The international consultancy giant, Royal HaskoningDHV, has been roped in by Omani authorities to assist in the government’s effort to formulate an ambitious land use strategy necessary to underpin the long-term development of the nation.
The Netherlands-headquartered engineering, design and project management consultancy firm’s remit centres on the development of land use — also referred to as Regional Spatial Strategies — covering the Wusta and Dhofar governorates of the Sultanate.
Together with separate Regional Spatial Strategies being developed by other consultants covering the remaining nine governorates of the Sultanate, these individual region-wise blueprints will help in the formulation of the Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS), billed as a far-reaching initiative by the government to develop the nation’s future planning system and steer the future direction of its economic growth.
The Supreme Council for Planning is overseeing the preparation of the Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS) — a multi-year initiative aimed at preparing a land use framework for development at the national and regional levels. It will incorporate regional strategies for all governorates and policies for the implementation of the ONSS based on the goals and objectives of Oman Vision 2020, and based on the goals and objectives of Oman Vision 2040 as they are developed.
“The overall Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS) provides a framework for optimising land use to ensure sustainable socio-economic development regionally and nationally, and Royal HaskoningDHV has been commissioned to design two of the subsequent Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) which will help benefit regional economic growth,” the Dutch-based global firm said in a statement.
Ziad al Mahmoud, Royal HaskoningDHV’s Director of Transport and Planning Middle East, stated, “Royal HaskoningDHV has been working in Oman since 2002 and our local knowledge of the Omani society coupled with our international expertise in the field of economic-driven master planning and transport advisory, makes us well placed to design these regional strategies to help shape a sustainable and economically vibrant future for Oman.”
As part of its contract, Royal HaskoningDHV says its experts will fan out across the Wusta and Dhofar governorates, interacting with local communities, understanding their needs and long-term aspirations, and garner data necessary to master-plan the future development of these sprawling regions. These inputs will help in the formulation of the preliminary blueprints that will be submitted to the Supreme Council for Planning for its consideration and final approval.
In drafting the Regional Spatial Strategies for the two governorates, Royal HaskoningDHV says its goal is to support the development of plans designed to lay the foundations for, among other objectives, the future growth of these regions, development of their economic and investment potential, creation of jobs, and the nurturing of thriving communities.
Importantly, the Regional Spatial Strategies will also help in the formulation of a national transport model to improve accessibility to the regions, leveraging the key assets of Salalah airport and the port of Duqm. Improved accessibility will in turn boost investment into these regions therefore making them more attractive to businesses and visitors alike, the company said.
Conrad Prabhu
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
