The first conference on primary materials management “Towards a close business relationship between the State of Qatar and the Sultanate of Oman” recommended increasing cooperation between Omani and Qatari companies operating in the field of building and raw materials and establishing unified investment procedures in the area of raw materials to facilitate investments and processes and overcome obstacles. In addition to that, the conference recommended that the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) prepare investment opportunities studies to manufacture building materials using raw materials available in the Sultanate in partnership with chambers of commerce and industry in the two countries. 

The conference took place on the 28th and 29th of March, 2018 at the Kempinski Hotel, Muscat. Oman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Oman’s Public Authority for Mining and GOIC supported it. Furthermore, it was the result of strategic partnerships with Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) and the chambers of commerce and industry of Oman and Qatar. The media partner was Oman’s Al-Roya Newspaper. The conference was organized by the Hawkama Centre for Public Relations and Media and the Omani Centre for Business Services (Tasaheel). 

Qatari sponsors were QPMC, Al-Bawaba Company, Village Trading Group, Qatar Quarries and Building Materials (QQBMCO) and Omani sponsors were ASYAD, the Ports of Duqm, Salalah and Sohar and the Gulf Mining Group. 

In addition to that, many officials, businesspersons, investors and stakeholders from Oman and Qatar partook in this conference. Participants stressed the importance of serious endeavours to promote trade and investment between the two countries.

The conference tackled the status of building materials, future mining projects, challenges, and opportunities that the manufacturers and consumers of building materials face in Oman and Qatar, in addition to challenges and opportunities in the areas of transport, logistics and storage.

Participants put together a series of recommendations as follows:

1. Increasing cooperation between Omani and Qatari companies operating in the fields of building and raw materials.

2. Establishing unified investment procedures in the area of raw materials to facilitate investments and processes and overcome obstacles.

3. Tasking GOIC to prepare investment opportunities studies to manufacture building materials using raw materials available in Oman in partnership with chambers of commerce and industry in Oman and Qatar.

4. Publishing guidebooks presenting specialized data and information in the area of building and raw materials to promote companies and products in this field. 

5. Inviting SMEs to partake in raw materials, mining and building materials projects and encouraging the youth to benefit from opportunities in this area.

6. Encouraging big companies to adopt domestic value added strategies in the field of primary materials management.

7. Encouraging and promoting the use of limestone in the building and construction sector.

8. Benefiting from the big capacity of Oman’s ports with global competitive tariffs. 

9. Reviewing the prices of bulk materials in ports and pricing each one of the raw materials separately.

10. Using government laboratories or any other accredited laboratories in Oman to ensure quality control before exporting. 

GOIC receives the “Special Vision Award”

His Excellency Dr. Ali Bin Hamed Al-Mulla, GOIC Assistant Secretary General for Industrial Projects, received the “Special Vision Award” during the economic vision award ceremony held in Muscat, Oman, under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Darwish Bin Ismail Al-Balushi, Oman’s Financial Affairs Minister. 

The awards ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Conference on Primary Materials Management organised by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), in collaboration with Hawkama and Tasaheel.

HE Mr. Al-Balushi honoured Qatari guests of honour, notably His Excellency Mr. Muhammed Bin Towar Al-Kuwari, Vice Chairman of Qatar’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Engineer Saad Bin Ahmad Al-Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and His Excellency Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company (QIMC). 

The “Special Vision Award” was also presented to Mr. Omar Hussain Al-Fardan, CEO of Al-Fardan Qatar and Engineer Abdulla Ali Al-Abdulla as best Qatari investors in Oman. Other awards were presented to Qatar National Bank (QNB), the leading banking institution, the Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company (SAOG), Ooredoo and Qatari Al-Diyar. 

HE Mr. Darwish Bin Ismail Al-Balushi applauded the decision to choose Qatar as honour guest of this year’s awards ceremony. He stressed that the awards are initiatives at the community level adopted by private sector institutions. “This reflects the importance of key partnerships between various sectors”, he said.

Mr. Hatem Bin Hamad Al-Tai, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Roya Newspaper and General Supervisor of the award welcomed businesspersons, investors and representatives of Qatari institutions. He highlighted the close commercial ties and bilateral integration between Oman and Qatar.