"Blue Economy - Blue Growth": September 2014

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Blue Economy – Blue Growth: Exploring avenues of co-operation between the EU and Oman - Final Programme with links to the presentations

Conference organised by the European Union

and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry

under the Patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman

Held on 8-9 September 2014

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Afrah Ballroom

Muscat, Oman

DAY 1 – Monday, 8 September 2014

8:30	Registration
9:00	Welcome by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry	Mr Ayman bin Abdullah al-Hasani, Vice President of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry
9:15	Welcome by the European Union Delegation	H.E. Ambassador Adam Kulach, Head of Delegation of the EU to the Sultanate of Oman
9:30	Introductory Presentation: The Growth Potentials of the Blue Economy – the European Union Experience	Mr Kristofer du Rietz, Adviser for International Affairs, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
10:00	------- Coffee Break -------
10:30	Panel Discussion: Maritime Clusters
	Moderator	H.E. Ambassador Adam Kulach, Head of Delegation of the EU to the Sultanate of Oman
	Keynote Speech	H.E. Mr Saeed bin Hamdoun al-Harithi, Deputy Minister for Transport, Sultanate of Oman
	Maritime Clusters around the Mediterranean: Europe’s Investment in Blue Development	Mr Tom Andersen, Head of Regional Representation Cairo, European Investment Bank (EIB)
	Maritime Clusters: From Rotterdam to Sohar	Mr Andre Toet, CEO of the Port of Sohar, Oman
	Oman as a Logistics Hub	Eng. Mohammed al-Theeb, Oman Integrated Logistic Services
12:00	Panel Discussion: Fisheries and Aquaculture
	Moderator	Mr Kristofer du Rietz, Adviser for International Affairs, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
	Keynote Speech	H.E. Dr. Hamad al-Oufi, Undersecretary for Fisheries, Minstry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sultanate of Oman
	EU Rules for and Support to the Fisheries Sector from the Industry's Perspective	Arch. Vincenzo Valenti, Federation of the Italian Fisheries Sector (FEDERPESCA)
	Food Security from the Oceans: Opportunities, Challenges and Risks	Dr. Will Le Quesne, Senior Marine Scientist& Policy Advisor, Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), UK
	Sustainable Fishing in a Competitive Global Market: Challenges and Opportunities	Mr Louwe de Boer, Entrepreneur, Co-Owner of Ekofish Group, Netherlands
13:15	Summary of Day 1	H.E. Ambassador Adam Kulach, Head of Delegation of the EU to the Sultanate of Oman
13:30	------ Lunch -----

