Connexion-march-2011

The Netherlands-Oman Bilateral Relations

2011 Edition

THE NETHERLANDS -OMAN

INSIDE

Bonding To Explore New Opportunities

HE Stefan van Wersch

Ambassador of the Netherlands to Oman

Sohar Industrial Port

Government of Oman – Port of Rotterdam Joint Venture

Hussain Bin Salman Al-Lawati

Vice Chairman & MD of Oman Cables Industry and Member of Oman-Holland Joint Business Council

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EDITORIAL

GROWING TOGETHER

CONCEPT & CONTENT Akshay Bhatnagar Susmita De DESIGN Senior Art Director Sandesh S. Rangnekar Art Director Minaal G. Pednekar Senior Designer M. Balagopalan Photographers Rajesh Burman, Sathyadas C Narayanan, Motasim Abdulla Al Balushi Production Manager Govindaraj Ramesh MARKETING Business Head - Strategic Media Unit Kush Gupta CORPORATE Chief Executive Sandeep Sehgal Executive Vice President Alpana Roy Vice President Ravi Raman Senior Business Support Executive Radha Kumar Business Support Executive Zuwaina Said Al-Rashdi Distribution United Media Services LLC Published by United Press & Publishing LLC PO Box 3305, Ruwi, Postal Code - 112 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Tel: (968) 24700896, Fax: (968) 24707939 Email: publish@umsoman.com Website: www.umsoman.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person or organisation acting or refraining as a result of material in this publication. OER accepts no responsibility for advertising content.

Copyright © 2011 United Press & Publishing LLC Printed by Oriental Printing Press Correspondence should be sent to: United Media Services LLC PO Box 3305, Ruwi 112, Sultanate of Oman Fax: (968)24707939 Email: editor@umsoman.com

An

Presentation

“Nothing is more exciting and bonding in relationships than creating together.”

This quote from Stephen R. Covey is perfectly apt for the relationship between Oman and The Netherlands. Though both the seafaring nations have been in contact for hundreds of years but their co-operation got strengthened like never before in the last 100 years. The new phase of the bonding between the two states started in the beginning of 20th century when Royal Dutch Shell Group took on the exploration and production activities in Oman. When majority of the other energy multinational companies left Oman due to lack of success, Shell continued the search for oil in the Sultanate. Rest is history. As one of the significant shareholder in Petroleum Development Oman, Shell has played an important role in the development of the country.

Sohar Industrial Port is another shining example of Oman-The Netherlands’ growing partnership in non-oil & gas areas. The joint venture with the Port of Rotterdam has been facilitating the surge in manufacturing and logistics activities involving investments in excess of $14 billion in Sohar, the industrial capital of Oman. The sharing of knowledge and exchange of trade delegations has been leading to more action not just on the economic front but also on the cultural side. Events such as the showcasing of works of famous Dutch artist Rembrandt in Muscat and Oman’s Exhibition in The Netherlands has generated more interest among the people on both sides in each other’s culture and heritage.

This edition of Connexion on Oman-The Netherlands captures the developing ties between the two open minded societies and growing economies. We are thankful to HE Stefan Van Wersch, the Dutch ambassador to Oman, for his encouragement and support in bringing out this edition. We are also grateful to Bregje van Baaren for her valuable support in the development of the content.

Enjoy reading the edition!

Akshay Bhatnagar Group Managing Editor akshay@umsoman.com

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content 4 The Queen Regnant Brief profile of HM Queen Beatrix 6 NEWS Current Developments in Oman-The Netherlands Relations 8 Solidifying Relations Interview with HE Stefan van Wersch, The Netherlands’ Ambassador to Oman HISTORICAL RELATIONS 12 Going Back a Long Way

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INFRASTRUCTURE 14 Water – The Binding Factor CULTURAL EXCHANGE 18 Lasting Impressions EVENT 22 Rembrandt’s Art in Oman OIL & GAS 24 Driving the Nation

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FEATURE 28 Interview with Basil Macki, MD of Special Technical Services and Oman Oilfields Supply Centre Group of Companies 30 Interview with Hussain Bin Salman Al-Lawati, Vice Chairman & MD, Oman Cables Industry BILATERAL RELATIONS 33 Towards Progress & Prosperity RESEARCH 38 Spreading Knowledge PORTS 40 Partners in Progress – Sohar Industrial Port & Port of Rotterdam 44 Interview with Jamal T. Aziz, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Port of Sohar and CEO of Freezone Sohar

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WATER MANAGEMENT 45 Interview with Dr. Ruud J. Schotting SOCIETY 48 Interview with Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen, author of ‘Omani Manners” COLUMN 51 Dr. Corien Hoek, Expert in the Middle East Society & Culture EDUCATION 53 Go Dutch for Studying 58 Sharing Knowledge

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PERSONALITY 62 Late Annelies Boogaerdt, The Netherlands’ Ex-Ambassador to Oman 64 Hans Erlings, CEO of Galfar Engineering & Contracting SAOG

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Her Majesty Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard The Kingdom of the Netherlands

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THE QUEEN REGNANT

H

er Majesty Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard succeeded her mother as Queen of the Netherlands in 1980. From that date, Her Majesty formed part of the government.

She obtained her law graduate degree from the University of Leiden. In 2005, the Queen also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Leiden, in recognition of the attention she focused on freedom and the responsibilities that go with it. The Queen represents the Netherlands both at

home and abroad. She makes several state visits to other countries every year, and receives heads of state and heads of government who are visiting the Netherlands. The Queen keeps herself informed of what is going on in the society and every year she attends many openings, commemorations and other official events.

The Queen enjoys sculpting, riding and sailing. Her favourite sailing boat is De Groene Draeck, her 18th birthday gift from the nation. She also enjoys playing tennis and skiing.

For more information, visit www.koninklijkhuis.nl

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NEWS Art Simulators in IMCO

The signing ceremony took place on the new jetty in Sohar Industrial Port. The Dean of IMCO, Dr Ali Amer Al Maqrashi signed together with the Director of STC Group Holding LLC, Albert Bos for STC and IMCO; Group CEO for Sohar Industrial Port, Jan H. Meijer; and the Board member of SIPC, Han Ligteringen for SIPC & SPSP. The ceremony was witnessed by the Chairman of IMCO, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communication, HE Said Hamdoon Al Harthy and the Head of SPSP, Edwin van Espen. IMCO was

Photo courtesy: SIPC

In December last year, Sohar Industrial Port Company SAOC (SIPC) & Sohar Port Special Projects (SPSP) signed an agreement with Shipping and Transport College (STC) & International Maritime College of Oman LLC (IMCO) on the usage of the new state of the art simulators at IMCO.

established in April 2005 as a joint venture between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the STC Group of Rotterdam. The STC Group has more than 25 years of experience in innovative learning environment for students in the maritime, transport and oil and gas industries. The STC Group is a world-wide strategic combination

of education, training, research, consultancy and implementation service providers for the entire shipping, port, transport and logistics chain, as well as for the port-related petrochemical industries. Since September 2010, IMCO has been operating from an area of 8.5 hectare right next to the Port of Sohar.

Dutch Geology students visits Oman In February 2011, Professor Ruud Schotting, holder of the Sultan Qaboos Chair for Quantitative Water Management at the Utrecht University in the Netherlands, visited the Sultanate together with 25 Dutch Geology Master students from the University’s Faculty of Geosciences.

For the students the visit came as a practical, educational experience

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while at the same time it increased their cultural awareness as to most of them it was their first visit to the Arab world. “The purpose of the visit was to study the geography and industry in Oman and also to discover how Omanis live and learn more about their culture, history and religion,” Professor Schotting said. The students are enrolled in Prof Schotting’s courses

in hydrological and mathematical subjects at Utrecht University. During his lectures, the Sultan Qaboos Chair in Water Management often referred to Oman as a good case study; this triggered the interest of many geology students in Oman who indicated they would like to explore the rich and diverse nature of the country and meet the Omani people as well.

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INTERVIEW

SOLIDIFYING RELATIONS

“There is so much happening between the two countries and there are also so many opportunities for new kinds of cooperation that I am busier than ever,” says HE Stefan van Wersch, the Netherlands’ Ambassador to Oman

Robert Gesink, the Dutch cyclist, won the second edition of Tour of Oman held this year

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How do you look at the relations between Oman and the Netherlands?

I think they are flourishing and remarkably broad. I mean economic relations are very important. But we are active in so many other fields as well – education, culture, health, water management, human rights and defence. I really like that. I would not want to have a shallow relationship, Oman has too much to offer.

maritime sector. And I find it also terrific that the Netherlands participate in the International Maritime College in Sohar that trains a new generation of Omani sailors and port managers. And maybe it is not a big a deal but I liked it that a Dutch company designed the new 20 Omani Rial banknote for the 40th anniversary last year, with the Grand Mosque on one side and the Opera House on the other.

What have been the high points of the bilateral relations between the two countries?

One high point goes back a long way – 350 years ago we already had a kind of business office in Muscat. We are not newcomers in Oman and I am proud of that. But turning to modern times. I think that the presence of Royal Dutch Shell has meant a lot for the relationship.

So many Omanis have been to the Netherlands to work there at Shell or for training. And so many Dutch have been working in the Sultanate. There are Dutch expats here who had three assignments in Oman and decided to retire here. The Port of Sohar is of course the other project that comes to mind; it is great that we cooperate in the

Tell us about the exchange of trade delegations between the two countries in the last one year?

We had a very large multi-sectoral mission in Muscat last December.

Energy, water, logistics, airports, vocational training, education, environment, shipbuilding, you name it. It was almost too much to handle!

The evaluation by businessmen afterwards showed that many were quite satisfied about the results. The new Port in Duqm got lot of attention.

I think that this year we should focus also on mutual investments. The Port of Rotterdam is already investing in Sohar, and there is some Omani investment in the Netherlands as well. In June last year, an Omani delegation visited the

HE Stefan van Wersch The Netherlands’ Ambassador to Oman

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INTERVIEW

Netherlands, with a special focus on water management. We are preparing some projects in the field of water management, often driven by Professor Ruud Schotting who holds the Sultan Qaboos Chair for Water Management at the University of Utrecht. Ruud Schotting has been a perfect choice for the Chair, an activist who sets up one project after the others. He came to Oman with 35 geology students sometime back.

Tell us about the trade between Oman and the Netherlands.

2009 was our best year for exports. They amounted to about 250 million euros.

The sectors are in line with the earlier mentioned trade mission delegation.

But I honestly believe that we are still far below our real potential. We are participating in important tenders in the Sultanate, say in the shipbuilding sector, but I would like to see still more Dutch participation in large tenders. Oman should be more on the Dutch map.

Assisting businessmen is pivotal to the Embassy, so I would like to tell every reader of this article – don’t hesitate to contact our commercial section.

The Omani exports to the Netherlands fluctuate between 150-200 million euros, often in the field of oil and gas.

What is the importance of the State Visit of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix to Oman?

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Let me first underline that it will be the first visit ever of a Dutch Monarch to the Gulf region. I think that deserves a special mention. It reflects what I said earlier that we have a very broad relationship with Oman. The Sultanate was not really on the Dutch radar in the past but that is changing a lot.

People in Holland now know about Oman and is aware of the importance of the role of Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the impressive developments in

Omanis study in the Netherlands. It is really no coincidence that Her Majesty decided to visit the Sultanate. I have no doubt that her meetings with His Majesty will further solidify our already flourishing relations.

Lastly, how has been your tenure so far in Oman as the ambassador of the Netherlands?

People in Holland often think that I have a calm life over here. It is

LAST YEAR SEVERAL NEW DUTCH COMPANIES DISCOVERED OMAN the last 40 years. Tourism from Holland is increasing. Last year, several new Dutch companies discovered Oman.

