In September 1994 the Ministry of Information organised a day seminar, 'Oman in History', at the Sultan Qaboos University, as one of the biggest and most successful events of the Year of Heritage. 86 distinguished historians and academics, including 19 from Arab and foreign universities attended the seminar. In his address, the Minister of Information, H.E. Abdul Aziz bin Mohammed Al Rowas, rnoted that the Year of Heritage crowned the renaissance process whid brought in its wake much prosperity for the Omani people. The seminar, which attracted international attention to the Sultanate and its heritage, was a reaffirmation of the increasingly important role the Ministry of Information is playing in the renaissance of Oman and the rapid strides it has made over the years.
For a realistic appreciation of Oman's achievements in the field of Information over the past 25 years, one must take into consideration the situation in the country until 1970. At the time of the accession, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos in that year, any form of news media was entirely lacking in the Sultanate. There were no newspapers, radio or television. Those who were fortunate enough to possess transistor radios had to tune in to radio broadcasts from abroad to get any news of what was going on in the outside world. Until 1970, instructions from the Sultan in Salalah were passed by radio telephone to the Army headquarters in Bait al Falaj and posted on the walls of Muscat. Now, by contrast, Oman radio broadcasts can be heard in every part of the Sultanate, and Oman television programmes can be received by 95% of the population - a remarkable achievement - in less than a quarter century.
Within a week of the accession of His Majesty, a small broadcasting station of only one kW was installed at Bait al Falaj, which enabled inhabitants of Muscat and the immediate area to hear a national radio for the first time. It was by this means that His Majesty made his initial broadcast to the nation outlining his intentions for the development of the country. Two years later, in 1972, a new medium wave radio station of 10 kW was inaugurated, broadcasting regularly 14 hours a day and 18 hours on holidays. In 1975, broadcasting commenced Muscat on a 100 kW medium-wave transmitter and a 50 kW short-wave installation. In Salalah, in the south, transmissions began in 1971, and in 1975 a new radio station was opened there, also broadcasting on medium-wave at 100 kW. In 1985, in time for National Day in November, the Muscat medium-wave transmitter power was increased to 200 kW. Additional VHF FM transmitters were subsequently sited at Saham, Buraimi, Nizwa and Sur to strengthen and relay nattional broadcasts, and the short-wave service was extended for an additional 100 kW transmitters at Muscat and Thumrait in the south.
In 1979 the two broadcasting studios at Muscat and Salalah were linked by space satellite to improve radio transmissions. Programmes are originated from Muscat during part of the day and from Salalah at other times, thus achieving fuller use of radio facilities. It has thus been possible to extend broadcasts from Muscat and Salalah to all parts of Oman, as well as to the Gulf and East Africa. The short-wave service can now be heard in Europe and Africa, and in North America. Broadcasts are now made in Arabic on 1242 kHz from Muscat, 1035 kHz from Salalah and on VHF FM for 19.5 hours daily, also in the Engllish language on 90.4 MUz from Muscat and 94.3 MHz from Salalah for 15 hours. Classical music is broadcast on the English service and after the news at 0730 hours until 12.00 hours, and light and pop music from 15.00 hours to 22.00 hours daily.
During 1994 transmissions totalled 12,789 hours; Arabic language transmissions were increased to 19.5 hours a day; and 15 hours a day English on medium, short and FM waves. On special occasions and national holidays transmissions are increased to 24 hours a day. There are three news periods comprising three full news bulletins followed by 1ive reports from a network of correspondents in 13 world capitals.
The radio library has been provided with a comprehensive range of reference books, magazines and newspapers to provide the radio staff with easy access to information they require for the preparation of their programmes. The technical library has also been provided with more than 45,000 tapes of songs, news programmes, sound effects and other archive material.
Colour television was introduced in November 1974, with transmissions from Muscat covering an extensive local area. The service was subsequently improved to reach a wider audience. Transmissions commenced from a station in Salalah in 1975 to cover the entire Governorate of Dhofar. Commercial advertising has been introduced in both television and the English-language service.
Extensive facilities for efficient outside television and radio transmissions are now employed. In order to extend and improve reception, 12 television relay transmitters have been installed; five in the Muscat area, three at Salalah and one each at Nizwa, Sur, Saham and Buraimi. These are in addition to the solar relay stations established troughout the Sultanate north of the 22nd parallel.
