News

Ambassador of Oman to Seychelles Presents Credentials Darussalam, 24 Aug (ONA) --- President Wavel Ramkalawanof the Republic of Seychelles received here today Ambassador Saud Hilal Al Shidhani, who presented his credentials as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Seychelles. During the meeting, the ambassador conveyed His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s greetings and best wishes of continuous good health and wellbeing to President Wavel Ramkalawan. He also conveyed His Majesty’s wishes of further progress and prosperity to the people ...

Drone Flying Skills Testing Phase Kicks Off at SQUMuscat, 23 Aug (ONA) ---- Sultan Qaboos University today launched the phase of testing drone flying skills for students contesting Oman AI-Enhanced Drones Flying Competition, following a training programme.A programme training the 3rd group of students for the competition is implemented by SQU in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Ooredoo Oman.The testing stage comprises three levels: a virtual flight level using a computer simulation programme, a flight demo inside the laboratory ...

GCC Education Ministries Discuss Challenges, Global ModelsSalalah, 23 Aug (ONA) --- The GCC Bureau of Education today launched a programme titled “analogue bodies gathering” to discuss ground reality of education in member states.Dr. Abdulaziz Al Ruwais, Adviser at the Arab Bureau of Education for GCC states, speaking in his capacity as supervisor of programme’s management, said that the gathering,  sought to establish stronger communication among officials of executive departments in GCC ministries of education.The programme offers an opportunity for the officials to ...

Oman Hosts 19th Meeting of GCC Red Crescent Institutions’ Committee Muscat, 22 Aug (ONA) ---- The heads of GCC Red Crescent organizations and societies today held the 19th meeting of the Gulf Red Crescent Committee. The meeting was chaired by Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Member of the Board of Directors of Oman Charitable Organization (OCO). The meeting, held at the premises of GCC Consultative Authority in Muscat, discussed the action plan of GCC Red Crescent organizations and societies in local, regional and ...

Omani-Saudi Council’s Political, Diplomatic Coordination Committee Holds MeetRiyadh, 22 Aug (ONA) ---- The Political and Diplomatic Coordination Committee of the Omani-Saudi Coordination Council today held its first meeting in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).The meeting was co-chaired by Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs, and Dr. Saud Mohammed Al Sati, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The meeting discussed ways of enhancing bilateral relations in line with the directives of the two ...

Heads of GCC Committee of Red Crescent Organizations Hold Preparatory Meeting Muscat, 22 Aug (ONA) ---- A preparatory meeting was held in Muscat today in preparation for the 19th meeting of Heads of GCC Red Crescent Organizations and Societies. The committee is scheduled to convene tomorrow (Wed. 23 Aug.) under the auspices of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Al Shamsi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development. The preparatory meeting was hosted by Oman, represented by Oman Charitable Organization (OCO), in cooperation with the GCC Secretariat General. It discussed the action ...

Russian President Confers “Pushkin Medal” to Secretary General of National Museum Muscat, 22 Aug (ONA) --- President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation confers the “Pushkin Medal” on Jamal Hassan Al Moosawi, Secretary General of the National Museum for his efforts in strengthening bilateral relations in the cultural and museum fields between the Sultanate of Oman and Russia. Ilya Morgunov, Ambassador of Russia to Oman, handed over the high ranking medal at a ceremony held today in the National Museum. The medal is named after the poet Alexander Sergey ...

Over 180 Doctors Join OMBD Residency, Fellowship Programmes Muscat, 22 Aug (ONA) --- A total of 183 residents and 7 fellows will be joining various residency and fellowship programmes at Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) starting from the 2023/2024 academic year. Specialties and subspecialties include Adult Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Intensive Care in the Royal Hospital and Medical Genetics, Adult Clinical Hematology in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUS). Accordingly, OMSB organized today its annual orientation day at Oman Convention ...

Improvement of Services to People with Disabilities on AnvilMuscat, 21 Aug (ONA) ---- Activities of the Professional Development Programme aimed at ameliorating services rendered to people with disabilities kicked off today.The programme is organized by Al Aman Rehabilitation Centre, a subsidiary of the Directorate General for People with Disabilities Affairs, Ministry of Social Development.The programme seeks to hone the skills of operators in the field of rehabilitation of people with disabilities and update them about developments in high quality standards of the social ...

Commander in Chief of Italian Fleet Visits MSCMuscat, 20 Aug (ONA) --- Aurelio De Carolis, Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet and his accompanying delegation visited today the Maritime Security Centre (MSC)Upon the delegation’s arrival at the centre, they were greeted by Commodore Adil Hamoud Al Busaidi, Head of the MSC.During the visit, members of the delegation were briefed on the tactical roles and tasks carried out by the centre in the safety of the Omani maritime environment. They also toured the MSC’s facilities and viewed its latest equipment and technologies used in ...