A Dutchman won the Tour of Oman recently! And Holland seems to be also more than ever on the Omani radar. The Shabab Oman regularly visits Amsterdam. We were proud to host Mohsin al Busaidi last year at Sail Amsterdam. Last year we also had a prestigious Omani cultural exhibition right in the heart of Amsterdam. Many

however rather the opposite. There is so much happening between the two countries and there are also so many opportunities for new kinds of cooperation that I am busier than ever.

And that makes me happy, I have a work that leads to results, gives me a feeling of satisfaction. Add to this the hospitality and the beauty of the country, and you can call me quite a satisfied man. And let me add, that also goes for my spouse and children.

HISTORICAL RELATIONS

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he Netherlands and the Sultanate of Oman are both relatively smaller countries and yet they are open, trading nations with strong economies. The bilateral relations between the two countries date back to the 17th Century.

Both the seafaring nations first got in contact around 1650 when ships from the Netherlands visited Oman. In 1877, a first trade agreement was signed as both countries wanted to profit from their abundant natural resources.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries the bilateral relations remained friendly and balanced even though the two countries were then competitors.

Talking about the bilateral relations between the two countries, His Excellency Stefan van Wersch, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Sultanate of Oman, said, “It is strange to imagine now but the Netherlands was for several decades in the 17th century a real superpower from economic, political, scientific and cultural perspectives. At that point in history, Germany, France and the United Kingdom were all caught up in endless wars, while the young Dutch Republic, that had only recently obtained its independence, was filling the vacuum. Exactly 400 years ago we reached the Japanese coast. Australia was first called Nova Hollandia (New Holland) since our ancestors reached the continent early in the race. At the same time we were already doing good business in the Americas.

“We didn’t establish trade contacts with

HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said with Dutch Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima when they visited Oman in 2009 12

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GOING BACK A LONG WAY The valued relationship between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Sultanate of Oman has matured over hundreds of years

Currently, Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC), a 50-50 joint venture between Rotterdam Municipal Port Management in the Netherlands and the Omani Government, is managing and further developing an impressive port in Oman.

Collaborative economic ventures such as Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), which is for 60 per cent owned by the Government of Oman and 34 per cent

by Royal Dutch Shell (with Partex and Total being the other shareholders), date back nearly 70 years. Other Netherlands-based companies with a strong presence in the Sultanate are inter alia; Royal Boskalis Westminster and Van Oord (dredging and construction); Draka (cable manufacturer); Fugro (collects, processes and interprets data related to the earth’s surface and the soils and rocks beneath and provides advice based on the results to clients in many sectors); Interbeton (construction, part of Royal BAM Group); Steinweg (logistics); Tebodin (consultants & engineers); Royal Haskoning (engineering and environmental consultancy) and many others.

The bilateral relations are flourishing in other areas of cooperation as well such as, in education which is, among others, symbolised by the establishment of the Sultan Qaboos Chair of Oriental Studies at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands and the establishment of the International Maritime College

Photo courtesy: NEDO

Oman some decades earlier! By the way, in 1672 we were about to forge an important trade agreement with Oman.

But then the Omanis learned about the fact that 1672 was our notorious ‘Year of Calamity’. The Dutch Republic was attacked by four European powers. It was the beginning of the end of our superpower status. The Omanis sensed that and the efforts to have closer trade relations evaporated.”

of Oman, an Omani-Dutch higher education joint venture institution located in Sohar. Water continues to play a central role in the bilateral relations. Take for example, the initiative by a group of international companies which led to the establishment of the Sultan Qaboos Academic Chair for Quantitative Water Management in Semi-Arid Regions at the Roosevelt Academy, Middelburg, the Netherlands.

HE Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-Chairman of the Omani-Dutch political consultations

Presented by the Port of Rotterdam to SIPC

HE Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is the CoChairman of the Omani-Dutch political consultations which take place since 1992 on an annual basis, said in 2009, “The valued relationship between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Sultanate of Oman has matured over hundreds of years, spanning the spheres of trade, transport, logistics, technology, infrastructure, security and diplomacy. These bilateral initiatives have increased exponentially in recent years, and reflect the mutual partnership, discussion, and cooperation that they seek to nurture.”

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The Port of Rotterdam which annually handles more than 400 million tonnes of cargo, is the largest port in Europe

WATER THE BINDING FACTOR

While the Dutch had to protect themselves against water throughout history, they also became very good at it. And it has brought them closer to Oman in the last few decades 14

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ater plays a prominent role in the history of both our countries”, HE Frank Heemskerk, the former Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade, said when he accompanied the Dutch Crown Prince and an international expert in water management himself, HRH Willem Alexander, on an official visit to the Sultanate in 2009.

“Both the Netherlands and Oman are nations with strong seafaring traditions and regional hubs,” he added. HE Heemskerk also underlined that while Oman faces challenges related to water scarcity, the Dutch face a lack of natural resources of drinking water as well. The Netherlands has been battling water related issues such as floods, sea water intrusion and water contamination throughout the history.

However, it is a complicated affair as aside from posing a challenge or even a potential threat, water has substantially contributed to the economic development of the Netherlands as well.

The Dutch government has announced that it will stimulate the economy in nine key areas, water is one of them. While the Dutch had to protect themselves against water throughout history, they also became very good at it. The Dutch polder system or low-lying pieces of land, which in general have been reclaimed from the sea or from lakes and that are enclosed by dikes, has proven to be a very innovative solution against floods. These polders and other water barriers such as dikes and dunes are today very well managed and protected by the efficient regional Dutch water authorities and the national government. Moreover, thanks to the necessity of these polders and dikes, excavating material from a sea, river or lake bed and relocating that elsewhere, has become an international core

IN 2005, THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OMAN LLC (IMCO) WAS FOUNDED IN OMAN business for the Netherlands based dredging companies such as Royal Boskalis and Van Oord.

As the Netherlands is situated by sea, the country also developed the Port of Rotterdam which, by annually handling more than 400 million tonnes of cargo, is the largest port in Europe, and number three in the world, and helped the relatively small country to become one of the world’s most competitive economies. The Port is still growing, especially in container transport, dry bulk and petrochemicals. It is connected to the hinterland (Europe) by an intricate system of inland waterways and ports, while a brand new railway for container transport towards Germany has been recently added. Meanwhile, the relatively smaller ports of Amsterdam and Delfzijl (in the north of the country) also count on a world scale.

Knowledge sharing with Oman The Dutch experience with water-related challenges as well as opportunities now plays an important role in the bilateral relations with countries such as the Sultanate. Take for example, the development of Sohar Industrial Port. Since 2003, it is managed by a joint-venture between the Dutch Port of Rotterdam and the Omani Government.

In 2005, the International Maritime

College Oman LLC (IMCO), a higher education institution (HEI) was also founded in Oman. The HEI is owned by the Government of Oman (70 per cent) and the STC Group (30 per cent) which is based in Rotterdam. The HEI offers diploma and degree courses in areas such as nautical studies, marine engineering, shipping, port and transport management.

Furthermore, in 2007, the Sultan Qaboos Academic Chair for Quantitative Water Management was established at the Roosevelt Academy in the Netherlands. One of its aim is to bridge the gap between the ‘wet deltaic’ water world of the Netherlands and the semi arid water world of Oman.

Professor Ruud Schotting, who holds the Sultan Qaboos Chair, underlined the competitive edge of the Netherlands when it comes to dealing with water related issues: “No other country in the world is associated as much with water and water management as the Netherlands. Our approach of ‘living below sea level’ is quite unique, as well as our battle against floods. Actually I live very close, in the city of Rotterdam, to the lowest point of the Netherlands, which is approximately 6.7 meters below sea level; 26 per cent of the land surface of the Netherlands is situated below sea

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level, and 29 per cent is vulnerable to river floods, implying that in total 55 per cent of the Netherlands is vulnerable to flooding in general. No wonder that the Netherlands has a rich history in inventing sustainable water management solutions. Living and dealing with water is what we are good at – such as, flood prevention, polders, drinking water supply and remediation techniques for contaminated groundwater.”

Professor Schotting is also involved in a joint Omani-Dutch project on Water Availability Management for the Sohar region that was launched in March 2010, on the sidelines of the 9th Gulf Water Conference, by the Royal Dutch Embassy and representatives of a consortium of Dutch companies. Both Oman and the Netherlands are members of the Middle East Desalination Center addressing the important issue of meeting the fresh water demand and plans are underway for the establishment of a higher education institution in Oman in the area of water management.

Ports in Oman The management and development of Sohar Industrial Port located just outside the Strait of Hormuz, lies with Sohar Industrial Port Company SAOC (SIPC), a 50/50 joint venture between the Government of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam.

The original agreement between the two parties was signed in 2002 and included a port area of 2100 hectares. SIPC was entrusted with the management and development of the port until 2025.

Currently, the port is fully operational with state-of-the-art facilities. With current investments of around $15 billion, it is one of the world’s largest port development projects.

Learning from the Port of Rotterdam’s

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concept of clusters (a cluster being a regional concentration of related economic activities), Sohar Industrial Port currently operates from three industrial clusters: a petrochemical cluster, a metal cluster and a logistics cluster. The port is also part of the Sohar Industrial Port zone, which includes a free zone.

Jan Meijer has been the CEO of SIPC since 2003 and is of Dutch origin himself.

In 1999, he was an advisor to the then Omani Minister of Transport, HE Al Gazali, who told him about the plans to develop a new port in Sohar after the

example in Salalah. As the Port of Salalah was only a container terminal, it was then suggested to take another international industrial port as an example. The Port of Rotterdam was one of the options.

It has turned out to be a very fruitful cooperation between Oman and the Netherlands as Sohar Industrial Port has evolved into a world-class industrial port. Moving on, Oman is building the Port of Duqm at a strategic location at the entrance of the Arabian Gulf in the Indian Ocean. The Government of Oman has allocated more than $2.6 billion for the port and the dry dock in the first

Belgium, both countries situated around the so-called Rhine-MeuseScheldt. Van Oord and Royal Boskalis Westminster are the largest Dutch dredging companies and have been successful in the Sultanate of Oman as well. They have been involved in the development of The Wave, Muscat (multi billion dollar integrated tourism complex) and Sohar Industrial Port.

Dutch dredgers have an extensive and long standing expertise due to the special historical relations the Netherlands has with water. The cradle of dredging can be found in Sliedrecht in the Netherlands, a village in the 15th century that had to take measures against regular floods. By means of dredging activities, it managed to protect itself with dikes.

The Port of Rotterdam is connected to the hinterland (Europe) by an intricate system of inland waterways and ports

stage of development. The port includes commercial berths for general cargo and containers at -18 metres depth, special purpose quays for industries and general services. The Dutch multinational Royal Haskoning is providing consulting services to Oman’s Ministry for Transport & Communications in the development of the Port of Duqm.

The Dominance of Dutch Dredgers Around 60 per cent of the worldwide dredging market has been in the hands of four companies based in either the Netherlands or neighbouring country

The methods and means that were used to dredge were initially very primitive. However, this started to change under the policy of King Willem I around the year 1824 when the first steam-driven dredging machine was invented and became operational. Its first job was the deepening of the Port of Antwerp. However, the machine’s generator collapsed and it was not until the end of the 19th century, during the economic boom, that new dredging equipment was developed under the supervision of the King Willem I. Over the years, the amount of marine cargo rose fast; vessels became increasingly bigger and their deeper drafts called for deepening of the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

Decades of experience resulted in the technological advancement that companies like Royal Boskalis and Van Oord enjoy at present. They began with vessels that randomly grabbed silt at the bottom of the water while currently they make use of highly sophisticated systems with specific orientation with a minimal environmental impact.

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CULTURAL EXCHANGE

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LASTING IMPRESSIONS

In the recent past, both Omanis and Dutch have been provided with the opportunity to learn more about each other’s rich cultural heritage and main tourist attractions when a major Dutch collection travelled from Amsterdam to Oman, while Omani heritage temporarily settled down in the heart of the Dutch capital city

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hough The Hague is the political heart of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is the country’s official capital. The charming city is also referred to as the ‘Venice of Northern Europe’, thanks to its more than one hundred kilometres of canals and many bridges. Amsterdam has actually a lot of good things to offer to Omani tourists such as, in overall friendly, down-to-earth people; cold weather during winter; a market where one can buy Gouda cheese or the typical caramel cookie waffles (stroopwafels); and the Rembrandt House and Van Gogh Museum named after these two world famous painters of Dutch origin.