In October 1990, the Minister of Information signed an agreement with a French group for the further extension of television and radio facilities. The project involved the establishment of 16 main station for television and radio, and 75 relay and strengthening station linnked with the 16 main stations. All were completed last year. Consultants have been appointed to supervise expansion of colour TV and FM radio to the area south of the 22nd parallel.
The Sultanate is a partner in the ARABSAT system and uses it feed radio and TV signals to main transmitters. The facility has recently been improved to enable the TV service to be received directly from the satellite by those viewers with suitable equipment. From November 1992 transmission hours on television have been considerably increased, commencing at 08.00 hours daily, and ending at 01.0 hours. During national occasions, transmission continues until a late hour, and in the fasting month of Ramadan, TV transmission continues for nearly 21 hours daily. Besides the normal news bulletins at 20.00 and 22.00 hours, there are additional ones at 10.10 and 16.30 hours.
Oman Television screens documentary films to mark special occasions, such as the National Day celebrations. These films are shown in Arabic, English, French, German and Spanish and include the annual 'Meet the People' tour of His Majesty the Sultan, as well as other varied subjects. Other occasions on which Oman Television played a major role were the years which were dedicated by His Majesty to Youth, Agriculture, Industry and Heritage.
Television staff receive similar training to their colleagues in radio broadcasting, but, because of the more exacting requirements of television, the senior and more highly-skilled personnel are sent on courses abroad for up to five years, during which time they qualify in branches of their profession. From the inception of television in 1974, the emphasis has been on Omanisation; now more than 90% of staff members of the television stations in Muscat and Salalah are Omani. There are Omani engineers and technicians, as well as producers and news readers for both Arabic and English news.
Oman Television is a member of all the joint Gulf and Arab organisations that produce and exchange programmes. Many of the films it has produced have won awards in Arab and international competitions. The Sinbad Voyage' won the Toulon 6th International Film Award for the best maritime exploration film. It also won a Paris prize for underwater photography, while another film 'Our Beautiful Environment' won the first prize in Kuwait.
The present headquarters of the Ministry of Information at Al Qurm was opened in 1989. It contains radio and TV studios, in addition to the administration. The comprehensive complex also provides residential accommodation as well as recreational and cultural facilities, including a swimining pool, tennis and squash courts and a cafteria.
Since 1970, a wide variety of political, social and specialised journals have developed, independent of Government publications. There are now three Arabic daily newspapers, and two in the English language. The Oman News Agency, established in 1986, carries about Oman and the region to many countries worldwide.
In 1990 the Ministry held a Sultanate of Oman exhibition at the European Parliament at Strasbourg, and in 1992 a highly successful day exhibition at Budapest. Mutually useful business contacts were made, and the exhibition received extensive coverage in the Hungarian press.
The Ministry of Information maintains information offices and representatives in Egypt, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Britain and the U.S.A.
The Omani press has developed considerably in recent years. The number of Omani papers and magazines has now reached 28. Of these five are daily papers: "Oman", "Al Watan" and "Al Shabiba" published in Arabic, and two English newspapers, the "Oman Daily Observer" and the "Times of Oman'. In addition there are four weeklly magazines, "The Family", "The Lights", "The Faith" and "The Rennaissance". There is also an official newspaper published twice a month which is of a legal nature. There are also magazines specialising in trade and economics, "Al Markazi" and "Al Ghurfa" and several others on specific subjects.
Oman News Agency (ONA)
ONA is the most recent information body that has been established in the Sultanate. The Muscat-based Agency plays a key role in disseminating information about Oman both domestically and internationally. ONA was formally established by Royal Decree in May 1986. The Agency employs a large number of qualified young Omanis, who were sent overseas for training, and are now in charge of the edition and administrative sections. Over 90% of the Agency has now been Omanised. ONA's headquarters has facilities that enable it to receive pictures from Reuters and AFP via satellite, and then distribute thtem to local news organisations. It receives transmissions from twelve Gulf and other Arab and international news agencies in Arabic and English and then re-transmits them on its own network. The Agency maintains a team of roving reporters on a 24-hour basis. It also has correspondents in Arab and other foreign capitals who provide it with news, news analysis and documentary reports.
Oman Centre for Traditional Music
The Oman Centre for Traditional Mumk is also situated in the information complex. Founded in August 1983, the Centre is responsible for the collection and documentation of the traditional folk music of Oman. It contains video tapes, sound recordings, colour photographs, slides, together with field recordings of the songs and dances which have been handed down over the years from generation to generation.
