Sustainability Forest at Oman Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai hosts Omani projects of sustainable nature. These projects highlight a crucial theme of this global event, namely sustainability, The Arabian Stories reports.
Among the projects showcased at the Oman Pavilion is the Million Date Palm Plantation Project. It has 11 farms so far that are spread in different regions of the Sultanate of Oman, such as Ibri, Nizwa, Al Safa, and Rahab. Each of these farms is home to between 10 to 100 thousand palm trees. The project aims to achieve food security and economic growth. With the funding of the Oman Technology Fund, Engineers Malek and Younis from Wakan Tech are using drone technology to pollinate date palm trees, 300 times faster than traditional pollination.
Waleed and his team at Blue Waters Company and Fisheries Development Oman are developing a high-tech Fish Farming Station to further develop the Aquaculture sector in Oman, benefiting from the length of the Omani costs extending to 3165 km and overlooking the Arabian Sea and Sea of Oman, and ultimately fulfilling food security and economic growth. This project is one of several projects funded by the Oman Technology Fund to support young Omani talents and harvest their potential.
The Sustainability Forest at Oman Pavilion also hosts a cooperation project between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. They join forces to harvest the power of the wind to produce sustainable electricity. Set in Harweel, Oman, the Dhofar Wind Power Project is the first large-scale wind project in the Arabian Gulf region. This project is a collaboration between Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the Rural Areas Electricity Company of Oman (Tanweer).
Madinat Al Irfan, sustainable urban development by Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran), is coming to life in the city of Muscat. The award-winning design created by Omani architects is adapted to the urban habitat of Oman, attaining a unique standard for its residents, businessmen, and tourists. Madinat Al Irfan is the product of an exciting ambition to establish a new urban center within Muscat. Situated close to the new international airport and enjoying excellent transport connections to the capital area and beyond, Madinat Al Irfan will become the gateway to Oman; creating a new downtown for resident business and visitors. The city will establish an integrated, sustainable, and inclusive community, catering for different ages, income groups, and ethnicities.
The Arabian Leopard is a rare breed of tigers presented scarcely in the Arabian Peninsula. The number of critically endangered creatures in the world does not extend beyond 200 Leopards. Therefore, the Office for Conservation of the Environment at the Diwan of Royal Court in Oman took measures to preserve the wild creature in its natural habitat, Dhofar, knowing its value and importance to the wildlife and the environment in the region. The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Diwan of the Royal Court, is making persistent efforts to preserve and protect the Arabian Leopard from extinction. These relentless efforts have contributed to the stability of numbers of the Arabian Leopard and the conservation of sustainability of its natural habitats in Dhofar.
The Oman Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai also showcases the first Botanic Garden in Oman and the largest in the Arabian Peninsula. The garden exclusively hosts the country’s native plants.
Oman Botanic Garden is a world-class development of the Diwan of Royal Court in Oman, currently operated by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The garden houses unique plants, landscapes, and cultural traditions of Oman. Located just outside of Muscat, Oman, near Al Khoudh village, the garden will be situated on a 430 hectare protected natural area, surrounded by the Northern Mountains of Oman. The garden is currently under construction. When it opens, it will showcase all the native plant species of Oman in a series of carefully created, naturalistic habitats, from the dry deserts to the rich monsoon cloud forests. The garden will also showcase the traditionally cultivated crops and the many ways that people use plants in Oman.
Be’ah, a government-owned company specializing in waste management, has transformed Al Amerat Landfill in Muscat, Oman, into an engineered landfill that migratory birds use as a feeding stop during their travels. This move underscored the significance of the sustainable and environmental aspects in Oman.
The Oman Pavilion also sheds light on Oman’s spectacular beauty that never fails to astonish its visitors. The marvelous beauty of Oman is a breathtaking portrayal of the natural wonders across the Sultanate. Beginning from the summer’s sunny mountains to the monsoon’s foggy rainfalls in the Governorate of Dhofar, moving to the winter’s golden desert sands in the Governorate of South A’Sharqiyah and ending with the spring’s green valleys, the tourist season in Oman is an ongoing journey of exploration.
The pavilion also hosts Frankincense Crystals Section that shows knowledge-based economic projects, such as e-Mushrif Inc., a Muscat-based IoT, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) product provider. It uses a locally developed and engineered system to allow parents to track their children’s rides on the school bus, ensuring their safe travels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, e-Mushrif’s products “Rased” and “Sahala” managed the quarantine of patients and returning passengers.
The Sultan Qaboos Academic Chair for Quantitative Water Management is present at the Oman Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai to emphasize sustainability at the pavilion. The Chair is one of 16 academic chairs and scholarships spread across prestigious universities worldwide, focusing on different majors, in the name of the late Sultan Qaboos. The Utrecht University Chair in the Netherlands researches the similarities and differences in water problems and solutions in the wet deltas of the Western world and the arid areas in the Middle East.
Dr. Fatma Al Maamari, winner of the 2019 L’Oreal-Unesco for Women in Science Fellowship, uses spintronics technology to develop an eco-friendly substitute of Rare Earth Elements. Rare earth elements are used in technology devices, smartphones, television screens, laptops and much more. Not to mention that the current method of extraction possesses great danger to the environment.
In an affirmation of the theme on Connecting Minds being a key them of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Oman Pavilion highlights the uses of frankincense extending from personal use, to religious, spiritual, and medical uses. Frankincense is scientifically proven to fight cancer, depression, and asthma. Frankincense is still used as a disinfectant when burnt. Additionally, frankincense oil was historically used by ancient civilizations in the mummification process.
