Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) organised two-day field visits to a number of institutions in Jabal Al Akhdar in the wilayat of Nizwa in Al Dakhiliyah governorate.

The visits covered institutions including the Social Development Department of the Ministry of Social Development, Omani Women Association in Jabal Al Akhdar, Abu Zaid Al Riyami School for Basic Education for Boys, and Jabal Al Akhdar School for Basic Education for Girls.

The campaign attempted to introduce the community in Jabal Al Akhdar to the objectives of the PEIE, and its mission and vision, a statement from PEIE said.

PEIE officials provided a brief on the various industrial estates supervised by it, an overview on Knowledge Oasis Muscat, Mazunah Free Zone, National Campaign for promoting local products (Omani Campaign), and Industrial Innovation Centre (IIC).

A documentary film was also screened, which illustrated the general objectives of PEIE, including attracting foreign investment to the Sultanate, stimulating the private sector to contribute to achieving economic and social development, introducing modern technology, developing the staff's technical skills to advance their production, creating new job opportunities, enhancing export, developing international trade, promoting export industries, and stimulating economic sectors operating in the Sultanate such as transport sector, banking sector, and tourism sector.

PEIE organises a series of exhibitions of Omani Products Campaign entitled ‘Omani’ throughout the year, which aims at promoting national industries and products and emphasising the importance of purchasing local products to boost the national economy, the statement said.

The exhibitions, which are organised in the various governorates in the Sultanate, attempt to spread awareness on the quality of Omani products and their local and international competitive capabilities.

The officials highlighted the objectives of Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) and its contribution to Oman's information and communication technology evolution and other related areas. Participants in the campaign were acquainted with the services and facilities offered to the companies operating in the ICT sector, and the educational institutions functioning within KOM.

It also focused on the core objectives of The Knowledge Mine (TKM), the business incubator at KOM, which seeks to encourage Omani youth and emerging companies to invest in the ICT sector, support start-up residents through guidance and proficient advice, and qualify a new generation of Omani entrepreneurs.

"Motivated from the success of The Knowledge Mine, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates is currently expanding its role in nurturing small entrepreneurs on a wider scale through setting up a National Centre for Entrepreneurship,” an official said.

“This centre aims to create opportunities for self-employment and small businesses and to develop commercial initiatives and concepts. The centre is currently getting ready and is expected to be inaugurated within the first half of the current year.”

An overview of the Industrial Innovation Centre (IIC) was presented, which is an entity set up from the collaboration of key parameters outlined by both The Research Council (TRC) and PEIE. 

Since its inception, IIC has aimed at building capacity for sustainable industrial growth and knowledge creation, and improve Oman's industry through research and development (R&D).

"To boost innovation culture in the country, IIC organises an annual Innovation Fair Oman (Infom), which endeavous to bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, industry representatives and stakeholders (financial institutions), academics, and funders,” the statement said.

“The event seeks to create channels for dialogue and communication between interested parties, which would eventually lead to improve and promote their products and services to open doors to enter the domestic and overseas markets,” it said.

The field visits come within the continued efforts of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates to spread awareness on the various initiatives carried out by it throughout the Sultanate. – TradeArabia News Service