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2nd National Stakeholder Workshop Oman: Linking green products to tourism in Oman


09 - 10 May 2017
Mussanah
, Oman

ditc-ted-NGER-May-2017-group-850.jpg

​Under auspices of H.E. Hilal Bin Said Al - Hajri, The Governor of the Southern Al Batinah Region, national action plans for three of Oman’s main exports - fish, dates and tourism products - were formulated by over 40 national stakeholders during the Second National Stakeholder Workshop of Oman’s National Green Export Review (NGER) project. The NGER aimed at developing recommendations and a national action plan for the linkages between these three sectors.
 
ditc-ted-NGER-May-2017-youtube-300.jpgUNCTAD and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) jointly organized the workshop for producers, associations, and government officials working to improve the performance of these sectors. The workshop was convened in Mussanah Oman on 9-10 May 2017. The meeting opened with a special televised segment hosted by the H.E. The Governor.
 
Prior milestones of the project were reviewed by Mr Mohammed Salim Al Mardhoof Al Saadi, National Focal Point for Oman’s NGER and Head of International Organizations Section of MoCI.  Next, detailed studies were presented by the three NGER National Experts (one from each sector). Stakeholders participated in interactive plenary and working group discussions which refined and elaborated upon actions proposed by the National Experts for consideration by the group. The two working groups were: 1) linkages between the fisheries and tourism sectors; and 2) linkages between the date palm and tourism sectors. Working group results were presented in a concluding plenary session with stakeholders adopting recommendations and proposed actions of the working groups.

In the following weeks, the National Team of Experts will revise/update the NGER report (in particular its action plan) based on inputs and decisions made by stakeholders at the workshop. The revised NGER report will be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for final approval and then to all stakeholders and their organizations.

WorkingGroups-2.jpgAmong others, actions proposed by national stakeholders at the workshop included:

  • Introducing new regulations/incentives for hotels and restaurants to serve Omani dates and fish to clients.
  • Enhancing infrastructure at fishery ports, and supporting the acquisition of larger vessels by artisanal fishermen thus enabling producers to expand production levels.
  • Improving packaging and labelling of date and fishery products, including by introducing new standards.
  • Adding value to Omani date and fish products and test these products against international preferences in the national tourist market.
  • Placing an emphasis on attracting tourists from new and growing tourist origin markets (including China and India).
  • Designing new tourism packages (both day trips and week-long vacations) based on agro- and fisheries tourism themes that allow tourists to meet and “work-for-a-day” with Omani farmers and fishermen.
  • Raising awareness of national consumers, particularly youth, of the benefits of consuming national date and fish products.
  • Introducing Omani date and fish products on all Oman Air flights, and all inter-city routes of the national bus service Mwasalat.
  • Establishing an Omani label to distinguish Omani food products from imported food products.

In closing the workshop, Dr Omar Al-Jabri, National Experts Team Leader and Professor at Sultan Qaboos University, informed stakeholders that their inputs were carefully recorded and that they would be integrated into a revised version of the NGER report. In addition, Mr Robert Hamwey, Economic Affairs Officer of UNCTAD, noted that results of Oman’s NGER project would be published by UNCTAD and presented by the project’s National Experts at an intergovernmental expert meeting that will be convened in Geneva in 2018.

Photo credit: Ms Bothaina Al-Zaabi, OmanCareers

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16 Jun 2017
 

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Sponsor / funding:
UNCTAD and the United Nations Development Account

languages
Language(s)
English  |    
Related Site:
 

Trade and Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Branch
http://unctad.org/topic/trade-and-environment

 

 

 


First National Stakeholder Workshop. Oman National Green Export Review
http://unctad.org/meeting/first-national-stakeholder-workshop-oman-national-green-export-review


Contact

Mr Robert Hamwey, UNCTAD: Robert.Hamwey@unctad.org