Acting RNO Commander Receives Italian Military OfficialMuscat, 20 Aug (ONA) --- Commodore Mohammed Hamoud Al Zedjali, Acting Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) received at Al Murtafaa Garrison today Aurelio De Carolis, Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet and his accompanying delegation.During the meeting, the two sides discussed means of enhancing military and naval cooperation between the two sides. They also exchanged views on various matters of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by Commodore Jasim Mohammed Al Balushi, Director of Operations and Plans at the ...

Royal Office Minister Receives Ambassadors of Iraq, Syria Muscat, 20 Aug (ONA) --- Gen. Sultan Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office received in his office today Qais Saad Al Amri, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Sultanate of Oman.Al Nu’amani underscored the bilateral relations between Oman and Iraq. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed areas of mutual cooperation and means of enhancing them. They also exchanged views on various matters of common concern. Meanwhile, Gen. Sultan Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office also received in ...

Higher Education Ministry Organizes Introductory Meeting for New Scholarship StudentsMuscat, 20 Aug (ONA) ---- The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation today organized an introductory gathering for new students who received admission to foreign scholarships and study grants for the Academic Year 2023/2024.The meeting, held at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), was aimed at enlightening the students and their parents about the latest developments and scholarship procedures in terms of academic financial and religious aspects. It laid emphasis on security and legal ...

RAO Commander Meets Russian Deputy Defense Minister Moscow, 16 Aug (ONA) --- Maj.Gen Mattar Salim Al Balushi, Commander of the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) met in Moscow today Colonel General Alexander Fomin, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. The two sides exchanged views and discussed several military matters. The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of Oman to the Russian Federation. --- Ends/Thuraiya/AH ...

HEAC Says 27,629 Students Received admission in First Take of Academic Year 2023/2024Muscat, 16 Aug (ONA)--- The Higher Education Admission Centre (HEAC) at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has said that a total of 27,629 students received admission in the first allocation for Academic Year 2023/2024 in higher education institutions, scholarships and study allowances within Oman and abroad.The ministry said that 93% of available seats were occupied.Students who received admission are given one week to complete their registration formalities, from tomorrow, 17 ...

Oman, Kazakhstan Conduct Military Talks Nur-sultan, 16 Aug (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Kazakhstan conducted joint military talks. The two sides discussed means of promoting the joint military cooperation. The talks were held during an official visit made by a military delegation led by Brigadier Hamid Abdullah Al Balushi, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces for Operations and Planning. During the visit, the Omani military delegation met with officers at the General Staff of the Kazakh Armed Forces. --- Ends/AH ...

Taxi Owners Required to Register to Licensed Applications from 1 October 2023 Muscat, 16 Aug (ONA) ---- The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has announced details of a timetable to implement its decision requiring taxi owners to join applications licensed by the ministry. Three timeframes have been set out for the implementation of the plan: The first phase begins on 1 October 2023 and it applies to the segment of taxi drivers operating in the airports of Oman. The second phase begins on 1 November 2023 and it pertains to taxis serving tourist ...

Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture Hosts Dialogue Session on Humanization of Cities Muscat, August 16 (ONA) ---- The Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science, affiliated to the Diwan of Royal Court, today organized a dialogue session titled "Humanization of Cities". A group of specialists from government and private institutions took part in the event. The session tracks back the concept of humanization of cities over historical epochs and explores its social, economic and environmental impacts on societies, with special emphasis on raising the quality of ...

Electronic Platform Established to Provide Physiotherapy for Autistic ChildrenIbri, 16 Aug (ONA) --- A team from Sanad student company at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Ibri, Al Dhahirah Governorate, succeeded in developing an electronic platform to provide physiotherapy for autistic children.The team’s conceptualization of the platform gave it access to the final round of qualifiers to INJAZ Oman competition.Hajer Khalid Al Zaidi, head of the company's working team, said that the platform is a website that contains meaningful video and audio clips ...

Oman-USA Military Drill “Valley of Fire 2023” Concludes Salalah, 24 Aug (ONA) --- The joint Oman-USA military drill “Valley of Fire 2023”, concluded today in the Governorate of Dhofar. The drill was conducted with the participation of the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) and infantry units of the United States Army. Other personnel of RAO and the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) also took part in the drill. Simulation and role-playing tasks of the drill were aimed at providing training in accordance with the RAO training plan to sustain preparedness and achieve the desired ...

