POSITIVE PROGNOSIS
TBY talks to HE Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Saidi, Minister of Health, on expanding private healthcare, Omanization, and collaboration.
BIOGRAPHY
HE Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Saidi has a BSc from Park College, Kansas City, an MBChB from the University of Glasgow, and studied general management at Harvard Business School, in addition to a number of other diplomas. His career has included senior medical, administrative, and academic positions in both Oman and the UK, including Under Secretary for Health Affairs and Senior Consultant Rheumatologist at the Ministry of Health; Deputy Director General (Medical), Head of Medical Division, and senior consultant physician/rheumatologist at the Royal Hospital in Oman; and consultant rheumatologist and senior lecturer at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in the UK.In terms of private healthcare, what trends do you see in the development of health providers in Oman?
Over the last five years, we have worked extremely hard with the private sector. The private sector is growing in the right direction; however, we still need to see more being done because, unfortunately, many of the procedures that the government does are not done at the private level and many Omanis still go abroad for treatment because of this. If there was a strong private health sector in Oman, most of those people would seek a second opinion locally instead of flying abroad. There is a great opportunity and potential for the private sector to grow further. The Ministry of Health is in fact outsourcing all its logistics services. I know of partnerships between Omani companies and international hospitals to set up centers in Oman. We welcome all, though all within a system of quality that aims for international accreditation.
How does the Ministry of Health demonstrate leadership regarding Omanization?
One of our aims is to have Omanization without compromising on quality. In healthcare, we seek quality, not nationality. I prefer to see Omanis in all posts, but only when we prepare them and get them ready to take over from expatriates. We have an Omanization rate of about 34% for doctors in the Ministry of Health. We are doing much better in other healthcare providers because their training time is shorter; for example, nurses and physiotherapists train for three to four years, and the overall Omanization rate within the healthcare sector is above 65%. In certain hospitals, over 90% of nurses are Omani. We train most of them locally and then send them abroad for further courses. Further education of doctors and professionals is one of my priorities, even with the financial constraints; we have not slowed down funding, scholarships, and further training for our healthcare providers.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been on the rise in the past years throughout the Sultanate; how has the ministry faced this issue?
Unfortunately, NCDs are spreading worldwide and this is the case in this region mainly due to lifestyle. Diabetes, which leads to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and so on, is the leading cause of death in Oman, as well as in neighboring countries. GCC countries are the world capitals for diabetes. Oman was selected as one of 12 countries worldwide to focus on achieving the development sustainable goals in regards to NCDs. We had around 12-14 UN experts come to Oman to plan how to tackle NCDs. For this, we created a national committee to follow up on our efforts and explore best practises to reduce NCDs. The Ministry of Health by itself cannot regulate people's diets, create exercise plans for the public, stop people from smoking, or control prices; this is why we need the collaboration of every sector and each person to have a healthier lifestyle. We need help from the media, and it is in fact helping to spread the message in a better way. We have a Ministry of Health social media account that we use widely to reach out to the younger generation, which is around 50-60% of the population.
What are your goals for the year and how do you plan on achieving them?
Our plans and ambitions are huge; however, we are also realistic about how much we can implement. In the five-year plan that ended in 2016 we had many projects that were not completed. Some of them are important, and I have made them as priorities for this year. One of our ambitions is to begin building at least three of our 10 planned hospitals. Secondly, a survey we recently started on NCDs will help to educate the public in regards to development sustainable habits. We want to build more and improve collaboration with international organizations as well as governmental and nongovernmental bodies to train our doctors and increase the number of doctors available.
POSITIVE PROGNOSIS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Oman-Iran Relations
Nothing Personal
A new automotive production venture and undersea gas pipeline project highlight the long-term and historic friendship between Oman and Iran, underscoring their policies of transparency and non-interference with the aim of achieving the best possible conditions for the economies and people of both countries.
read articleInterview
Abdullah Nasser Abdullah Al Bakri, Minister , Manpower (MoM)
TBY talks to Abdullah Nasser Abdullah Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower (MoM), on its ongoing efforts to boost Omanization across sectors, streamlining the employment process in the private sector, and developing human resources in the country.
read articleInterview
HE Talal Al Rahbi, Deputy Secretary General , Supreme Council for Planning (SCP)
TBY talks to HE Talal Al Rahbi, Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning (SCP), on its key responsibilities, ensuring a more sustainable policy, and the importance of economic diversification.
read articleInterview
Dr. Hilal Al-Qamshoey, Project Director, Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS)
TBY talks to Dr. Hilal Al-Qamshoey, Project Director of Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS), on the importance of addressing the challenges to growth, assessing potential, and attracting greater FDI.
read articleInterview
Khalid Al Yahmadi, CEO, Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS)
TBY talks to Khalid Al Yahmadi, CEO of Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS), on its projects to diversify Oman's economy, sectors with growth potential, and its goals for 2018.
read articleCommuniqué: Ithraa
Exports Matter
Exports matter because they represent the very sectors that drive wealth, attract investment and talent, boost productivity and innovation, and generate employment. Industry accounted for 47.6% of Oman's GDP in 2017 and our non-oil exports were over USD6.2 billion. Today, Omani firms export to 135 countries.
