more important immediately following a disaster.
Damage to healthcare buildings, medical equipment, lifeline systems, or access routes can significantly reduce a community’s ability to respond at a time when medical demand is at its highest. Risaalah therefore examined not only the structural condition of hospital buildings, but also broader factors influencing their resilience, including non-structural components, lifeline systems, site conditions, facility criticality, and emergency preparedness.
Together, M-Rafeeq and Risaalah created a broader picture of seismic risk by addressing both the residential and urban building environment and the critical healthcare infrastructure upon which communities depend during emergencies.
The projects were undertaken by a multidisciplinary team from the Earthquake Monitoring Center at Sultan Qaboos University, with Dr Issa El Hussain, Dr Abdullah Ansari, and Majid Al Musalhi serving among the main project team members.
The research also benefited from international scientific collaboration involving researchers and institutions from South Korea, Japan, and Norway, strengthening the exchange of expertise in earthquake engineering, seismic risk assessment, infrastructure resilience, and disaster-risk reduction.
Dr Abdullah Ansari has played a leading role in expanding research on the seismic safety and resilience of critical infrastructure in Oman. His wider research experience spans Oman, India, South Korea, and Japan and includes studies related to buildings, transportation infrastructure, underground structures, metro systems, tunnels, bridges, and other critical engineering facilities.
His earlier research has also addressed seismic risk associated with major Himalayan tunnelling and infrastructure projects, providing experience that is increasingly being applied to the challenges facing rapidly developing cities and infrastructure systems in Oman.
The outcomes of M-Rafeeq and Risaalah are particularly timely as Muscat enters a new phase of urban expansion. Major developments such as Sultan Haitham City and Yiti, together with future residential, commercial, transportation, healthcare, and public-service projects, will significantly increase the concentration and value of urban assets.
The research demonstrated why seismic risk information should ideally be incorporated at the planning and design stage, rather than considered only after development has been completed. Information on ground conditions, expected shaking, building vulnerability, accessibility of critical facilities, infrastructure interdependencies, and potential economic exposure can help planners and decision-makers identify where additional investigation or resilience measures may provide the greatest long-term benefit.
The methodologies developed through these projects can therefore provide useful scientific support for emerging urban developments across Muscat and elsewhere in Oman. As cities grow, earthquake risk also evolves because new people, buildings, infrastructure, and economic assets become exposed.
Integrating risk assessment with urban planning offers an opportunity to limit future losses before they become deeply embedded in the built environment.
This approach is closely aligned with the broader aspirations of Oman Vision 2040, which emphasises sustainable urban development, resilient infrastructure, improved quality of life, and evidence-based planning.
A truly sustainable city must not only be environmentally efficient, and economically competitive. It must also be capable of anticipating natural hazards, protecting critical services, and recovering efficiently following disruptive events.
Another important outcome of both projects has been the translation of scientific research into information that can support government authorities, municipalities, urban planners, healthcare administrators, engineers, schools, and communities.
Public awareness and preparedness remain essential components of disaster resilience, and the project team has also worked to expand earthquake-risk communication and educational outreach.
By linking earthquake science with engineering, urban planning, healthcare resilience, economic-loss assessment, and international collaboration, the two projects provide an important foundation for strengthening the safety of existing communities while helping Oman plan more resilient cities and critical infrastructure for the future.
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