Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of Diwan of Royal Court announced the launch of the Oman Business Forum 2017. The forum is run by the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Taskforce (Sharaka).

The announcement came during an award ceremony at Al Wahat Club in Azaiba, which recognised the outstanding participants from the National Leadership and Competitiveness Programme (NLCP) for the government sector. The event also marked the graduation of the second cohort of the National CEO Program. The ceremony was organised by Sharaka, Oman’s PPP taskforce, and was attended by senior government officials and private sector leaders.

Al Busaidi said the forum’s aim is to create a collaborative ecosystem that enhances and facilitates the exchange of best practice and ideas between the public and private sectors. “We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to advance Oman’s national strategic priorities by creating initiatives that require the involvement from government and from business. We need the perspectives, ideas, and solutions from both groups to achieve more growth and prosperity as a whole,” Al Busaidi said.

He stressed that the forum will provide specialised reports to its members to propose focused initiatives and projects that will support both national development and private sector growth.

Other objectives of the forum include establishing a national group that would combine the Sharaka, graduates of the NLCP and the National CEO Program to devise sustainable action plans in line with the vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

“The Oman Business Forum will become one of Oman’s marquee annual events that focuses on aligning private sector activities with the government’s national strategy. We will convene the very best thinkers and practitioners to set real, actionable roadmaps to ensure that our policies and business priorities mutually reinforce one another in a positive way,” said Al Busaidi.

The Minister of Diwan of Royal Court noted that the forum’s launch marks another milestone by the PPP Taskforce (Sharaka). “This forum is designed to focus on the economic drivers that will help improve Oman’s economic competitiveness, and ultimately the well-being of our people,” he added.

On his part, Dr. Ali bin Qassim bin Jawad, Advisor for Studies and Research at the Diwan of Royal Court commented on the role of the National Leadership and Competitiveness Program (NLCP) in building a sustainable knowledge-based economy. “This is another very important initiative by the PPP taskforce. As we graduate cohorts and welcome a new wave of participants, we are training a group of future leaders that will intuitively understand the criticality of public-private partnerships and the role they play in serving one another.”

Dr. Jawad also said “Both the NLCP and the NCP reflect the wish of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in developing and investing in national human capacities who will drive better competitiveness for the Sultanate.

He added “any economic competitiveness that does not lead to citizens’ wellbeing is considered temporary and unhealthy”.