read articleInterview
Khalifa Abdullah Al-Barwani, CEO, National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI)
TBY talks to Khalifa Abdullah Al-Barwani, CEO of the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI), on the many benefits of its information apps, the growing focus on logistics, and supporting the public and private sectors with valuable data.
read articleInterview
Dr. Dhafir Awadh Al-Shanfari, CEO, Oman Authority for Partnership for Development (OAPFD)
TBY talks to Dr. Dhafir Awadh Al-Shanfari, CEO of Oman Authority for Partnership for Development (OAPFD), on the goals of the authority, its current projects, and its focus for the medium term.
read articleInterview
Khalid bin Al Safi Al Haribi, Acting CEO, Public Authority for SMEs Development (Riyada)
TBY talks to Khalid bin Al Safi Al Haribi, Acting CEO of the Public Authority for SMEs Development (Riyada), on instilling an entrepreneurship culture amongst Omanis, key areas for development, and doing more with less.
read articleInterview
Yaqoob Saif Al Kiyumi, CEO, Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP)
TBY talks to Yaqoob Saif Al Kiyumi, CEO of Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), on the challenges of growing water and electricity demand, planning for renewable energy projects, and its key objectives in the long term.
read articleInterview
HE Tahir Bin Salim Bin Abdullah Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman (CBO)
TBY talks to HE Tahir Bin Salim Bin Abdullah Al Amri, Executive President of the Central Bank of Oman (CBO), on revising the country's FDI laws, financing the fiscal debt via issuing bonds, and its efforts to promote SMEs.
read articleInterview
HE Abdullah Salim Al Salmi, Executive President, Capital Market Authority (CMA)
TBY talks to HE Abdullah Salim Al Salmi, Executive President of the Capital Market Authority (CMA), on promoting greater activity in the financial services sector, encouraging investors to go beyond the banking sector, and its upcoming projects.
read articleInterview
Dr. Ashraf bin Nabhan Al Nabhani, Chairman, Muscat Securities Market (MSM)
TBY talks to Dr. Ashraf bin Nabhan Al Nabhani, Chairman of Muscat Securities Market (MSM), on the evolution and maturity of the stock market, increased privatization initiatives, and plans to demutualize.
read articleInterview
Murtaza Jariwala, Executive Director, Vanguard Engineering & Oilfield Service
TBY talks to Murtaza Jariwala, Executive Director of Vanguard Engineering & Oilfield Services, on manufacturing and value addition, successful long-term partnerships, and how to best thrive as a truly local company.
read articleInterview
Hilal Mohammed Hamoud Al Busaidi, CEO, Public Authority for Mining (PAM)
TBY talks to Hilal Mohammed Hamoud Al Busaidi, CEO of the Public Authority for Mining (PAM), on increasing metal exploration, sharing the risk with investors, and banking on the rare commodity of quality.
read articleInterview
Dr. Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO, Information Technology Authority (ITA)
TBY talks to Dr. Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of Information Technology Authority (ITA), on facilitating the investment experience in Oman, taking a coordinated approach to cybersecurity, and giving young people the right exposure.
read articleInterview
Firas A. H. Al-Abduwani, Founder & CEO, Hussam Technology Company (HTC)
TBY talks to Firas A. H. Al-Abduwani, Founder & CEO, and Mohammed Al-Abduwani, COO of Hussam Technology Company (HTC), on making Oman a better place to do business, meeting an ever-expanding customer base, and diversifying one's project capacity.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Aimen Ahmed Sultan Al-Hosni, CEO, Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC)
TBY talks to Sheikh Aimen Ahmed Sultan Al-Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), on providing a functioning operational platform, top notch end-to-end logistics, and creating competitive advantages for Omani shippers.
read articleFocus: Integrated Tourism Complexes
A Land for All
Oman's integrated tourism complexes (ITCs) allow foreign nationals to own property on a freehold basis. They have given the country's tourism and real estate sectors an innovative boost and might pave the way for further liberalization.
read articleInterview
HE Hamed Said Al-Oufi, Undersecretary, Fisheries Wealth of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Wealth
TBY talks to HE Hamed Said Al-Oufi, Undersecretary of Fisheries Wealth of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Wealth, on food security, opportunities for development in the industry, and new infrastructure projects.
read articleInterview
Eng. Saleh M. Al Shanfari, CEO, Oman Food Investment Holding Company (OFIC)
TBY talks to Eng. Saleh M. Al Shanfari, CEO of Oman Food Investment Holding Company (OFIC), on Oman's competitive advantages in food, growing demand for diverse food products, and becoming a regional food hub.
read articleInterview
Ahmed Akaak, Chairman, Oman National Livestock Development Company (ONLDC)
TBY talks to Ahmed Akaak, Chairman of the Oman National Livestock Development Company (ONLDC), on partnerships to boost the quality of animal feeds, the agriculture industry, and the Sultanate's national economy.
read articleReview: Education
New School
Oman's education sector has made massive strides in recent years, and moving forward, government officials see improving teacher quality and increasing international exchange as keys to giving a young and growing population the tools they need for the future.
read articleInterview
HE Dr. Hamood Khalfan Al Harthi, Undersecretary of Education & Curriculum , Ministry of Education
TBY talks to HE Dr. Hamood Khalfan Al Harthi, Undersecretary of Education & Curriculum of the Ministry of Education, on meeting international standards, increasing the teaching staff, and implementing reforms.
read article