DAY 2 – Tuesday, 9 September 2014

9:00	Keynote Speech: Blue Growth – A Sustainable Usage of Marine Resources: Sweden's approach		Mrs Catarina Hedar, Senior Manager for Blue Growth at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Kingdom of Sweden
9:30	Panel Discussion: Sustainable offshore oil and gas production
	Moderator		Dr. Jörg Wojahn, Counsellor, European Union Delegation to the Sultanate of Oman
	Blue Energy		Mr Kristofer du Rietz, Adviser International Affairs, Directorate General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
	Sustainability as the Guiding Principle for Oil and Gas Production in Oman		Mr Sulaiman Al-Harrasi, Geologist, Directorate General of Petroleum Investment, Ministry of Oil and Gas, Oman
	Oman's Hydrocarbon Wealth: Attracting Investors with a Long-Term Vision		Mr Sulaiman Al-Ghonaimi, Geologist, Petroleum Concessions Department, Ministry of Oil and Gas, Sultanate of Oman
	The Oil Industry and the Blue Economy		Dr. Susan Ford, Director Regulatory Compliance & Environment, Upstream HSE, BP, UK
10:30	------ Coffee Break -----
10:45	Panel Discussion: Maritime Safety and Surveillance
	Moderator		H.E. Ambassador Adam Kulach
	Keynote Remarks		Mr Rashid Al Kiyumi, Director General for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Sultanate of Oman
	Keynote Remarks		Captain Abdullah Al-Harrasi, Royal Navy of Oman
	A sustainable regulatory framework		Eng. Paolo Moretti, Marine Business Line General Manager, Italian Naval Registry (RINA)
	Strengthening Maritime Safety and Security through Efficient Coastal Surveillance Systems		Mr Robin Wilson, Key Account Manager Oman, Thales Communications & Security
	Security and Sustainability – Part of the Same Continuum		Mr Bill Nelson, Managing Partner, Rose Associates Ltd, UK
11:45	Keynote Speech: Regional Planning and Environmental Protection: Lessons from 25 Years of EU Regional Policies		Mr Ronald Hall, Principal Adviser for International Affairs, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
12:00	Panel Discussion: Spatial and Regional Planning and Environmental Protection
	Moderator:		Mr John O’Rourke, Head of Division Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Iran, European External Action Service
	Keynote Speech		Dr. Ahmed bin Mubarak Al-Saeedi, Director of Safeguarding the Marine Environmental Department, Ministry of Environment, Sultanate of Oman
	Fostering Blue Growth while Protecting the Marine Environment		Mrs Catarina Hedar, Senior Manager for Blue Growth at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, Kingdom of Sweden
	Panellist		Mr Ronald Hall, Principal Adviser for International Affairs, DG Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
13:00	Conclusions of the Conference	Mr Kristofer du Rietz, Adviser for International Affairs, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
13:15	----- Lunch -----

Blue Economy - Blue Growth conference in Arabic press - LINKS

Article in Al Hayat can be found here.

Article in Oman Daily can be found here.

Article in Al Watan can be found here.

Article in Shabiba can be found here.

Article: Oman Tribune: Correct focus

"The focus of the Sultanate has always been on all-round, sustainable development. One of the aims of policy planners through economic growth has been job creation. So far, the Sultanate has been successful in this aspect. And once again it is with this aim that the government is focusing on the growth of the blue economy. It is in this context that the Blue Economy Seminar, which was held in Muscat, under the theme ‘Blue Economy – Blue Development’, must be seen as it stressed on sustainable development in the marine and maritime sectors. Organised in collaboration with the European Union, the seminar is the first held on the blue economy in the Sultanate. The seminar discussed a variety of issues that included exploring more opportunities in the field of investment, tourism, environmental safety and navigation in this sector and this certainly will enhance cooperation with the European Union, which sent a high-profile delegation to the meeting. Environment protection issues were also discussed. And there is little doubt that this seminar might be a step forward in ensuring that the blue economy is exploited in the right manner in the Sultanate as this is not the case in many parts of the world where not much emphasis is being placed on the right kind of development. This focus is understandable for another reason and this is the Sultanate’s long seafaring tradition that is about 5,000 years old.

At the same time, this seminar opens the way for a mountain of opportunities for the European Union in the Sultanate, especially in the downstream metal and petrochemical sector in Sohar. Since the costs of land and energy at Jebel Ali are going up, the port of Sohar would be an attractive place for investment as it is cheaper. Moreover, ships could dock at Sohar and unload the containers there and avoid the huge insurance costs of going up the Straits of Hormuz. Later, the containers could be transferred by railway once the GCC rail network is completed. Andre Toet, CEO of Sohar Port, said that all this is possible since Oman had excellent logistics. It has land, energy and resources, besides economic and political stability, he added. In addition to all this, Oman has other advantages. Since it is positioned on the equatorial trade route where the overall market is growing at 8 per cent annually, it is the ideal place for a logistical hub and can serve 1.6 billion consumers.

In other areas of the blue economy like fishing, the Sultanate is faring well. The catch in 2013 was valued at $415 million. In 2020, it will rise to $812 million in 2020. In the bargain a world class competitive fishing industry would be created with about $1.3 billion being invested by the government between 2013- 2020 to increase production manifold. All this will ensure that the fishing sector’s contribution to GDP will be $1.907 billion by 2020. In the area of acquaculture, Oman aims to set a new trend through regulations, model farm demonstration and by maintaining a national brand image.

