Oman Sustainability Week Amongst Best Events in the Middle East & Africa
14 May 2023, Muscat: The
Sultanate of Oman’s national event for future energy, power, water, waste, environment,
and society, Oman Sustainability Week (OSW) has been shortlisted for the
Association of Event Organisers (AEO) Excellence Awards under the category
‘Best International Event – Middle East & Africa’.
The AEO Excellence Awards will be held on 16th June at Grosvenor
House, London, and is considered amongst the highest profile and most respected
events industry awards globally. Other finalists for the category include some
of the world’s largest events such as Arab Health, Arabian Travel Market and
Big 5 Global.
Launched in 2022, OSW is a week-long series of events that include
awards, exhibition, high-level conference, thought leadership summit, site
visits, and CSR initiatives. OSW is hosted by the Oman Ministry of Energy and
Minerals and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO); Strategic Partners include ASYAD
Group, Nama Group, Oman Environmental Holding Company (be’ah), Oman LNG, OQ, Shell
Oman, and sponsors include Averda, Bank Nizwa, bp, National Energy Centre,
Omantel, Oxy, SLB, Sohar Aluminum.
The organiser of
OSW, CONNECT’s Managing Director, Ashley Roberts, commented on the announcement,
“The inclusion of Oman Sustainability Week (OSW) as a finalist for this year’s
AEO Excellence Awards is a well-deserved recognition of the impact that the
event is having in supporting the national objectives of the Sultanate of Oman.”
The strategy of
OSW was developed in consultation with a steering committee and at ministerial
level, with the understanding that OSW needs to support economic and social
change and highlight the nation’s position in the global sustainability
transition. The events are underpinned by the national objectives; primarily
Oman Vision 2040 and the Sultanate’s commitment of the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The activities forming OSW support the Sultanate’s vision of transitioning to a green, circular economy by
achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Eng. Faiza Mohamed Al Harthi,
Head of Energy, Environment & Natural Resources at Oman Vision 2040
Implementation Follow-up Unit said, “Oman Sustainability Week is an important
event to the Sultanate of Oman as it elevates national strategies and supports
the implementation of strategic projects in sustainability through effective collaboration
between the public and private sectors.”
OSW is powerful
platform that provides an opportunity for the public and private sector,
academia, and wider society, to network, learn, procure, and celebrate success,
with the collective aim of making a meaningful, positive change, in pursuit of
establishing a circular economy. The second edition of OSW in 2023 witnessed a significant
year-on-year growth; visitor numbers recorded an increase of 56%, exhibitor
numbers increased by 62%, awards ceremony guests count increased by 59%, and 57%
of participating organisations re-booked onsite for the next edition in 2024.
These metrics are a clear indication of the success of the event, leading to
the momentum that the Sultanate is gaining in becoming a global beacon for
sustainability.
The potential of
the events industry in the Sultanate of Oman to act as a catalyst for economic
growth and diversification is huge. The inclusion of OSW in this year’s AEO
Excellence Awards is an opportunity to showcase the worldclass events that CONNECT
delivers in the Sultanate every year.
About CONNECT
CONNECT is a brand of Oman Exhibitions
Organizing Company LLC. Backed by high-net-worth business personalities
representing diversified business holdings in the Middle East, CONNECT is a well-established
player in the events industry in the Middle East. A subsidiary of the SABCO
Group, CONNECT, since its establishment in 1986, has built a reputation for
delivering events across a plethora of vertical markets. For more information,
visit www.connectthroughus.com