When in the heart of the so-called Museum Quarter, one can also spend a musical evening at the Concert Building (Concertgebouw) or take a tram or metro instead to the ‘Stopera’ (opera house) to watch the famous and multicultural Dutch National Ballet perform with the accompaniment of classical music by composers such as Tchaikovsky.

Recommended as well is a walk over the Flower Market with all its typical Dutch tulips. a flower that was originally imported by the Dutch from Turkey, in

Dutch Tulip fields in bloom 2011

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Dutch children dressed in Omani clothing

Photos courtesy: NEDO

of its kind held overseas. The event was called ‘Oman’ and included jewellry, furniture, traditional clothes, archeological findings, and some printed copies of the Holy Quran. It was held at the Nieuwe Kerk.

various colours put on display (one can also buy seeds but unfortunately this flower won’t flourish so well in Oman due to the climate). A must-visit place includes the Anne Frank Museum, the house where the Dutch-Jewish girl Anne Frank used to hide and write in her now world-famous diary before she became one of the many victims of Nazi persecution during the Second World War. One can also pass this museum and Amsterdam’s architectural heritage by taking a canal boat cruise.

And of course, for the many Omani football fans, there is also the option of paying a visit to the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam South-East, the ultramodern stadium and headquarters of AFC Ajax as the Amsterdam football club plays all of its home matches here. Nearby the stadium, there is also a music hall, famed for its bright acoustics, where pop concerts are regularly held.

Omani and Dutch Heritage meet In the recent past, both Omanis

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and Dutch were provided with the opportunity to learn more about each other’s rich cultural heritage and main tourist attractions when a major Dutch collection travelled from Amsterdam to Oman, while Omani heritage temporarily settled down in the heart of the Dutch capital city.

In 2009, etchings of the world famous Dutch painter and icon Rembrandt van Rijn were transported under careful guidance from the Rembrandt House in Amsterdam to Muscat to be put on display here for one whole month.

Shortly after, some 250 pieces from the collections of various Omani museums were brought together in the Dutch capital for an exhibition on the rich culture of Oman from October 2009 until April 2010.

The exhibition, for a large part organised

by HE Khadija Al Lawati, the former Omani ambassador to the Netherlands, in cooperation with the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Culture and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, was the first

The Nieuwe Kerk is a Church located at the Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam; opposite to the Royal Palace (the Royal family does not live there though) which is near the famous Madame Tussaud and the Dutch national monument that commemorates the victims of the Second World War. This monument is today also a famous spot where tourists and doves like to gather. The monument was unveiled in 1956 by the then HM Queen Juliana, as a memorial for the victims of Second World War and as a monument to celebrate liberation and peace. It is a symbol of war, peace and resistance.

Every year on the 4th of May, the Dutch monarch, currently HM Queen Beatrix, places wreaths there and observes the annual two-minute silence to commemorate the victims of the Second World War. The Dam square is adjacent to the ‘Rokin’, a street with many shops, near the historical University of Amsterdam faculty of Law building and ‘home’ to Arti et Amicitiae (Latin for ‘art and friends’); a society where many Dutch writers, painters, politicians and chess players have been meeting each other over the past hundreds of years. Just a two minutes walk away from the Nieuwe Kerk/Dam Square, are also the Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes) – one of the city’s most delightful shopping areas with its many art galleries, sandwich

shops, jewellers, and original gift shops.

Indeed, the Oman exhibition was surrounded by good local company, heritage meets heritage. The exhibition on Oman created a good momentum to reflect on some of the highlights of the longstanding bilateral relations between the Netherlands, which to many people in Oman perhaps better known as Holland or Hollanda, and the Sultanate of Oman. It also inspired the Dutch press to write from an outsider’s perspective on Oman,

for example by describing the Grand Mosque as “a symbol of a tolerant and peaceful country”. One of the articles that appeared in the Dutch media stated that “Oman is more than oil, frankincense and shaikhs, we find out at an exhibition in Amsterdam. Two seafaring nations meet each other”. It was also mentioned that the exhibition reveals how Oman has been “both outward looking and yet traditional throughout its long history”. The media also quoted Luitgard Mols, an expert in Islamic Art and guest curator for the exhibition: “We want to portray

two different sides of Oman. One a very open side, open towards other influences from the outside because Oman is located by the sea. At the same time we would like to show that it’s also a very traditional society with very traditional, local artefacts and objects,” he explained. However, it was also stated by the same Dutch media that, despite the longstanding bilateral relations between the two countries dating back to the 17th Century, Oman is still relatively unknown to the Dutch society. Perhaps a good result of

the exhibition was that some visitors decided to go on a holiday to Oman for the first time to further discover the country.

For those who did not have the time or means to travel, Professor Maurits S.Berger, Sultan of Oman Chair for Oriental Studies at Leiden University, the Netherlands gave a very interesting lecture in Amsterdam about Oman and its culture and history for the general public during the days when the exhibition was held. Talking further whether this exhibition was informative

for people with regard to the Islam, HE Stefan said, “It certainly was. The exhibition catalogue had a special chapter about Islam in Oman, written

by Michael Bos, and the exhibition reflected this attention for religion. I actually suggested that chapter. It is a well-written peace that tries to explain the background of Oman’s tolerant, non-imposing brand of Islam. It is for the Dutch people interesting to see examples of Islam’s diversity.

This exhibition provided them with this opportunity.”

(Left) HE Hamed Al Rashdi, Minister of Information in Oman meeting Rio D. Praaning Prawira Adiningrat, Vice Chairman of NEDO and Representative of the Ministry of Information of Oman in the Benelux (Belgium and the Netherlands) (Right) HE Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oman, inaugurating the Omani Embassy in the Netherlands 2011

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EVENT

REMBRANDT’S R

embrandt van Rijn was a renowned Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age. Rembrandt’s 100 etchings were showcased in Muscat in 2009. That was the first time the etchings from the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam were exhibited in the Middle East. The Dutch sailors first encountered Oman in the 17th century when Rembrandt was alive. It must be recalled that the process of etching was invented in the Arab world – it was used to decorate medieval weaponry – and was subsequently developed in Europe to make prints on paper.

The exhibition was inaugurated by HH Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture. It was managed by NPA Events and organised

by Al Salmi Library.

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ART IN OMAN

2011

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OIL & GAS

DRIVING THE NATION Shell has been one of the pillars of the development of oil and gas sector in Oman thanks largely to its association with Petroleum Development Oman, the largest oil & gas company in the Sultanate

oil. Twelve years later, however, when geologists began intensively searching for oil in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Oman’s Sultan Said bin Taimur granted a 75-year concession to the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC). Pausing only for the Second World War, exploration for oil was underway in Oman. The exploration and production operations were to be run on behalf of the IPC by Petroleum Development (Oman and Dhofar) Ltd.

Photo courtesy: PDO

The operating company had four shareholders, each with an interest of 23.75 per cent: the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, the Anglo-Persian Company (which would eventually become the British Petroleum Company, or BP), Compagnie Française des Pétroles (whose convoluted lineage would make it a predecessor of today’s TotalFinaElf) and the Near East Development Company (whose likewise convoluted lineage would make it a subsidiary of today’s ExxonMobil). The remaining 5 per cent stake was held by a fifth shareholder, Partex. With little or no infrastructure to assist survival in Oman’s hostile desert environment, the early explorationists confronted hard times.

When the IPC finally decided to drill its first well in Fahud in early 1956, supplies had to be transported from Duqm in the south of the country, across more than 300 kms of some of Oman’s most deserted and inhospitable terrain. And the hardships endured were all for naught – the well was dry.

HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said visiting one of the PDO sites in the early years

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O

man’s growth into a successful oil and gasproducing nation had humble beginnings – so humble, in fact, that it began with a dud.

A geological survey of the country in 1925 found no conclusive evidence of

Further dry wells were drilled, and this lack of success, combined with worsening logistical problems and a glut of oil on the world market, led most of the partners to withdraw from the venture in 1960. Only Shell and Partex opted to remain in Oman to continue the search for oil. Their optimism was soon to pay off. They struck oil at Yibal

in 1962, and from these inauspicious beginnings an oil-producing nation was born.

interior to industry on the coast. And it was remarkably successful in that undertaking.

The first export of Omani oil took place on 27 July, 1967. The original debit note shows that the consignment consisted of 543,800 barrels of oil valued at $1.42 a barrel. A month before, in June, the Compagnie Française des Pétroles rejoined the partnership by taking over two-thirds of Partex’s equity share, resulting in the following shareholding in the company that by then had changed its name to Petroleum Development (Oman) – Shell 85 per cent, Compagnie Francaise des Petroles 10 per cent and Partex 5 per cent.

Then, in 1986, the oil price collapsed.

Almost instantly PDO was required to cut costs while increasing production and maintaining reserves. This it did with remarkable success. The Company turned its focus on innovation and experimentation. Technological leaps in processing the huge volumes of data acquired in three-dimensional seismic surveys helped PDO to explore with great success during this period.

Horizontal wells, which made their debut in 1986, yielded between two and four times the production from any one given well. (They have since become the norm in PDO.) Time and again the Company broke its own records for drilling wells in the shortest time and for drilling the longest horizontal wells.

On 1 January 1974, the Government of Oman acquired a 25 per cent shareholding in the Petroleum Development (Oman); six months later the shareholding was increased to 60 per cent, backdated to the beginning of the year. As a result, the foreign interest in PD(O) was now made up of the Shell (34 per cent), Compagnie Française des Petroles (4 per cent) and Partex (2 per cent). These shareholdings have remained unchanged to the present day. (The Company, however, underwent a change six years later.

On 15 May 1980, it was registered

by Royal Decree as a limited liability company under the name Petroleum Development Oman – now without parentheses in its name.)

In the early 1980s, production rose to new record levels, dispelling, it seemed, any doubts about the future of Oman’s oil and gas industry. By the end of 1984, average daily production had risen to 400,000 barrels a day and reserves stood at 3.8 billion barrels. Meanwhile, the Company had become involved in setting up the Government Gas System, to provide natural gas from the

By the end of 2000, PDO witnessed an increase in production. This increase in production arose from the application of the latest technology to increase oil recovery in existing fields. And some of the production increase over the years was made up of “new oil” from fields that were not only found but also developed at an ever-accelerating pace.

When PDO’s gas-exploration campaign in the early 1990’s made it clear how bountiful the country’s gas fields were, the Government decided to establish a completely new industry: the export

of liquefied natural gas (LNG). In 1996, PDO concluded an agreement with the Government to develop the central Oman gas fields in order to supply gas to an LNG plant in Qalhat, near Sur. To fulfill its end of the agreement, the Company had to drill wells, hook them up to a new gas processing plant at Saih Rawl, and then transport the processed gas via a 352-kilometre pipeline to Qalhat. Furthermore, PDO would then be responsible for guaranteeing the delivery of gas for 25 years. This upstream LNG project, costing $1.2 billion, is the single biggest project in PDO’s history.

Having built up such momentum in its oil production as it entered the 1990’s, the Company fully expected the trend to continue. Unfortunately, the Company’s field-development strategy for the start of the 21st century – based on incremental infill drilling with horizontal wells and extensive waterflooding – had its momentum dissipated before the waterflooding projects, which require comprehensive reservoir studies, could be fully implemented. The natural productionrate decline of its major oil fields eventually caught up with the Company at the start of the millennium. And to make matters worse, its business had fundamentally changed: its new fields were coming in smaller sizes; its new wells were delivering less oil; its costs were going up. The fact was that the

PDO’S DAILY AVERAGE OIL PRODUCTION IN 2010 STOOD AT 553,000 BARRELS PER DAY 2011

25

Photo courtesy: Shell

OIL & GAS

Many Omanis have been trained in Shell’s training centre in the Netherlands

For more information, visit www.pdo.co.om

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Company’s operating model – the way it was carrying out its business – was not sustainable in the longer term.