In 1994, a "Dictionary of Traditional Music in Oman", written by Yousef Shawqi was issued by the Centre, and this year has seen the publication of a collection of Omam Traditional Music by the Interna-
tal Institute for Traditional Music in Germany; a book entitled "Omani Traditional Art", an album of photographs and a 3-part series entitled "The Complete Documents of the International Symposium on Traditional Music of Oman" (held here in 1985). A CD "The Music of an Ancient Civilisation" consisting of traditional Omani songs) has recently been issued.
Recently, the Centre participated in the 13th Session of the Executive Council of the Arab Academy of Music in Jordan (February 1994), the International Conference of Sound Archives in Germany (Sep. 1994) and in the International Council for Traditional Music Conference held in Canberra, Australia in January 1995.
OIL AND GAS
The first oil concession in the Sultanate of Oman was granted as long ago as 1925, but it was not until 1954 that a serious search for oil was started by the Iraq Petroleum Company operating from its base at Duqm on the south coast. Many abortive wells were sunk including at Fahud, but oil in commercial quantities was not discovered, and the consortium abandoned the attempt. However, Shell, a member of the group, formed another consortium with Compagnie Francaise des Petroles and Partex and continued the exploration. lii 1964 oil was discovered at Fahud on the other side of a faultline from the location where IPC had sunk a dry welt and this, with smaller oilfields at Natih and Yibal, made the commercial production of oil possible, with the first shipment being exported in 1967.
The discovery of oil in commercial quantities at last made the development and modernilsation of the Sultanate possible, but it was not until the accession of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970 that this was put into effect. A subterranean pipeline was constructed from Fahud through the Sumail gap in the mountain range to the terminal at Mina al Fahal on the coast of the Gulf of Oman near Muscat. There were many vicissitudes during the early years of oil production, and at one stage in the 1970s production actually dropped, but exploration continued and more oilfields were discovered in the Interior and brought into operation. Oil was discovered in commercial quantities in the south, and the question arose as to whether to construct a new port in the south, which is subject to rough seas during the monsoon period and where there are no natural harbours, or construct a pipeline northwards to join up with the main Fahud pipeline. Finally it was decided to adopt the latter plan for commercial reasons.
The main producer in the Sultanate is Petroleum Development Oman, the original discoverer of oil in commercial quantities, and in which the Government now has a 60% share. International oil companies are encouraged to invest in petroleum exploration and production in Oman. At present, 21 exploration blocks are held by nine companies. Intensive exploration effort by the companies has resulted in the increase of oil-producing fields from three in 1967 to 78 in 1995. Oil production which was 63,000 b/d in 1967 has risen to 800,000 b/d in 1995. The proven oil reserves have increased from 2 billion barrels in1967 to more than 5 billion barrels at the end of 1994. Japan is the main purchaser of Omani oil, amounting to about 40% of total production. Other purchasers include South Korea, the second largest purchaser, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore.
PDO has had its greatest recent success at Lekhwair in the north of Oman, where one of the oldest fields has been expanded. By the end of last year it was expected that the production rate from the oilfield would reach from 110,000-150,000 b/d, representing about 15% of Oman's total output. The search for further reserves continues in Dhofar in the south, where conditions are difficult in the rugged mountain terrain. The reserves of oil in the Sultanate are such that the oil industry is guaranteed an assured future well into the next century.
A refinery to meet the needs of the local market was constructed at Mina al Fahal and came into operation in 1982. Its original production capacity of 50,000 b/d was increased in 1987 to 80,000 b/d to satisfy the expanding domestic requirement. Now there are plans for a further expansion of the refinery. In 1992 the Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals signed an agreement with Mitsui, a Japanese firm, to upgrade the production process at the refinery's benzine unit. Benzine production will be increased and will be lead-free, thus not harming the environment. Oman Refinery Company is to distribute its own fuels through a new marketing division. A chain of filling stations will be established across the country, which will operate under the name 'Al Maha'. Since it started producing in 1982 the refinery has marketed its products through Shell and BP. These companies will continue as before, but the Ministry has decided that, for the present, permits for new filling stations will be granted only to ORC. This will; enable the new national brand to establish itself and gain a foothold in the market. The first 'Al Maha' filling station was in operation by the end of last year. Lead-free petrol is to be introduced into Oman in the near future.