The Sultanate has definitely achieved a lot in the blue economy area. But it has a lot more to do especially in the sectors of coastal and maritime tourism, aquaculture, renewable energy, mineral resources, biotechnology, fisheries, transport, shipbuilding, oil and gas and ship repair and maintenance, which is already thriving in Duqm. Closer cooperation with the European Union will surely help in this regard and result in ensuring faster growth of the blue economy. This is vital at a time when more and more jobs are needed for thousands of youth entering the employment market annually."

Source article can be found here.

Article: Times of Oman: Oman, EU initiative to boost Blue Economy

"Muscat: The international symposium on Blue Economy concluded in Muscat on Tuesday. The two-day symposium was organised by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), in partnership with the European Commission.

The symposium aimed at discussing means of developing economic activities related to marine, logistic and navigational fields, as well as utilising the available potential and partnership opportunities. It also discussed ways of cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Oman. The symposium called on continuing cooperation between the Sultanate and EU in Blue Economy."

Source article can be found here.

Tuesday, 9 September 2014

Article: Muscat Daily: OCCI, EC TO HOLD MEET ON BLUE-ECONOMY POTENTIAL

"MUSCAT - The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), in cooperation with the European Commission, will organise on Monday and Tuesday at Grand Hyatt Muscat a symposium on ‘The Blue Economy: Potentials and Partnership Opportunities,’ under the auspices of Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mohammed al Husaini, director of economic research and studies at OCCI, said the blue economy covers maritime activities such as sea transport, ports, fishery, tourism, and marine environment conservation.

He added that the symposium will include a number of sessions and speakers dealing with topics related to the blue economy, including sea transport and logistics, fishery and fish aquaculture, oil and gas exploration in high seas, sea protection and control, spatial and regional planning and environment conservation issues.

Husaini added that the symposium aims at enhancing cooperation between Oman and the European Union by exploring and developing economic activities related to marine and navigational areas, highlighting investment opportunities in the same area as the sultanate is working on diversifying its resources and providing the local economy with more sustainable resources.

The working sessions will be followed by meetings between Omani businesspersons interested in investment opportunities in the sector."

Source article can be found here.

Article: Oman Observer: Seminar discusses ways to boost Oman—EU ties

"MUSCAT — Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) in collaboration with the EU Commission organised at Grand Hyatt Hotel yesterday the Blue Economy Seminar under the theme ‘ Blue Economy— Blue Development’.The two-day seminar aims at exploring the means of developing business activities, exploring business partnerships and enhancing cooperation between the EU and the Sultanate.Sayyid Badr bin Hamoud al Busaidy Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry who sponsored the opening ceremony said in his speech that the seminar is the first of its kind in the Sultanate in the field of blue economy.He added that the seminar aims at discussing means of benefiting from the new researches and developments in the world to explore more opportunities in the field of investment, tourism, environmental safety and navigation.He pointed out that the Sultanate is keen on enhancing partnership with the EU. Ayman bin Abdullah al Hasani, Deputy Chairman of OCCI, delivered a speech where he pointed out that the EU is the biggest trade partner for the AGCC countries. He added that the latest statistics point out that the value of trade exchange is about RO 64.7 billion.Ambassador Adam Kulach, Head of the EU delegation to the Sultanate, said that the Sultanate is one of the leading countries in seafaring since the dawn of history.Christopher Du Ritz, Director- General of the Marine and Fish Affairs at the EU delivered a speech about the blue economy opportunities from the EU experience.The seminar included two workshops, the first on ‘ Marine Transport and Logistic Service and the second on Fish Processing and Aquaculture’.The seminar will have three sessions on today on Blue Energy, (Sustainable Maritime Exploration in Oil and Gas Sectors), Marine Safety and Navigation and finally on Space and Regional Designs and the Environment Protection Issues. — ONA"