Following a comprehensive review in 2002 that led to a sweeping change programme, PDO laid out ambitious production-recovery plans based not only on waterflooding but also on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques: the application of heat, chemicals or gas solvents to alter the way oil or injected water flows in a reservoir. But, in order for them to be sustainable in the long run, the plans had to be executed for substantially less money than originally envisaged, making them all the more challenging.

A total of $2 billion in cost savings over the five-year period 2002 – 2008 were incorporated into the Company’s budget. Fortunately, because of the long-term nature of investments that would be required, the Omani

Government agreed at the end of 2004 to extend PDO’s exploration and production concession and operating agreements for 40 years – until 2044.

PDO’s daily average oil production in 2010 stood at 553,000 barrels per day, slightly above the 2009 level of 552,000 barrels per day. For the fifth successive year, combined production of oil, gas, liquid petroleum gases and condensates stood at more than one million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Gas, key to the Sultanate’s domestic economy, now accounts for more than 40 per cent (50 per cent if including condensate) of PDO’s barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) production. More important than the average daily output which varies according to customer demand, is gas availability which, for 2010, stood at 100 per cent.

Source: PDO

2011

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FEATURE

QUALITY PAR EXCELLENCE

Photo courtesy: STS/OOSC

Basil Macki Managing Director of Special Technical Services LLC and Oman Oilfields Supply Centre (OOSC) Group of Companies

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Basil Macki, Managing Director of Special Technical Services LLC and Oman Oilfields Supply Centre (OOSC) Group of Companies, is one of the youngest, most dynamic and respected business leaders in Oman.

His formative years of schooling in the UK were followed by a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London. After a short stint with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), he took on an assignment as Process Engineer with Shell Holland in 1998.

He also completed his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the reputed Dutch Business School, Nyenrode University. He fondly relates to his memories in Holland; and his passion for work drives him to lead the company successfully. Excerpts from an interview with him: Could you tell us a bit more about STS? STS is a premier Engineering, Procurement and Construction Company based in Oman. With a workforce exceeding 6000 personnel, our solutions encompass the entire range of services for Oil & Gas, Power and Petrochemical sectors. With specialized fabrication workshops, covering an area of 125,000 sq m in Oman, we have varied capabilities and vast experience to execute long term service contracts or turnkey contracts. Oilfield operations and maintenance has been the ‘forte’ of STS since 1980. STS operates a dedicated Civil Division that provides civil building and general construction services to our valued clients.

What would a ‘typical’ project undertaken by STS entail?

We have an experienced management team, multidiscipline workforce, fabrication facilities, strong relationship

with subcontractors, alliances with reputed design houses and in house equipment division to execute contracts on a lump sum turnkey basis. We specialize in long term service contracts with Oil & Gas operators.

STS is proud to be the partner of choice for EPC contractors to carry out construction works in Oman, particularly the technology intensive Enhanced Oil Recovery projects. In addition to established workshops, we also set up site workshops equipped with latest machine tools, material handling facilities and qualified manpower.

Through joint ventures with reputed international companies, STS caters to the Gulf aluminum fabrication market and HDPE lining projects. We provide a quality service in maintenance either workshop based or at site, that aims to reduce equipment downtime, product deferment and the operating lifetime costs of equipment.

Tell us about STS’ journey from the ‘80s to now.

STS began its operations as a member of the OOSC group of companies. The company has come a long way since it started with maintenance activities and manpower secondment 30 years ago.

Three major long term service contracts with PDO since 1993 and major turnaround projects in the refineries established STS as the leading contractor in maintenance services.

STS has been recently awarded the EMC North contract (2010-2017) by PDO with its JV partner Tebodin. Earlier the Engineering Service Contract (20012005) and EMC North contract (20052010) with PDO helped STS to build its integrated service contract capabilities.

The first workshop fabrication facility opened at Muscat in the early 80s. This was followed by another workshop in Sohar in 2005. The latest fabrication facility set up in Nizwa is fully equipped and over six times in area to that in Muscat. We are proud to have worked with all the major oil and gas operators in Oman. We aim to serve our clients in the MENA region with offices in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

What would your advice be to foreign investors in Oman?

Oman is a very open country for business. Rules and regulations are very clearly stated and transparent, foreign businesses are treated very well and if you stick to the rules there are absolutely no problems!

Oman has now diversified a lot in the Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and other sectors. New companies are coming in, and they are all bringing in new ways to do business. Sohar and Duqm are the next big regions in terms of economic development, and I can only see great opportunities!

For more information, visit www.stsoman.com

SOHAR AND DUQM ARE THE NEXT BIG REGIONS IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2011

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FEATURE

POWERING THE GROWTH Oman Cables Industry and Draka Holding have been at the forefront of successful Oman-Dutch co operation in the private sector

Photos courtesy: OCI

L

isted on the Muscat Securities Market, Oman Cables Industry SAOG (OCI) is located in Rusayl Industrial Estate, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. OCI is a leading manufacturer and exporter of medium voltage, low voltage electric cables, building wires, instrumentation cables and overhead transmission line conductors. The company is entering into new segments also by diversifying its product portfolio. OCI also has a joint venture company Oman Aluminium Processing Industries LLC (OAPIL) in Sohar, Oman. The company’ aluminium to rod and overhead line conductors’ plant caters to Oman as well as international market.

OCI has a highly advanced quality assurance laboratory which is equipped with latest state-of-the-art equipment to conduct tests on raw materials, process components and

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finished products. The company’s products meet the highest quality parameters required in markets such as European Union. Apart from many other international quality certifications, OCI has also obtained British Approvals Service for Cables (BASEC) accreditation for the complete range of products. The BASEC accreditation provides product and services certification for electrical cables and it is synonymous with the highest quality and safety of the products.

In an interview with Connexion, Hussain Bin Salman Al-Lawati, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Oman Cables Industry and a member of Oman-Dutch Business Council talks about OmanNetherlands relationship and OCI’s experience with its Dutch partner Draka.

Excerpts of the interview: Tell us about the role of Oman-

Dutch Business Council in promoting trade between Oman and the Netherlands.

The joint business council is expected to enhance the economic cooperation between the two countries that have enjoyed a long relationship not just for the last few decades but hundreds of years. It is striving towards strengthening the partnership in the existing areas of business, apart from exploring opportunities in many other industrial sectors that are yet to be tapped or optimally utilized. Oman is moving away from oil based economy and a traditional trading market to a more diversified country with focus on the development of manufacturing and services sectors. The Netherlands is well-positioned to partner with Oman in the Sultanate’s quest to become a more broad-based economy. Oman Cables’ partnership with Dutch major Draka Holding N.V. is a shining

Hussain Bin Salman Al-Lawati Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Oman Cables Industry and a member of Oman-Dutch Business Council

IN 1998, DRAKA ADVISED US TO MOVE INTO A NEW SEGMENT OF INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL CABLES 2011

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FEATURE

What have been the benefits for Draka from the relationship?

First of all, through Oman Cables they have a partnership in a growth-oriented profitable company that has a highly successful track record with exports to number of key markets in developed world, emerging markets and the Middle East region as well. We helped them in turning around their loss making subsidiary, Associated Cables Private Limited (ACPL), in India.

Hussain Bin Salman Al-Lawati meeting the royal family members of the Netherlands

For more information, visit www.omancables.com

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example of this. Both the parties have benefited from the partnership.

How did you partner with Draka?

In 1995, we were approached by Draka. I still remember, in August 1995, their managing director asked us over the telephone, “Are you ready for foreign investment?” We promptly agreed even though we didn’t have a provision for such a high degree of foreign investments according to the Omani laws. It took us two years to arrive on the terms of agreement before we sold over 34.80 per cent equity stake to Draka. We got a special permission from the Government for it and the tempo was set for other foreign investors to enter Oman.

What has Draka brought on table for Oman Cables apart from the equity?

We didn’t have a technology sharing arrangement in the beginning. Draka had specialization in low voltage cables and we were already quite strong in it. In 1998, Draka advised us to move into a new segment of instrumentation and control cables. They guided us throughout the process. We have also used Draka’s brand name as an affiliate company that helped us in the beginning to penetrate in certain export markets.

Draka had invested in it the same time they invested in us but ACPL failed to perform well and ran into losses. In 2004, Draka approached us to help them as by that time they had ample proof of our business acumen and management skills. We took 40 per cent stake in ACPL as well as its management control for the next three years. We turned into a sustainable profit making unit the next year itself. We are currently in discussion with ACPL to enhance their value proposition and market penetration.

Are you looking at further expansion in international markets?

In Oman Cables, we are always open to new business opportunities that offer viable long-term benefits for the company and help us become a bigger player in the international market with a portfolio of highest quality products. We have been seriously considering entering new markets especially emerging economies with that objective in mind and had focused our energies on some of the promising opportunities in the past. Due to global economic slowdown, we had placed them on the backburner but we are hopeful that we will be able to revive or relook many of those initiatives towards the end of this year or next year.

BILATERAL RELATIONS

TOWARDS PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY Apart from a similar history as maritime merchants, Oman and the Netherlands today share a gas-fuelled economy that uses its natural strength to grow into heavily networked, knowledge-based service industries, says Rio D. Praaning Prawira Adiningrat, Vice Chairman of NEDO and Representative of the Ministry of Information of Oman in the Benelux (Belgium and the Netherlands)

T

he Netherlands-Sultanate of Oman (NEDO)’ Foundation was established to support bilateral activities in the areas of culture, sports, science and economy in order to contribute to the mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the Netherlands and Oman.

One of the Foundation’s major initiatives was the establishment of the Sultan Qaboos Academic Chair for Quantitative Water Management at the renowned Utrecht University/Roosevelt Academy, the Netherlands. The Foundation also regularly publishes the EurOman Magazine including overviews of noteworthy events in the relations between Oman and the Netherlands, particularly in the areas of education, culture and industry.

In an interview with Connexion, Rio D. Praaning Prawira Adiningrat, Vice Chairman of NEDO and Representative of the Ministry of Information of Oman in the Benelux (Belgium and the Netherlands), speaks about the important economic partnerships and cultural bonding between the Sultanate and the Netherlands. Excerpts of the interview: What similarities do you find between the Netherlands and Oman in terms of economic freedom and

business opportunities?

First of all, the Omanis and Dutchmen share a rich history of successful international trading. They have sailed all seas and contributed for hundreds of years to cultural understanding and religious tolerance which are the key to successful entrepreneurship.

Sustainable business requires a sustained partnership. This implies mutual respect and mutual profitability.

Part of this are adequate laws and regulations without which economies cannot grow. The pursuit of domestic fairness and equal opportunity characterised Dutch society even in 17th century art. Famous painters like Rembrandt and Vermeer focussed at the bourgeoisie rather than at courts.

Already in 999 AD, historians described the Port of Sohar as a thriving trading place dealing with silk from China, spices from Africa and frankincense from Oman. As in the Dutch Golden

ALREADY IN 999 AD, HISTORIANS DESCRIBED THE PORT OF SOHAR AS A THRIVING TRADING PLACE

BILATERAL RELATIONS

Photo Courtesy: NEDO

the logical complement of Oman as gateway to the Gulf. They are like communicating vessels – and I mean this both in terms of progressive port management and connecting businesses.