In the late eighties the Government set up the wholly state-owned Oman Oil Company (OOC) for the purpose of investing in foreign commercial enterprises and oil trading operations. In 1991 the Sultanate signed a protocol of co-operation with Kazakhstan, whereby the Sultanate would assist Kazakhstan during negotiations with foreign oil companies. The Sultanate has now signed a deal with Kazakhstan to help develop oil reserves in the former Soviet Republic. In February this year Oman, Russia and Kazakhstan signed a protocol for implementing the first phase of their oil pipeline project to a Russian port on the Black Sea coast. In September last year, the Sultanate and India signed an agreement on the principal terms of a long-term gas supply contract which involves the laying of a 1,130 kilometre-long pipeline across the ocean between the two countries. The pipeline will transmit one billion cub. ft. per day of natural gas and is expected to be completed by the middle of 1999. The project will consist of an onshore pipeline from central Oman to the coast, a compression plant to increase gas pressure, and the pipeline across the Arabian Sea. The pipeline will be installed at a water depth of up to 3,500 metres. A second pipeline is envisaged at a later stage. Ah agreement has been signed with the Government of Pakistan to set up joint ventures with the public and private sectors for the construction of a refinery with up to six million tonnes annual capacity, and the laying of two pipelines from Karachi to Multan in the Punjab. Oman has also signed an agreement with an oil company in Bermuda for the construction of an oil refinery in Thailand with a production capacity of 130,000 bId. Under the terms of the agreement Oman will supply the refinery with 80,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The Thai Oil Authority will carry out the marketing of the refined oil in the local market.
The policy of Omanisation is proceeding satisfactorily in the oil and gas industry. PDO has established a large training centre which has contributed considerably to the training of Omanis to replace expatriates. In 1993, 800 Omanis were under trakdng at the Company, and Omanisation at PDO had reached 66% in 1994. Now the number of young Omanis trained and qualified for working in the industry is being increasingly supplemented by graduates from the Sultan Qaboos University and Oman's Technical Institutes
Gas
Natural gas was discovered accidentally during the search for oil, and it was soon established that the Sultanate has extensive reserves which are more than enough to supply the needs of its developing industry. Demand has risen rapidly, and output has increased correspondingly. Total gas reserves, which stood at 9.8 trillion cub ft in 1990, have risen to 25 TCF in 1994. It is expected that this figure will increase even further in the future. In four year's time gas production is expected to equal that of oil.
The gas industry is wholly owned by the State and operated on its behalf by PDO. The Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals cooperates with PDO in its management. The gas industry started operations in 1978 with the construction of a gas pipeline linking the Yibal field with the Al Ghubrah power station and desalination plant on the coast near Muscat. Gas is now supplied to the power station in the Rusayl Industrial Estate and to the Wadi Jizzi power station which serves the copper-smelting complex and the Sohar region. The gas-processing facilities of Yibal have been expanded as necessary to supply gas to consumers based on their projected gas demand. The Ministry decided to begin operating the new Yibal cooking-gas liquefaction plant on an experimental basis in October 1994. The plant has been set up to meet the growing demand for cooking gas, which has been increasing at an annual rate of 80/0. The new plant will provide 20,000 tonnes a year, in addition to the 40,000 tonnes a year of cooking gas provided by the Oman refinery.
The Ministry is to set up a butane plant in central Oman in 1999 to make up for inadequate supplies expected from indigenous production of liquefied petroleum gas by the turn of the century. A $17 million ~ant for producing butane was commissioned in November 1994 in Yibal, but its daily production is expected to satisfy demand for only a few years.
The project for the construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas plant received official Government approvM in May 1994, and the plant will be built and managed by Oman Liquefied Natural Gas (OLNG). The contract to build the plant is expected to be awarded in mid-1996, with the first cargo due to be exported early in the year 2000. Originally the plant was to be situated at Bimmah, but it was finally decided that it is to be at Al-Galilah, where the site will be in a designated industrial area 11km west of Sur. An extensive training and development programme is already being developed for Omani staff. When the plant opens, large numbers of trainees will swell the number of staff to some 350, but this will shrink to 250 as the project matures. Gas for the plant, which will produce six million tonnes of LNG a year, will come from vast deep gas fields in Saih Rawl, Bank and Saih Nihayda in central Oman, which were discovered by PDO. It calls for the drilling of between 50 and 80 production wells over the next twenty years which will feed into a gathering station at Bank, and a processing plant at Saih RawI. The gas will go to the coast via a 44-inch pipeline that will stretch nearly 400 km from the central Oman desert, skirting the north-em tip of the Wahiba Sands to Sur. So far 1,500 sq km of seismic has been shot for the LNG project, with four exploration and five appraisal wells being sunk. Two further wells for appraisal are currently being drilled and appraisal-drilling will continue until mid 1995
The project for LNG production has been divided into upstream and downstream developments. The upstream development involves the production of gas and condensate by PDO on behalf of the Government of Oman. The downstream development will comprise gas liquefaction shipping and marketing which is to be undertaken by an LNG export company under formation, owned by the Government of Oman (~%), Shell Overseas Trading (3401o), Total (6%), Mitsubishi (3%), Mitsui & Co (3%), Partex (2%) and ITOCHU Corporation (1%).
