MUSCAT: The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Saturday, reviewed before the commercial delegation from the Netherlands the investment opportunities in Oman and the facilities provided to investors in order to enhance trade and investment exchange between the two countries.
 
Dr. Al-Fadl bin Abbas Al-Hinai, CEO of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the visit of the commercial delegation from the Netherlands comes as a continuation of the efforts made by the two governments in strengthening economic relations, and reviewing the prospects for cooperation in various economic, commercial and investment sectors, as the private sector in both countries plays a leading role in forming Economic partnerships and commercial projects.
 
He indicated that there are other areas of partnership in the field of renewable energy, especially wind and solar energy, in addition to the field of green hydrogen, all of which constitute an opportunity for Dutch companies operating in these sectors, in addition to cooperating with companies in the Netherlands with experience in developing modern technologies for water desalination and hydroponics.
 
The meeting included a number of visual presentations, where the Ministry of Agricultural and Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources presented a visual presentation of the Sultanate’s experience in constructing dams in order to achieve the greatest possible use of rainwater and reduce its waste, especially since the Sultanate is witnessing a number of torrents that affect the properties of the people and their farms on the one hand. Its waters cannot be sufficiently utilised, and therefore a large number of groundwater recharge dams, storage dams and other surface dams have been implemented. The presentation also showed the sources of water in the Sultanate, including groundwater, aflaj and wells, as well as desalination of seawater.
 
The representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in the Sultanate also made a visual presentation in which she touched on the impact of water shortage on the Near East and North Africa region and reviewed the programs that the FAO is working on, including strategic plans for water, reviewing water and food policies, proposing investment plans and proposing agricultural plans in view to water resources, as well as developing agriculture with greenhouses, and working with the Ministry of Agricultural and Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources and Sultan Qaboos University on studies related to the aflaj system.

The General Company for Water and Wastewater Services presented a number of visual presentations that dealt with the latest technologies used in sewage treatment and how to use that water to make Oman greener, healthier and maintain public health.

The presentation highlighted the choice of the continuous flow sequential biological treatment system, membrane and biological reactor systems as an alternative to traditional systems, where the stages of sewage works are summarised in the treatment of wastewater through primary treatment “physical treatment”, and secondary treatment “biological treatment which is the basic stage in the treatment and the tertiary treatment stage, which is the final stage of water treatment and the aim of which is to sterilise the water and remove any solid or suspended parts, which increases the purity of the treated water. The presentation touched on future projects that include water supply networks and utilisation of treated water and the opportunities available in the water sector.
 
Majis Industrial Services Company also gave a visual presentation on its efforts in providing water solutions in the Sultanate of Oman through the withdrawal and treatment of seawater for cooling purposes, the production of drinking water, ultra-pure manufacturing, and industrial and sewage treatment. In addition to the Sohar Industrial City, the company works to provide companies and factories operating in the concession areas with water solutions.
 
The meeting included a number of discussions that dealt with wastewater management, pure blue water, sustainable sanitation, wastewater recovery and saline water management. Some digital solutions for water management were also highlighted.

The meeting also witnessed holding bilateral meetings between business owners from the Omani and Netherlands sides to discuss the conclusion of agreements and partnerships and the expansion of cooperation between the two sides.