(from left to right) Rio D. Praaning Prawira Adiningrat, Vice Chairman of the Netherlands-Oman Foundation; HE Dr. Andreas van Agt, former Dutch Prime Minister and then Chairman of the NetherlandsOman Foundation; HE Khadija Al Lawati, then Ambassador of Oman to the Netherlands; and Dr. Luigi van Leeuwen, then Acting Mayor of the Municipality of Wassenaar on the occasion of a gathering in Wassenaar on 14 December, 2005 in the framework of 35 years of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s rule and the establishment of the Sultan Qaboos Academic Chair for Quantitative Water Management, an initiative of the Netherlands-Oman Foundation

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Age, Omani merchants empowered Omani society with many trades and craftsmanship. Sohar was a huge business opportunity in 999. A thousand years later the highly respected Dutch journalist Willem Breedveld refers to Sohar in exactly the same terms: ‘A business opportunity Port of Rotterdam could not miss…’

In what ways Oman can optimize on the Netherlands as the business gateway to Europe?

The recent financial crisis is rapidly changing patterns of trade and investment. The countries and regions of the world that had been less interested earlier in Oman and the Netherlands in new business or innovative industrial approaches are now looking at both Omani and Dutch entrepreneurs, scientists and investors for novel ventures. Rapidly expanding economies throughout Asia and soon Latin America will find new ways in Europe. The Dutch geostrategic position and its knowledge-based economy, including one of the world’s most dense internet crossroads, will appear as

In the recent years, Oman has been working aggressively on promoting innovation and knowledge building in the economy. What kind of cooperation between the two countries can help Oman move faster in this direction?

Apart from a similar history as maritime merchants, Oman and the Netherlands today share a gas-fuelled economy that uses its natural strength to grow into heavily networked, knowledgebased service industries. A partnership between Port of Rotterdam and Port of Sohar and the historic relationship between Shell and Petroleum Development Oman calls for many more such joint ventures. A quick scan of successful bilateral relations between countries demonstrate a strong industrial interwovenness through partnerships in almost any relevant industrial or economic sector.

The Royal Visit of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix to Oman includes themes such as water management, infrastructure development, agricultural development, scientific and cultural exchange, etc.

Both countries can jointly develop partnerships or, perhaps even better, engage in trilateral forms of cooperation using each other’s strengths in each other’s part of the world. This is not just a matter of representation or of joint investment. It requires to develop and agree on joint strategies that include all domestic and international political considerations on each side of the divide.

How can Oman and the Netherlands, as comparatively smaller nations,

play a relatively important role in international trade and politics?

Hugo Grotius (1583-1645, Dutch statesman and scholar) is one of the founders of international (maritime) law.

He is part of a great tradition of liberal laws that provide The Hague in the Netherlands with the honorary title ‘legal capital of the world’. In The Hague, the presence of the Peace Palace, the International Court of Justice, the International Court of Arbitration, the International Criminal Court and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mirrors a Dutch mindset around the proverb, ‘If you are not strong you must be smart’. Only the promotion of international law wherever and whenever possible guarantees the protection of smaller but hardworking and enterprising nations against external threats or regional imbalances.

In many ways, Oman and the Netherlands share a philosophical basis for an active participation in international relations based on principles of peace and fair trade combined with humanitarianism. The heads of both states have had an internationalist education and have built up decades of experience in dealing with both domestic and international challenges. Both are known and respected for their independent positions, respect for minorities and care for the vulnerable. At the same time, they embody the pride of their national culture. Both inspire in their nations the highest levels of ethics and morality. Although their example cannot and will not at all times be followed by everyone, they are undeniably the ultimate protector of their countries’ sovereignty and self-determination.

The Omani nation was determined to relive its own golden century

through the rapid build-up of deep sea ports and the required infrastructure.

The Port of Salalah in Oman’s south is now the region’s largest hub for the world’s largest container ships. The Port of Sohar in the north allows ships to unload cargo for the entire Gulf region without entering the potentially more volatile Gulf. The new Port of Duqm is destined to become one of the region’s foremost repair ports. Rotterdam has partnered with Sohar. One of the largest maritime transport companies Maersk partners with Salalah. The Koreans have settled for Duqm. The Dutch seem to survive the global economic slug in a fairly unscathed way. The country remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in Europe, attracting ever more headquarters from Japanese, Chinese, Latin American and US enterprises. Oman and the Netherlands know that internal stability and tolerance are historically defining successful international economic expansion and domestic prosperity.

In your opinion, why Oman has not been a significant beneficiary of the Netherlands’ $851 billion foreign investments?

I would rephrase this question. The question is whether cooperation between institutions and organisations of both countries has or has not promoted both investment and income.

The answer is yes, and in the hundreds of billions. Shell’s investments and activities in Oman have long been the backbone of Oman’s economic growth. The Sohar-Rotterdam joint venture has attracted tens of billions of Euros of investment in less than five years. Hundreds of Dutch and Omani companies cooperating in almost any sector of the Omani economy provided income and jobs to thousands of Omanis and Dutchmen.

The Sultan Qaboos Academic Chair for Quantitative Water Management at Utrecht University/Roosevelt Academy is destined to provide invaluable expertise and international network to Oman’s unique endeavours to combat drought and heat. This Academic Chair is an initiative of the Netherlands-Oman Foundation which in the past 20 years has promoted hundreds of exchanges, joint ventures and investments, including the establishment and development of the Port of Sohar. Of course, any bilateral relationship can always be improved.

If you ask a Brit: “How is your wife?”, you know what he answers: “Compared to what?” Do compare the Omani-Dutch bilateral relationship with any other comparable framework. This month’s State Visit is destined to confirm that the Omani-Dutch relationship is unique and an example for many others.

OMAN AND HOLLAND SHARE A PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS FOR AN ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

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RESEARCH

SPREADING KNOWLEDGE

HE Ambassador Ronald Mollinger, Director of the Middle East Desalination Research Center, located in Muscat, is one of the prominent Dutch personalities working in Oman

A

s a result of the Oslo accords, the Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) was established by an international treaty in 1997. Headquartered in Muscat, the multilateral international organisation is involved in projects that addresses the needs of many countries, especially in the arid Middle East and North Africa international region, for fresh water using desalination technology. These projects have a political relevance as well by encouraging cooperation among its member states. The experts from Arab states including the Palestinian Authority, Israel and countries from Europe and Asia all sit around the table to develop practical solutions to regional water challenges.

In January 2009, His Excellency Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Chairman of MEDRC, announced His Excellency Ambassador Ronald Mollinger as the new center director of this intergovernmental research organisation. Previously, HE Mollinger served the Netherlands’ government as an ambassador in Hungary, ambassador at large/special envoy for Afghanistan, ambassador to Iran, Lebanon and the UAE. HE was the only Dutch career diplomat out of the 140 people who had applied for the position, the rest of them had all been water engineers.

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the member states and its relevant contribution to the Middle East Peace process, HE Mollinger remarked: “MEDRC is an example of how cooperation can successfully take place once you have a common interest”.

Apart from research, MEDRC also provides education by offering relevant courses and sending students from the MENA region to universities abroad.

Choosing a diplomat for this position turned out to be a wise decision though as one of his main tasks at MEDRC is to attract new members. MEDRC was already supported by Oman, the Netherlands, the United States, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Qatar, Japan and South Korea. Mainly thanks to his efforts, Spain is the latest state to have joined the organisation.

MEDRC is currently holding talks with several other European, North African and Middle Eastern states to join the research center.

With regard to the collaboration among

As one of the MEDRC member states, the Netherlands has a lot to offer in terms of knowledge and expertise about water and water related issues, according to HE Mollinger. One of the MEDRC’s advisors is the Dutch Professor Jan Schippers who is attached to the International UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, established in 2003 and based in Delft, the Netherlands.

Delft is considered to be the centre of water knowledge as also the renowned Technical University (TU) Delft and Deltares Institute are located there.

UNESCO-IHE carries out research, education and capacity building activities in the areas of water, environment and infrastructure. It also trains water experts from all over the world. Currently, Professor Schippers is educating an Omani student at UNESCO-IHE in the area of sea water desalination.

For more information, visit www.medrc.org

PORTS

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PARTNERS IN PROGRESS Sohar Industrial Port Company has been the most high profile development in Oman-Holland economic co-operation in the last 10 years

W

hen Oman wanted to develop one of the most modern ports in the world in Sohar, it opted for joining hands with the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The Sultanate had a solid reason behind. The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe. Thus was born Sohar Industrial Port with combined investments exceeding $14 billion.

The management of this industrial port lies with Sohar Industrial Port Company SAOC (SIPC), a 50/50 joint venture between the Government of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam. The original agreement between the two parties was signed in 2002 and included a port area of 2100 hectares. SIPC was entrusted with the management and development of the port until 2025. In November 2007, an addendum to the concession agreement was signed between the Government of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam to expand the concession area to include 4500 hectares for developing Freezone Sohar.

The agreement also granted SIPC an extension to its term up to 2043.

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clusters: logistics, petrochemicals and metals. The port hosts companies including Vale Oman, Air Liquide, Alcan, Larsen & Toubro, Methanol Holding International, Suez, Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company, etc. The three terminals at the port are operated by world class leading companies. The Dutch company, C. Steinweg Oman for general cargo; the joint venture between the German Oiltanking and Norwegian Odfjell for liquids; and Oman International Container Terminals (OICT) (owned by Hongkong based Hutchinson/Whampoa) for containers.

Photos Courtesy: SIPC

Container Terminal Managed and operated by OICT, the container terminal’s current capacity is 800,000 TEUs per annum. The port has a designed capacity to handle up to 5.3 million. To further reinforce the position of Sohar Industrial Port and OICT as the eminent gateway to international trade, an inland container depot (ICD) officially known as Muscat Container Depot (MCD) was launched in June 2010. MCD is the first complete ICD with customs facility in the Sultanate.

Jan H. Meijer, a prominent Dutch national, is the Group CEO of SIPC

Located just before the Strait of Hormuz, Sohar Industrial Port is within easy reach of the booming economies of the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent and provides great connectivity to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and Muscat. Sohar Industrial Port is witnessing an increase in the number of vessels calling the port every year. The first vessel called the port in 2004 for delivering equipment that went into the construction of the present industries. The port received 1000 vessels during 2009 and shows a steady increase although most ports of the world have been heavily affected by the recession. In 2010, the port had received 838 vessels by September.

Sohar Industrial Port houses three

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General Cargo Terminal C. Steinweg Oman LLC (CSO) was established in Oman in early 2004 and was awarded a 25-year concession for handling general break bulk cargoes & container stuffing and stripping related operations in Sohar Industrial Port.

Break bulk as well as RO-RO vessel can be loaded and unloaded at the CSO quay wall.

Liquid Bulk Terminal Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals & Co LLC is a joint venture of Oiltanking Odfjell Oman BV (70 per cent), Oman Oil Company (25 per cent) and a private investment company (5 per cent). It operates the liquid berthing facilities and an independent bulk liquid storage

terminal at Sohar Industrial Port. The terminal caters for the storage and handling of petroleum products, chemicals and gases. Part of the existing facility is pipeline linked and dedicated to a nearby world scale chemical plant.

The terminal’s infrastructure provides excellent flexibility to its customers, quick turnaround times for vessels and has added capabilities such as truck loading, blending and injection of additives. It has multiple pipeline connections to the nearby refinery.

Further Expansion Sohar Industrial Port has now entered the next phase of expansion. During this phase, a pelletizing plant and iron ore distribution centre has been built by the Brazilian mining giant Vale. A large

deep-water jetty has been constructed and it is capable of receiving the next generation of Very Large Ore Carriers of 400,000 DWT. Vale will bring iron ore from their ports in Brazil to Sohar where steel pellets will be produced for the region. In addition, Sohar will also function as the distribution centre for iron ore to be exported to the Middle East, India and Africa.

Sohar Freezone LLC (Port of Sohar Group) is also developing Sohar Freezone. The development is planned in four phases. A number of downstream industrial and petrochemical ventures, warehousing and logistics services, and so-called ‘soft’ investments, such as educational, medical and other service-related amenities are envisaged in the first phase.

Steinweg Oman LLC (CSO), an OmaniDutch joint venture, was awarded a 25-year concession for handling general break bulk cargoes & container stuffing and stripping related operations in Sohar Industrial Port

For more information, visit www.portofsohar.com

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While other free zones in neighbouring countries in the GCC offer almost similar incentives, Sohar has a more advantageous location being outside the Strait of Hormuz which makes it attractive for logistics’ activities.