ONA Chairs 22nd Meeting of GCC News Agencies' OfficialsMuscat, 16 Aug (ONA) --- The Ministry of Information, represented by Oman News Agency (ONA), chaired the 22nd GCC news agencies' meeting held today via video conferencing.Ibrahim Saif Al Azri, Director-General and Editor-in-Chief of Oman News Agency (ONA), head of the current session, said, “Today’s meeting seeks to raise the level of media content provided by GCC news agencies, notably amid the rapid development of news broadcasting technologies.”Al Azri pointed out that artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, is ...

Oman Chairs Meeting of Directors General of Civil Defence Departments‎‎Riyadh, 15 Aug (ONA) ---- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (ACDA) presided over the 32nd meeting of directors general of civil defence departments in GCC states.Col. Abdullah Saleh Al Najashi, Director General of the ACDA, chaired the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the GCC Secretariat-General in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).On the sidelines of the meeting, the ACDA established an ‘awareness corner, which comprised publications on ...

Labour Ministry Unveils Outcomes of Q2 Employment PlanMuscat, 15 Aug (ONA) --- The Ministry of Labour today announced the realization of 53 percent of the Employment and Replacement Plan set for the second quarter of 2023.By the end of June 2023, the total number of jobs in government and private sector establishments stood at 18,716. Of those, a total of 9,169 jobs were made available in the government sector, against 7,399 jobs in the private sector.The ministry said that job rotation (those who previously worked for the private sector) stood at 16,486. The ministry explained that ...

Oman Participates in International Military Technical Forum in RussiaMoscow, 15 Aug (ONA) ---- The Sultanate of Oman participated in the official opening of the International Military Technical Forum (Armia 2023), being held in the Russian Federation until 20 August.Oman’s delegation was headed by Maj. Gen. Mattar Salim Al Balushi, Commander of the Royal Army of Oman.The Omani delegation toured the branches of the forum and listened to briefings about defence and strategic industries, artificial intelligence technologies and a broad range of military equipment on show. ...

RAO Band Keeps Up Momentum at World Music CompetitionGlasgow, 14 Aug (ONA) ---- The band of the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) continues to achieve advanced results in the world music competition currently being held in Scotland.RAO band excelled in the second stage of the competition that qualifies to the final event, scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland.The second stage of the competition included the third and the fourth contests. In the third contest, held in North Berwick, RAO band won second place, among 37 international bands, in playing different musical instruments. Staff ...

RAFO Band Wins Third Place in World Music Competition in ScotlandPerth, 14 Aug (ONA) ---- The Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) music band, represented by the bagpipes and drums divisions, won the overall third place among 40 bands that took part in 4th stage competitions of the World Music Competition held in Perth, Scotland.RAFO band also secured second place at the level of drummers, as per the reports of the competition’s organizing committee.The 4th stage of the competition included musical performances by bagpipes and drums, in addition to concerts, infantry musical ...

Environment Authority Registers 485 Species of plants in Western Al Hajar MountainsMuscat, Aug (ONA) --- The Environment Authority has registered 485 species of plants in the Western Al Hajar Mountains range.The new plants are discovered in the natural vegetation cover, open forests, shrub lands, semi-evergreens and some pastoral areas.Eng. Sulaiman Nasser Al Akhzami, Director General of Nature Conservation at the Environment Authority, pointed out that the Western Al Hajar Mountains range (Al Hajar Al Gharbi) houses about 33 percent of Oman’s plant species that exist at an ...

Higher Education Minister Receives Head of Turkiye’s Council of Scientific, Technological Research Muscat, 13 Aug (ONA) --- Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation received here today Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK). The visit comes within the framework of the Ministry’s aim to strike strategic international partnerships that contribute to developing higher education, research and innovation in the Sultanate of Oman. It also boosts the Ministry’s role ...

Activate Role of Gifted Persons with Visual Disabilities: Gulf Forum for the Blind Salalah, 10 Aug (ONA) ---- Participants in the GCC Forum for the Blind, which concluded here today, recommended activating the role of talented people with visual disabilities. They also called for holding online workshops for this segment in coordination with the associations concerned.The forum also recommended deepening the culture of training and education for people with visual disabilities from a young age and issuing periodic bulletins to help them gain experience and to raise awareness among ...

Citizens Advised to Check Their Election-File Registration Status Via “Intikhab” App, WebsiteMuscat, 10 Aug (ONA) ---- The Ministry of Interior called upon citizens to verify the status of their registration in the Electoral Register by using Intikhab electronic application and the elections website (elections.om), before the end of Thursday 31 August 2023.This call stems from Article (18) of the Shura Council Election Law promulgated by Royal Decree No. 54/2023, which stipulates that voters who have not cast their votes for two consecutive electoral terms have to submit requests ...