On the occasion of the second National Day His Majesty Sultan Qaboos said "We shall set up municipalities in the main cities, until future we have municipalities in every town and village." This task We have completed some years ago.
The Ministry of Regional Municipalities has set up in 1985, while the Ministry of the Environment had been etablished in the previous year. By 1991 the responsibilities of the t" finistries had become so inter-related that it was decided to meq lem into the one Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment. The present Ministry is currently situated in the building in Al Khuwair, which used to house the Ministry of the Environment. However, an agreement was signed in 1994 for the construction of a new building for the Ministry in Al Khuwair, which will bring all the municipality-related departments together under one roof, and simplify the Ministry's business with members of the public and the region municipalities outside the Muscat area. The Ministry's environment departments will continue to be located in its present premises.
The Ministry has endeavoured to extend municipal services to take part of the country, particularly the remote areas, and to enable the Sultanate' s municipalities to fulfill their mission of providing the be ossible level of municipal and environmental services. The Minisfr v.ersees 43 municipalities, as well as 14 municipal branches and cleanliness offices in the more remote Wilayats.
Environment Firm action on the part of the Government under the perS4 guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has saved Oman from the vironmental disasters which have occurred in some other develol countries. The extinction of the oryx in 1972 is a prime exampl, what could have happened had firm action not been taken. As it is re-introduction of the oryx to its original habitat has proved to 1 success. The country's imaginative and forward-looking environn tal protection and conservation policies have gained international ognition. The United Nations Environmental Programme has cited Sultanate as a country with one of the best records in environme conservation and pollution control measures geared to protect land, air and water, and maintain the ecologicalbalance.The first law concerning environmental affairs was issued in 1 This was followed in ensuing years by several other decisions laws designed to secure the territorial waters of the Sultanate. In ~ the Council for Conservation of the Environment and Preventiol Pollution was established with Hi~ Majesty as Chairman. A fur step was taken in 1984with the establishment of the Ministry of Environment, to which was assigned the responsibility for implem ing the national plan for the environment and the law for the Environment and Prevention of Pollution.
It is the Government's intention to expand tourism as rapidly possible so that it will become a major factor in the economy of the country. There is a growing tourist interest in Oman, and in the windy season ending in April 1995 tourist groups from European countries and Japan amounting to 14,000 tourists are expected to visit the country. All the major hotels are fully booked at the time of going to press. The Sultanate has much to offer the tourist in scenery, climate, and water sports, as a politically stable and safe location or a holiday. The mild, but sunny winter climate is attractive to those escaping from the rigours of the northern winter vhile the cooler monsoon climate of the south offers relief from the searing heat of the Gulf in summer to the citizens of that region.
Tourism was non-existent in Oman until recently, and now the emphasis is on quality. The Government has proceeded cautiously to ensure that development is pursued in a well-planned manner. A Masl 'lan was prepared through the World Tourism Organisation and its major recommendation laid stress on selectivity and quality.There was only one small hotel, in Muttrah. There are currently 9 hotels in the country, of which five are Government-owned, and these are the Muscat Intercontinental and the Seeb Novotel are planned to be privatised. In 1995 there are two star hotels under construction in Nizwa and Muscat, in addition to a 3-star hotel in Muscat. Elsewhere in the Sultanate there are five other hotels under construction, three of which are in Dhofar and will be in addition to the Holiday Inn.
Tourists from the Gulf States have been coming to southern 0ma n rapidly increasing numbers during the summer monsoon season, the Government has eased immigration procedures, whereby tourist visa holders can now travel by road to and from the UAE without road permit, and there are quick and courteous immigration facilities.
The Ministry has plans for a major summer resort at Al AshkhaI n the eastern region, which is known for its beautiful location. It comprises a main complex with hotel accommodation, sports facilities, jetty, restaurants and a theatre. The project is still in the stage planning and preparation of conceptual drawings. A yachting marine at Sidab, close to Muscat, is due to be completed by the end of next year.It is expected that there will be a 35% increase in tourism in the year 1994/95 over the previous year. It is the intention of the government to create year-round tourism.