Furthermore, Sohar already has upstream industries in petrochemicals, steel, aluminum and other minerals which offer investment opportunities in secondary industries. These features are further enhanced by a modern land transport infrastructure as well as air cargo services in the near future and rail infrastructure in the medium term.

Apart from being a joint venture partner in Sohar International Development Company, what kind of a role Port of Rotterdam is playing in the project?

Port of Rotterdam is an equal partner with the Government and collectively

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ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITION Many Dutch companies are showing a great interest in Freezone Sohar, says Jamal T. Aziz, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Port of Sohar and CEO of Freezone Sohar

Photos Courtesy: SIPC

What is the current state of Freezone Sohar? What are its competitive advantages compared to other free zones in Oman and neighbouring countries?

A Royal Decree was issued by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos last December instituting the Law of Sohar Free Zone.

The Law provides further incentives to investors specifically for Foreign Direct Investment. These include exemption from taxes and custom duties, 100 per cent foreign ownership, lower levels of local manpower employment and free repatriation of profits. According to the Law, a one-stop-shop for Government permits and licenses has been established and is operated by the management of Freezone Sohar.

Currently, the infrastructure of the Phase 1 area of the Freezone is under construction, whilst the marketing efforts have already attracted multinational investments to the tune of about $65 million in logistics and industrial projects.

own two-thirds of the issued shares of the management company of the Free Zone. The remaining issued shares are held by a strategic partner from India to help attract investments from India. Therefore, professionals from the Port of Rotterdam are serving in the management company of the Freezone in commercial and technical fields. Port of Rotterdam is helping the business development of the Freezone through its contacts and network in various international target markets.

What has been the degree of interest shown by Dutch companies in the Freezone Sohar so far? What

are your expectations from the Dutch market in Freezone Sohar in the coming years?

Freezone Sohar has tremendous synergy with Sohar Industrial Port.

Therefore, Steinweg, the operator of the general cargo facilities at Sohar Industrial Port, has shown its interest for logistics operations for the Freezone.

Other logistics operators from the Netherlands have been approached. In addition, discussions are going on with Dutch companies (and consultants) in the water and agri industries.

Furthermore, DCMR is involved in the environmental monitoring and control of freezone industries.

WATER MANAGEMENT

A huge water management project can become a disaster when the people involved only look at one issue ignoring the loss of flow or environmental issues

MATHEMAGICAL SOLUTIONS TO WATER PROBLEMS The Omani people are very creative and could get water for centuries through their ingenious aflaj (waterways), which is like magic, says Dr. Ruud J. Schotting 2011

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W

ith a Ph.D in Mathematics, Dr. Ruud J. Schotting is holder of the Sultan Qaboos Chair of Quantitative Water Management in the Department of Earth Sciences/ Roosevelt Academy of Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He has been actively involved in national and international research projects in water management and conservation. Prof.

Schotting is currently involved in a study into the water management around the Sohar Industrial Port – a study cofinanced by the Sultanate of Oman and the Netherlands.

“The contract is already signed and this scoping study is going to start very soon,” said Prof. Schotting in a conversation with Suaad Al Salti and Bushra Al Harthy, communications students of Sur College of Applied Sciences, Oman. Excerpts from the interview: How do you link mathematics and water?

The first step in modeling is always to translate the physics and/or geochemistry and microbiology into mathematical equations. When you study a natural phenomenon, you simplify a complex process into a mathematical model which can predict, for instance, the flow of ground water.

You can measure with and play with the mathematical model to come to a solution but you won’t actually dig a few wells to measure and come to a solution. The mathematics equation model offers a predictive value.

What kind of study are you doing in Sohar?

We are going to study the water use in the Sohar Port area. The Sohar project is going to start very soon – a contract has already been signed with

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the Ministry for Trade and Industry. The project is called a scoping study and it aims to come up with a plan to find solutions for water management in the area. But first we need to understand what has changed and track the use of water. Sohar has a big port that needs a lot of water, and produces a lot of wastewater. The people are worried because there is a lot of desalination happening and they think the port is taking away their water. This is a unique study being done with Sultan Qaboos University, and the Middle East Desalination Research Centre (MEDRC) is also involved. A unique company working in irrigation and using computers and sensors to get data is also involved. For example, their computer tells the farmer ‘add a little bit of water’ or ‘the temperature is too high’… Every day farmers get information about the crops so they can save 50 to 60 per cent of the water.

Right now, a lot of water given to crops is wasted through evaporation.

What are the challenges that you face in water management and is there a solution to water management in Oman?

The biggest mistake that people make when considering water management is looking at one thing only. But mathematics does not work alone -- water management is not a mono-discipline. You need physics, geophysics, chemistry and biology for the bacteria use, etc. So water management is a combination of all of these and you need to get it in a correct way. A huge water management project can become a disaster when the people involved only look at one issue ignoring the loss of flow or environmental issues.

A striking example is Bangladesh.

Before the 1970s, Bangladesh relied on fresh surface water resources.

However, this surface water was highly

contaminated by hazardous biological substances causing a variety of life threatening diseases. After the 70s, Bangladesh started to explore and produce shallow fresh groundwater, which was widely available all over the country. Unfortunately, after a few decades it became clear that the shallow groundwater assumed to be potable, contained high concentrations of naturally occurring arsenic leading to one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of mankind.

Now, as awareness is growing, engineers are taking all these issues into account. You see this in the Netherlands where making buildings involves not just engineers but also environmentalists. And since it is a cold place, we want to store heat. So now we build with nature and use nature to achieve the goals we want to achieve.

In recent years, Oman has been hit by two cyclones resulting in a huge amount of damage caused by rainwater running into the sea. Can Oman put such water to good use?

I will never say that we are doing the right thing in the Netherlands, but in 1953, we had a big storm that flooded our islands and thousands of people died. This disaster happened in the Zeeland province. So, we had a project that aimed to make the coastline shorter by putting dams near the islands. It has helped to protect the islands, but the water between them is no longer sea water and is collecting fresh water. So we have changed our environment.

In Oman, in the mountain areas close to the coast, short but intensive rain events take place. The rainwater runs down the mountain slopes towards the sea, in ‘wadis’ or natural canals that are dry for most of the year. After intensive rain in the mountains, they suddenly fill

Is there a possibility to combine ancient techniques such as Oman’s famous aflaj system with new techniques for future water management?

The Omani people are very creative and could get water for centuries through their ingenious aflaj (waterways), which is like magic. They knew there is a drinking water underground and they used gravity to take out the water and direct it through underground channels.

This, of course, kept evaporation low and a series of ducts helped in the maintenance of the aflajs. Even now, agriculture and small villages rely on the aflaj for their source of water.

Enough fresh water should be available for every human being in the world

with water, resulting in ‘flash-floods’.

Without any artificial measures, part of the water will evaporate due to the high atmospheric temperatures, and part of the water will end up in the sea. Only a small amount of water would infiltrate in the subsurface to recharge the freshwater bodies.

A well-known method to increase the infiltration is to build recharge dams. These dams basically collect the mountain run-off, such that the freshwater gets time to infiltrate into the subsurface. But, you want the water to infiltrate quickly because if water stands too long, it can get bacteria which can be dangerous. Silt and clay can make the bottom of the dam non-porous. Then you need to put in an infiltration well so that you can put more water into the underground reservoir over a shorter time.

Of course, this system is sustainable in the future as well, but we have to keep recharging the underground reservoirs and not ‘mine’ the water. We need to get water from the higher layers and not the deep layers, because then it will deplete. But, as I said, there is no single solution to water management so you need to put many things together.

You need desalination, you need the aflajs, you need to improve irrigation techniques… You need a combination of things, not one thing.

Why don’t you like to refer to water as blue gold and what should we call it instead?

Indeed, I really do not like the commonly used metaphor ‘Blue Gold’ for water, because it implicitly refers to greed.

People that use this metaphor are apparently only interested in one thing, making huge profits while knowing that fresh water resources are under stress.

Enough fresh water should be available for every human being in the world, it is one of the most essential substances; enabling life. I am personally much more in favour of the water metaphor H.M. Sultan Qaboos once used: ‘Water, a Natural Wealth’.

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MUTUAL ADMIRATION To be successfully adapted to the Netherlands, one should have a precise watch, a busy agenda and be constantly complaining about the weather, says Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen

R

ecently, Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen, a well known Dutch expert on monarchies, history of universities, and also on general etiquette, has written a book about ‘Omani Manners’ for Dutch audience. She was assigned the task to write this book as part of the initiatives related to the State Visit of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix to Oman in March, 2011. The book is a guide for the Dutch nationals to increase their cultural awareness in areas such as Omani etiquette.

Since 1980, Ditzhuyzen has written 15 books in the area of cultural history.

Several of her publications have been devoted to the Dutch Royal Family. Her book on etiquette has been published 14 times and her ‘Etiquette Calendar’, with a daily question (and answer) on good manners, is extremely successful as well.

Connexion spoke to her at length about her understanding of Dutch and Omani cultures and societies. Excerpts of the conversation:

Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen Expert on monarchies, history of universities and general etiquette

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What has been your motivation for writing on the above mentioned subjects? Are these subjects interrelated?

As regards European monarchies and etiquette, I was asked to write about these subjects long time ago. So I did.

But subsequently I got labeled as ‘Miss Etiquette’ and ‘Miss Orange’ (because of the name of the Dutch Royal Family).

In the beginning I was rather annoyed about this because I did not take these subjects very seriously. By now this has changed, so I still write about it. My motivation for writing on universities is my strong interest in the importance of education. Monarchies and etiquette are very much related, indeed, as many rules of etiquette (and protocol!) originated at princely courts. Moreover, both Monarchy and etiquette are aimed at binding people together.

Would you like to share your thoughts on the importance of the first official visit of Her Majesty, the Queen of the Netherlands to the Sultanate of Oman?

It is important especially because of the close ties between our countries.

Historically, we are both seafaring and trading nations. There is close co-operation on political, educational (universities of Leiden and Utrecht) and economic (Port of Sohar, Shell etc.) fronts between the two nations. The fact that the Prince and Princess of Orange are accompanying the Queen on this visit proves the great value that is attached to the ties with Oman.

As an expert on etiquette, you have written a book called ‘Manners in the Netherlands - Dutch Ditz’. What is it all about?

‘The Dutch are so relaxed and easygoing!’ That is what many people say. However, the Dutch possess their share of idiosyncrasies: some of their ways and manners are quite different from anywhere else. Such different ways of behaving sometimes make foreigners feel unsure of themselves, since they do not know how they should act or react in a given situation. But someone might also feel offended, for instance,

if a Dutch person does something that seems rather inappropriate according to that foreigner’s cultural perceptions.

To avoid misunderstandings and difficulties in adjusting and to make the lives of foreigners in the Netherlands comfortable and more successful, this book ‘Manners in the Netherlands Dutch Ditz’, covers the most important aspects of etiquette considered to be typically Dutch. The book serves another purpose. It also compels the Dutch to take a good look in the mirror!

Could you mention some aspects of etiquette that are considered to be typically Dutch?

The emphasis is on ‘gelijkheid’ (equality).

We don’t like hierarchy. We say ‘Nooit met je kop boven het maaiveld uitsteken!’ (Never let your head rise above the parapet!) and ‘Doe maar gewoon’ (Be normal). This love for equality makes Dutch manners quite different from manners elsewhere. That is why unfortunately foreigners sometimes complain about our ‘bad manners’, although we often don’t mean any harm!

The book Oman Ditz (Omani Manners) showcases the culture and society of Oman

When asked for examples, they say the Dutch let doors slam in your face!

‘Why should I open a door for you?

