"TECHNOLOGY NOW: Oman Vision 2040"

OMAN VISION: 2040 Defining the Arthropocene What is now proved was once only imagined William Blake STAI E-MAGAZINE | AUG - SEPT 2022

Editor's Column Learn the Beginnings of the Innovative Oman Vision 2040 in this Magazine, \"TECHNOLOGY NOW\" as we look ahead to the Future... The National Source for Economic and Social Planning of the Sultanate of Oman during the Period 2021-2040, is influenced by the sectoral national strategies and five-year development plans. The development of “Oman's Vision 2040” involved significant community involvement. The plan was approved by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq towards the end of 2020 and was planned to be implemented beginning in 2021 and lasting until 2040. The four pillars of Oman's vision 2040 are among a collection of executive projects that the government is currently developing. A Follow-Up Unit has been set up with the objective of implementing the Oman 2040 vision. while taking into account the nation's financial and economic position. The vision seeks to identify immediate and long-lasting solutions. This plan's design took into consideration the demands of the current stage, rising global competitiveness, and the requirement for digital transformation to improve service quality. We wish and pray to the Almighty to bless His Majesty, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, all success in the growth and to achieve all future goals leading to the development of this beautiful nation. 02 MANASVI, YOBIN, ZUWAINA YOUR EDITORS

DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE GOVERNATES ESTABLISHING SMART CITIES & GOVERNATES 03

Development of sustainable governates A NEW ERA OF TRANSFORMATION The socio-economic strategic directions of the Oman 2040 vision influence the desired future shape of major cities in the Sultanate. Proper city management helps accelerate growth and provides greater access to global markets. It has the potential to create productive environments that attract global investments, increase economic efficiency, provide liveable environments, and sustain urban environmental and social evolution. Coordination between economic sectors and different clusters within cities becomes possible, intending to increase productivity, stimulate innovation, and diversify sources of growth. 04 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

Development of sustainable governates ESTABLISHING SMART CITIES The Sultanate plans to systematically establish smart cities with advanced basic services, and cutting-edge technology and also construct three-dimensional cities centred on urban, social, and economic development. In the next phase of the Sultanate’s future, efforts will focus on achieving sustainable development in all governorates, including infrastructures, government services and public utilities. The added value chain will be maximized by connecting governorates and higher standards of living will be guaranteed. Plans and comprehensive schemes to develop governorates will invest in the available resources towards maximizing the usage of current and future public utilities and services, in an integrated way, taking into account the different regional specificities. Science Technology And Innovation 2022 05

Development of sustainable governates ENERGY PRODUCTION WITH GO GREEN TECHNOLOGY Oil and gas companies in Oman are including go green practices into their functioning, to help sustain the environment in which they use over the long term. Among the industry pioneers in environmental sustainability, Petroleum Development Oman, which set up the Al Nimr Water Treatment Project to treat 760,000 barrels of water, is a part of the oil extraction process at the Nimr oilfields in the deserts of southern Oman. PDO planted more than 1.2 million seedlings to create the wetland which has become a desert habitat for close to 100 species of birds, including flamingos, sand martins, cuckoos, wagtails, barn swallows, red-necked phalaropes, and black-crowned sparrow larks, as well as insects, small reptiles and fish. The go green petroleum plant is expected to move Oman closer to clean fuel production. 06 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

Development of sustainable governates ECOSYSTEM FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY It is a well-known fact that Modern technology owes Ecology an Apology; thus, to shoulder the environmental responsibilities, The Oman Information Technology Authority has launched an environmental initiative to establish a sustainable eco-system for information technology, which will contribute to reducing pollution and promote a recycling culture. To achieve its goals, the \"Green Initiative\" intends to create a green digital environment by utilizing all available resources and developing an environmental policy. Science Technology And Innovation 2022 07

DRONES IN ONLINEDevelopment of sustainable governates SERVICES Drone services is an emerging market for services built around flying robots that can be remote-controlled or flown autonomously using light plans controlled by software in their embedded systems. Commercial drone services are being developed to assist industries such as agriculture, construction, search and rescue, package delivery, industrial inspection, insurance, and videography with tasks such as collecting imagery and measurements and managing or broadcasting events. UVL Robotics, a global leader in drone-based solutions, has announced plans to launch drone-based parcel delivery services in Muscat Governorate in collaboration with local service providers. In a recent post, the US-based company, which has a well- established presence in the Sultanate of Oman, stated that drone-based day-to-day parcel delivery services will soon become a reality in the country, beginning in the capital city by 2040. 08 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

VISION FOR HEALTH REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE USING TECHNOLOGY 09

VISION FOR HEALTH A STEP TOWARDS CHANGE The incorporation of information and technology into medical procedures is considered to be one of the Healthcare industry’s toughest challenges. Technology plays a key role in delivering medical services and preventing diseases, ensuring communication and raising awareness about health and healthcare services. It also helps overcome regional and physical constraints to deliver world-class health services to all citizens and residents of Oman. Thus, Oman Vision 2040 aims to create an Inclusive and Equitable healthcare system that serves all of Oman’s governorates with the participation of the public, private and civil sectors. To ensure that the healthcare system adheres to best practices in accreditation, this coverage would also include more medical specialities as well as specialized medical institutes. 10 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