You are not more important than I am!’ Foreigners also say their service is miserable. ‘Serving someone means inequality, subordination, even submission, and the Dutch don’t like

BOTH OMANIS AND DUTCH ARE OPENMINDED, DARING, MULTICULTURAL AND EFFICIENT MERCHANTS 2011

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that.’ For the same reason, they rarely say please, thank you or sorry.

Let me also give a nice and positive example of our equality manners. If painters or repairmen like plumbers and carpenters are working in your home, you are expected to offer them something to drink say coffee, tea, whatever… and a biscuit, naturally. It is considered impolite not to do so.

The Dutch spend endless amount of time in meetings, sometimes to the utter despair of a foreigner

Straightforwardness is another Dutch characteristic that all foreigners seem to agree on. We are dreadfully outspoken and direct. We say what we think. A German invited a Dutchman to a party.

The Dutchman said that he would not come because he preferred to go to the beach. Well, this was a very honest and straightforward answer, but he did not realize how hurtful it was for the German.

There are some more aspects mentioned by the foreigners. Drinking coffee together is essential for the scientific and cultural exchange in the Netherlands. To be successfully adapted to the Netherlands, one should have a precise watch, a busy agenda and be constantly complaining about the weather!

For more information on Reinildis Van Ditzhuyzen, visit www.reinildis.nl

What advice would you like to give to an Omani who will visit the Netherlands for the first time as a tourist?

Bear the above mentioned aspects in

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mind! Importantly, hierarchy is of little account. This means that the Omani should not be surprised seeing a highranking Dutch person cleaning his car or a mayor of a big city pouring coffee for an Omani delegation instead of having this done by others. Neither should get offended by a blunt NO for an answer.

What kind of an advice you would like to give to an Omani who is about to do business with someone from the Netherlands?

Be punctual, neither early nor late.

Ring up if you are going to be delayed.

Never show up unannounced. The Dutch spend endless amount of time in meetings, sometimes to the utter despair of a foreigner. This is their socalled poldermodel (slowly working towards a consensus of compromise).

Do not show off your wealth and status.

Don’t come with expensive business gifts. Generally demonstrate modesty.

Enjoy the typical (cold) Dutch lunch (sandwiches with ham and cheese, milk, coffee, fruit).

Tell us about your book on Omani manners?

I was asked to write this book on the occasion of the state visit of our Queen to Oman. It is written for Dutch people (expatriates, tourists, business persons, diplomats, students, etc.) to explain how and why Omanis are as they are both at home and work place. You can read about aspects such as meeting, greetings, Islam, family life, business manners, eating & drinking, Omani dresses, rituals at birth, marriage & death, information on frankincense, majlis, jewellery, the evil eye, etc. The beautiful photographs in the book capture the Omani culture and society to amply support the review. Many tips, do’s and don’ts are given.

COLUMN

FRIENDS FOREVER Omanis’ commitment for their country and warm hospitality has inspired many Dutch people to often return to the Sultanate and embark on joint co-operation for a common better future, says Dr Corien Hoek ABOUT THE AUTHOR Corien Hoek lived in Oman between 1985 and 1990. As an anthropologist, she did her Ph.D. research in the regional development. Her dissertation was entitled: “Shifting Sands, Social Economic Development in alSharqiyah region”.

She regularly visits the Sultanate, contributing to various developments and exchange projects. She was also involved in the Oman Botanic Garden project.

Corien Hoek has specialised in the societies and cultures in the Middle East. She is also an editorial board member of the EurOman magazine, a publication brought out by the NetherlandsOman Foundation.

I

n their dealings, they both are among themselves and with foreigners, very polite, amicable, generous and obliging,” wrote the Dutch envoy Padtbrugge, in his letters when describing the talks that were held in Muscat from 1672 to 1673 between the Dutch envoys and Omani authorities. This is still the experience of many employees and partners of Dutch companies in Oman who have the opportunity to spend a short or longer time living in Oman.

The Netherlands also gained from his visit, reports Padtbrugge. After they had seen copper-smiths use red earth as material for an innovative and effective beating technique, the Dutch decided to purchase a large quantity of the earth for similar use in the Netherlands. They also noticed the new technique how the craftsmen let the lead drip in cool water to disperse the material. This method was unknown in Holland.

The Dutch doctor Alice van der Zwaag (1925-2006) during her stay in Oman experienced the same hospitality and friendship. She lived in Oman from 1959 to 1975, working as medical head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital (Women’s Hospital) in Muscat, affiliated to the American Mission. The two hospitals of the American Mission

had long been the only modern medical services for the population. During that time, she coached countless women and their families during pregnancy and the birth of their children. She was famous for her commitment to duty, loyalty and sincerity.

“Many of the newborn babies were named after her,” according to Dr. Donald Bosch in the book ‘The American Mission Hospitals in Oman’.

Dr. Alice was a gifted photographer.

She made unique pictures of the life in the cities and villages, and the impressive nature in Oman. At that time, few foreigners had the opportunity to visit the country and meet its people.

She also documented the profound change in Oman when the country began to experience the blessings of the oil era, under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

Recently, she donated her photographs to the Ministry of Heritage and Culture.

Some of these can be seen in the Oman Heritage Museum in Qurum in the permanent exhibition, illustrating daily life at that time.

My first experience with the generous open-mindedness of the Omani people was in 1986 when I joined as an anthropologist in a scientific expedition in Al-Sharqiyah. This research,

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organised by the Royal Geographic Society in London, investigated the flora and fauna of the small sand desert and regional development.

Entrepreneurial people were keen to exchange with me their ideas and experiences in seizing the opportunities made available through oil revenues.

Others explained their commitment to development, even when they had to give up other priorities.

“I agree that my wife lives in the capital area during the week to study at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU),” said Said, who lived and worked as a manager in the local bank in Ibra.

“When she finishes, she will be a doctor and live with me again in Ibra.”

Local high school students who joined the expedition were eager to learn the new insights generated by the latest techniques and scientific knowledge in the project. We wrote our reports as guests of the Sultan Qaboos University that was to receive its first students later in the year.

I had another chance to experience the amicable hospitality of Omani people when assessing the social and economic effects of the Botanic Garden for the inhabitants of the nearby village of Al-Khoudh. The management of this tourism project, that will exhibit various aspects of Oman’s natural environment in a 28 hectare park, sought to incorporate the involvement of local citizens. These people obviously showed great enthusiasm to participate in this challenging project in order to ensure its success. A number of women had distributed notices in the village, calling people to send in their bio-datas for work available in the Botanic Garden.

Within a few days, around 80 people responded and stated their interest, listing suitable options.

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“I presently study at the Tourism Institute, and want to work as a guide in the Garden to inform the visitors about the plants and the environments,” wrote 22-year old Raya. Khalfan is over 50 years. Throughout his life he had plaited mats and baskets from date palm fronds. “As a pensioner I want to hand over my craftsmanship to interested young people in workshops in the garden, for free,” Khalfan said.

This confidence of Omanis in their country’s future and in their individual capabilities to contribute, together with their friendly hospitality and openness to the world has inspired me and so many other Dutch people to often return and embark on joint co-operation for a common better future.

The warm hospitality of Omanis attracts foreigners to the country and inspires them to stay there

ENTREPRENEURIAL PEOPLE WERE KEEN TO EXCHANGE WITH ME THEIR IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES

EDUCATION

GO DUTCH FOR STUDYING The higher education institutions in the Netherlands offer a large number of international study programmes and courses in English to make the kingdom a frontrunner in the continental Europe in education sector, writes Hans van Baaren

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n general, the Dutch education system is quite similar to that of other European countries. At the age of four, children enroll in elementary schools. After 8 years, they continue their education in a secondary school.

For a certain period of time, basic secondary education is offered to all pupils but then based on their abilities and capacities, the secondary school student population is roughly divided in two equal parts; one part consisting of pupils being prepared for higher education (5 to 6 years), while the rest gets prepared for further vocational education (4 years). Pupils do have the possibility to move from one level to another. Higher education is offered at Universities of Applied Sciences (Hogescholen) offering Bachelor’s degrees (4-5 years) while some also offer Master’s degrees; and Research Universities offering Bachelor, Master and Doctoral (Ph.D) programmes. A number of these Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offer programmes in English. The Universities of Applied Sciences focus on competence based learning and teaching methods; at most of these HEIs, students work on ‘real’ projects in groups as well as individually, while they gain relevant working experience via work placements and incubator programmes. Another form of competence-based learning is offered by vocational training (2-4 years) institutions preparing students for a large variety of professions.

In the Netherlands, the level of participation in education is relatively high: out of the 16.5 million inhabitants, approximately 4 million young people are currently enrolled in around 10,000 educational institutions around the country – ranging from 8,000 elementary schools to 12 Universities and other higher education institutions, secondary schools, Universities of

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Applied Sciences, vocational education training centers and specialised schools. Education policy at all levels is mainly coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

‘Typically Dutch’ Education reflects in many ways the past, present and future traits of a country. It does so in cultural, political, economic, religious and personal ways. Thus education in Holland has also unique features, distinguishing it from other countries in Europe. Take for instance a seemingly trivial matter.

For many years most Dutch pupils in elementary and secondary schools are not obliged to wear uniforms, contrary to schools in the UK and Belgium for instance. This fact no doubt reflects the Dutch liberal mentality and the fact that the ability to make individual choices is a highly regarded value in the country.

Or take the role that water plays in education – water is deep settled in the ‘DNA’ of Dutch people and society.

Literally almost one third of the country lies below sea level. Water Councils were the first democratic institutions in the country. The Netherlands is also home to a number of ports. Among them is the Port of Rotterdam, the largest port of Europe. It has a longstanding maritime tradition and still houses numerous maritime industries. All these water-related developments reflect themselves in the education system.

There are universities that specialise

in Maritime Technology and Logistics; vocational training institutes for maritime professions; and maritime education is even an export product. Even learning how to swim was once obligatory at elementary schools. Water Management and Technology is emerging as a major direction in higher education. Meanwhile, the Dutch city of Delft is considered to be the centre of water knowledge as also the renowned Technical University (TU) Delft and Deltares Institute (a research institute and consultancy for matters relating to water), as well as the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education are located here.

Religion has also shaped education, especially in the past when there was still a deep division in the Netherlands between the overwhelmingly Catholic South and Protestant North. This resulted in Catholic elementary and secondary schools, while there were also schools established based on the various forms of Protestantism.

Catholics were not represented in the Government until the early 20th century, so it took a long time for Catholic Universities to emerge. The 19th century saw the emergence of Liberalism and Socialism, resulting in public schools based on various pedagogic models.

Since the 60s, the Netherlands has a growing Dutch Muslim population, nowadays around 8 per cent of the population, resulting in a number of Islamic elementary schools. In general,

IN HOLLAND, THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION IS RELATIVELY HIGH

however, religion is no longer the main distinguishing trait of schools as it used to be in the past.

The present and the future Today, the education system has to cope with a student population that is highly diversified, with very different lifestyles and backgrounds and with learning methods that are largely based on information technology, while students for a large part became tech-savvy outside the classroom.

Some teaching professionals have difficulties to keep up with these rapid changes. Once a profession with a high societal status, the teaching has become less popular in comparison to other professions while the Dutch are also facing an aging population.

This problem is exacerbated by the developments in the teaching profession itself. As a result, the national policy is now directed towards restoring and reshaping the teaching profession.

Need for knowledge workers to meet the future demand To try to predict the future of an education system, in any country, is a risky exercise. For politicians it has always been like “Teaching an elephant how to dance”. Politicians see education as a way to shape the future, according to their various beliefs and needs.

However, fundamental change in the educational system usually takes at least 5 to 10 years to internalise, and politicians sometimes introduce new changes before this happens. Therefore, it may be wise for politicians to focus more on ‘what’ we expect from education then on ‘how’ to achieve that, leaving the latter to the education professionals.

An example to illustrate this, in many Western countries, the popularity of Science and Technology studies has declined. At the same time it is apparent

that the economy is evolving towards a knowledge intensive economy with ever increasing product and services life cycles. This calls for an increasing number of so-called knowledge workers.