VISION FOR HEALTH ROBOTICS IN MEDICINE Robotic surgery is an advanced form of minimally invasive surgery that makes use of computer-controlled robots to do what humans can’t and can do, but better. Essentially, this allows surgeons to do what they need to do while also reducing tissue trauma, which can cause pain, swelling, bruising, and damage. While there are various robotic surgery processes, the vast majority will involve a surgeon sitting at a special console with hand and foot controls that allow them to remotely and precisely control surgical instruments attached to robotic arms. A second surgeon or surgical technician will be stationed near the patient to confirm the correct placement and function of the surgical instruments. While there are no active robots in the medical field in Oman at the present, all experts agree on the significance of robots in operating rooms shortly and are working to bring forth an Era of Revolution by 2040. Science Technology And Innovation 2022 11

PROTECTION OF NATURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES Preserving The Life For Tomorrow 12

PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES ALL THAT'S LEFT TO COME According to Oman Vision 2040, the Sultanate has made unrelenting efforts to ensure that natural resources are protected and used safely, that people are protected from harmful environmental impacts, and that the environment is effectively managed in a way that supports the society's prosperity. The Vision's top priorities for this include environmental concern as a well-established culture among citizens and institutions. It also includes taking the environment into account when developing policies, making decisions in industrial planning, and implementing them. DID YOU KNOW? Frankincense trees grow naturally in Oman 13 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION Air pollution and climate change are two of the main environmental problems being faced at the moment across the globe. Both have a major and costly impact on human health. To avoid the negative consequences of this Scenario, Oman plans to integrate air quality control with climate change mitigation strategies, thus improving air quality and meeting climate goals. Science Technology And Innovation 2022 14

PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES EXPANSION OF NATIONAL STATIONS FOR AIR POLLUTION MONITORING NETWORK IN OMAN This project was launched in February 2004, with the idea to provide two new mobile units to monitor air quality to be transferred and used to monitor air pollutants in some selected areas. The number of fixed monitoring stations located devices in the Mina Al Fahal area, Rusayl Industrial Estate and Sohar Industrial Estate are equipped with new units to cover the various regions of the Sultanate and have also been increased to strengthen the ministry's ability to track various types of pollutants to monitor and compare national and international levels permitted to avoid negative effects on public health and environment. 15 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

PROTECTION OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES CREATING PESTICIDES AND FUNGICIDES THAT ARE SAFE FOR UTILLIZATION Fungicides and Pesticides are a type of substances for destroying small organisms harmful to cultivated plants or animals. Despite their usefulness, pesticides could pose potential risks to food safety, the environment and all living things. By knowing the risks of using synthetic chemicals, it's clear that finding natural alternatives is the only way to ensure the health and safety of the people of Oman. Before the 1980s, local crop varieties were cultivated according to practices which mostly depended on inherited traditional wisdom. Farmyard manure was used as the main source of nutrients for crops. Since 1980 chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides have been excluded from the recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and substituted with organophosphorus and pyrethroid pesticides. To ensure the continued Development of the Agricultural Sector, whilst being Eco-Friendly many new Projects are proposed to be Initiated. Science Technology And Innovation 2022 16

WELL BEING AND SOCIAL PROTECTION Safety first so you last 17

Well being and social protection BETTER HEALTH THROUGH BETTER LIVING Social justice is a prerequisite for cohesive, strong and peaceful societies. It is achieved by providing sustainable quality social well-being services, such as healthcare and education, and providing social safety nets to ensure viable livelihood means for the present and future generations. 18 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

Well being and social protection ACHIEVING SAFETY AND SECURITY Achieving decent living standards and sustainable well- being requires the creation of an environment conducive for social responsibility programs, civic voluntary contributions, as well as socio-economic empowerment programs targeting women and youth. Enhancing social protection through the community social responsibility (CSR) necessitates organising the efforts of established entities, social responsibility projects and the governance framework thereof. CSR principles and areas thereof should be defined, managed and measured for impact effectively and efficiently. Aligning CSR activities with the real needs of the community and providing them with sustained financing will enhance the sense of justice, improve well-being and actively institutionalise effective partnerships between the public and private sectors and the civil society organisations. Science Technology And Innovation 2022 19

Well being and social protection ACHIEVING SAFETY AND SECURITY Additionally to all the things mentioned, the Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance has used Intelligent Addressable Fire Alarm and Fighting System to detect, control, and fight the fire. Also, advanced CCTV and Motion Detection Sensors are being used by many governmental entities such as Oman Airports and international borders of Oman to ensure the safety of passengers. 20 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

Well being and social protection ACHIEVING SAFETY AND SECURITY The Ministry of Education has signed an agreement to develop \"Darb Al Salamah\" system by providing school buses with the latest information and communication technologies to ensure the safety of their children remotely by monitoring the bus speed, notifying the parents when the bus leaves the school and gets closer to the house, notifying the school if a student was left in the bus, and alerting the school administration and the Directorate of Education if the bus was derailed. . Science Technology And Innovation 2022 21

STAI E - MAGAZINE 2022 GLIMPSES OF OMAN 22

The Beauty of Oman 23 Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Technology

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION | SCIENCE E-MAGAZINE Oman Vision 2040: Role of Science and Techology [email protected] -Private Circulation Only-