While today 2 out of 10 students in the Netherlands choose scientific or technical directions at higher education institutions and vocational centers, the aim is to change this number into 3 to 4 out of 10 in the next 20 to 30 years. The challenges of obtaining sustainable energy and products, and to become less dependent on fossil fuels exacerbate this objective. To tackle this challenge, the Dutch Government has formed a Platform Bèta/Technology, headed by the former CEO of Shell, Jeroen van der Veer. The Platform Bèta/Technology has formulated this objective in all its aspects, disciplines and economic sectors and has launched a number of pilot projects and best practices. It is then the responsibility of schools and universities to take further steps. Of course, since this is in the best interest of small and large companies, these are strongly invited to cooperate with education. Public and private partnership is thus a key element in the future of education in this area. People who have a background in scientific or technical education are essential for a country that aims to develop a

knowledge intensive economy, both for developing new products and services and bringing in scientific and social change and innovation and a competitive edge.

Cooperation between Oman and the Netherlands As in the Netherlands, Omani education is also shaped by its past, present and future. Though the education systems will no doubt differ in many respects, there are striking similarities between the countries. Take for instance the role of both Oman and the Netherlands as a strategic logistical hub, with their ports, port related industries and infrastructure.

The joint venture in Maritime Technology (IMCO) for vocational professions is thus a fine example of their cooperation. Both countries see education as a crucial element in the advancement of many technologies, water technology being one the important areas. That this is an area of further cooperation is proven by the existence of the Sultan Qaboos Chair of Quantitative Water Management.

The author is an Advisor at Regional TechnoCentrum Amsterdam (RTCA), an organisation that, among others, aims to bridge the gap between scientific/ technical education and the job market; and to attract students into scientific and technical areas of study

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SHARING KNOWLEDGE Many Omani students on the Ministry of Higher Education’s scholarship are studying in the Netherlands to benefit from the Dutch way of interactive and student-centered teaching, writes Bregie van Baaren

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he bilateral relations between the Netherlands and Oman cover a broad spectrum of areas including higher education. A Netherlands-based Higher Education Institution (HEI) serves as a partner in the International Maritime College of Oman (IMCO) while plans by other Dutch parties to establish an HEI in Oman are underway. From the Omani side, two Sultan Qaboos Academic Chairs have been established at two renowned research universities in the Netherlands – one for Quantitative Water Management at Utrecht University and another for Oriental Studies at Leiden University.

The Chairs are part of what HE Dr Abdullah Al Sarmi, Undersecretary of the Omani Ministry of Higher Education, describes to be “One of the Sultanate’s most important academic and cultural projects”. Together with the other Sultan Qaboos Chairs established at renowned universities around the world, both Chairs are part of Oman’s wider mission to play a constructive role in the dialogue among civilisations, to enrich cultural exchange and to develop enduring ties of friendship and collaboration in specific areas.

The Sultan Qaboos Chair for Oriental Studies In May 2008, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos endowed the Chair for Oriental Studies at Leiden University. The current holder of the Sultan of Oman Chair for Oriental Studies is Professor Berger who specialises in Islam in the Contemporary West. At the University, Professor Berger teaches History of Islam in the West, Law and Religion of Minorities, Political Islam and European Jurisprudence of Islamic Minorities.

Established in 1575, Leiden University is the oldest and one of the most prestigious universities in the Netherlands. Leiden University is also part of the Holland Arab Education Consortium (HAEC). HAEC is a collaboration among five Dutch research universities, Groningen University, Leiden University, Maastricht University, Twente University and Wageningen University. The universities offer a broad range of study programmes completely taught in English.

Omani students in the Netherlands On an annual basis, the Ministry of Higher Education in Oman sends a number of external scholarship students to different Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences. Take for example, Lamiyah

Al Abry, an Omani Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) external scholarship student who is currently enrolled in her second year of International Business and Management Studies (IBMS) at Avans University of Applied Sciences in Brabant in the South of the Netherlands.

Aside from IBMS, the Higher Education Institution (HEI) programme offerings include Asian Business Studies, Environmental Science, Finance and Control and Information Technology.

21-years old Lamiyah who graduated from the Hail al-Warmer school in Al

HE Dr Abdullah Al Sarmi, Undersecretary of the Omani Ministry of Higher Education 2011

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(the national language) which at the beginning made it difficult for her to determine if ingredients were all halal.

She easily overcame these difficulties though by asking people working at the supermarkets and restaurants for help as “most Dutch people speak English”, she discovered.

(Top) Three Omanis studying in 2005 at Roosevelt Academy, part of Utrecht University, located in Middelburg where the Sultan Qaboos Chair of Quantitative Water Management had been established in the same year (Right) Abdullah Al Ruzeiqi, an Omani MoHE scholarship student currently studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Saxion University of Applied Sciences For more information, visit www.studyinholland.nl

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Hail, Oman, will stay in the Netherlands for four years. In Brabant, she currently shares an apartment with an English –speaking female student from Germany. Lamiyah likes the smart board (interactive whiteboard) system used by educators at Avans and the applied learning component included in the programme offerings. The Omani student enjoys working in a group of students and simulating ‘real business’ in the classroom. This year, Lamiyah will do an internship at a company to further develop her practical skills.

Though the medium of instruction at her University is English, Lamiyah initially did have some difficulties with running errands for example, as everything in the supermarket is written in Dutch

When travelling from the South to the East to the Netherlands, we find Abdullah Al Ruzeiqi, an Omani MoHE scholarship student who is currently studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Saxion University of Applied Sciences. With approximately 23,000 enrolled students, the HEI offers a broad range of Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in areas such as Tourism Management, Game Creation & Producing, Electronic Engineering, Law, Entrepreneurship, Urban Design, Hotel Management and Environmental Science.

“Saxion has a special relation with Oman. We are very proud that we have Omani students in our courses. Saxion is currently developing a course in Water Management with a special focus on the needs of Oman. We would like to intensify the relationship in the near future”, says Dr Hans van der Velden, Manager International Affairs at Saxion.

from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds as just like Oman, the Netherlands is a multicultural society.

“Interacting with them taught me a lot of new things and it increased my tolerance and flexibility,” says Abdullah who is confident that on his return to Oman from the Netherlands, he will easily find a place to work where he can further develop his skills and contribute to the further development of his home country.

(Top) Lamiyah Al Abry, an Omani student at Avans University of Applied Sciences (Right) Students at Saxion University

Abdullah always wanted to study in Europe. He enjoys studying in the Netherlands as Saxion uses a competence-based learning method as well. “Here at the University, they provide you with a real situation. You have to fix or design or even develop a new product.

Right now I am mastering this subject and it slowly has become my passion, I am not here just to pass my exams and obtain a degree,” says Abdullah.

The Omani student mentions he is happy to get to know more people

Omani students like Lamiyah and Abdullah may encourage other young Omanis to consider to pursue their higher studies in the Netherlands as well, as His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al Sarmi, Undersecretary of the Omani Ministry of Higher Education, puts it: “Omani students tend to choose to study at overseas Higher Education Institutions where other Omanis are already enrolled. Most are initially a bit uncertain about many things which is natural when one has to move and settle in another country. Omani students who are already studying there can show these new students around; and once our students get familiar with the Dutch hospitality and welcoming environment they usually get very encouraged to successfully complete their studies there.”

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Annelies Boogaerdt Ex-Ambassador of the Netherlands to Oman

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THE PERFECT AMBASSADOR

Late Annelies Boogaerdt left a lasting impression during her tenure as the Netherlands ambassador to Oman during 2003-2008

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he former ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Annelies Boogaerdt, was certainly among the most outstanding Dutch nationals in Oman who have made a significant contribution in the promotion of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Zealand. A teacher before she turned a diplomat has left a lasting impression in Oman and she will be remembered for a long time for her sincerity and devotion to her job apart from being a wonderful human being. Connexion spoke to some of the Omani and Dutch nationals who worked closely with her.

The diplomat was conferred the Al Numan Order ‘First Class’ for her tenure in Oman. It recognised her role in enhancing bilateral relations between the Sultanate and her home country.

HE Khadija Al Lawati who spent 10 years as the Omani ambassador to the Netherlands (November 1999-October 2009) said, “Annelies and I were both female ambassadors serving our countries. This helped us to understand each other and it facilitated cooperation on a number of projects to further boost and strengthen the bilateral relations between our countries. I was also the Dean of the diplomatic corps in The Hague for six years while Annelies became the Dean of the diplomatic corps in Oman. Naturally we would exchange our experiences in this field.”

“During my tenure, Sohar Port has witnessed major development. The first time I went to Sohar in October 2003, I remember it was all sand and desert, now things have changed and that is amazing,” she had remarked in an interview with Oman Economic Review in 2008.

Talking further about her experience in Oman in the same interview, she had stated, “I was never apprehensive about coming to Oman. It is such a welcoming country and now after five years I feel it is even better than what I had imagined it to be. I feel a certain sense of satisfaction when my friends and relatives from Holland liked the place. The people are hospitable and warm and that makes your day-to-day life easy.”

She died in 2009 while serving as the Netherlands ambassador to New

She added, “Annelies was a strong person, thorough professional, as well as a caring and loving person in her relations with family and close colleagues. She was dedicated to her work and was able to achieve a considerable amount of popularity in Oman. Annelies will never be forgotten, she will stay in our hearts forever.”

Jan Meijer, Group CEO of Sohar Industrial Port Company, said while recounting his memories about her:

“Annelies and I arrived almost at the same time in the Sultanate. Oman was new to both of us. In her I found from day one onwards a professional and accomplished expert (albeit, we were in different sectors) as well as a good colleague and friend.”

“Besides her regular ambassadorial activities, she was passionately supporting causes for Omani society such as, helping the Omani government to deal with HIV, supporting the activities of UNICEF and promoting the role of Omani women,” he added.

“The Port of Sohar organisation (a 50:50 joint venture between the Sultanate and the Port of Rotterdam) had at that time just been established and was in a critical development period. Serious talks with the Omani government on the future of the port were taking place frequently. Although Annelies did not play a formal role in this regard, she helped wherever possible by organising informal supporting meetings, created the necessary publicity, stimulated women to work at the Port and was always there when some help was required,” he said.

He further said, “Thanks to her outgoing nature and warm personality she became much more than an ambassador alone; a personal friend of mine and of many of us in the Port.

She will not be forgotten.”

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PERSONALITY

‘OMAN IS A VERY SPECIAL COUNTRY’ Hans Erlings, Chief Executive Officer of Galfar Engineering & Contracting SAOG, is one of the long serving Dutch nationals in Oman

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s you start talking to him, you could make out instantly that Hans is immensely enjoying living in Oman. “The Sultanate is a very beautiful country. It is clean and offers number of virgin tourist areas. You won’t find these in many countries in Europe,” said Hans. When asked about his move to Oman, he said, “I came to Oman on 17 April, 1995 and worked in Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) (Shell has a significant stake in PDO). In 2002, I left Oman to work for Shell in Nigeria. And in March 2006, I came back to Oman.”

He is quite optimistic on the growth of Oman-Holland cooperation in the coming years. He said that relevant authorities on both the sides are identifying scope for further strengthening the existing relationships and exploring new areas for business opportunities.

“The Dutch embassy has a very active approach towards Oman. The current Dutch ambassador and his predecessor have been deeply engaged in Omani social activities. The embassy is doing quite a bit in facilitating the exchange of trade delegations between the two countries and promoting Dutch businesses and technologies in Oman. The people of the Sultanate are open and willing to explore new things and make the best use of available opportunities.” Talking about his joining Galfar, he said, “When I moved in here the outlook of engineering and construction business was very good. In the last number of years, we have seen a significant growth in our company.”

Galfar Engineering & Contracting SAOG (Galfar) is Oman’s largest construction company with EPC capability in Oil & Gas, Roads & Bridges and Civil & Utilities sectors operating in Oman, other GCC countries, Africa as well as India.

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