Oman is developing a number of new renewable energy projects, including solar and wind power. Getty Images
Oman is developing a number of new renewable energy projects, including solar and wind power. Getty Images
Oman is developing a number of new renewable energy projects, including solar and wind power. Getty Images
Oman is developing a number of new renewable energy projects, including solar and wind power. Getty Images

Oman targets 11% of power generation from renewables by 2023


Fareed Rahman
  • English
  • Arabic

Oman is drawing up plans to expand its renewable energy sector, setting a target of generating 11 per cent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2023, the Oman News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The country, which signed the Paris climate agreement in 2016, also aims to add 30 per cent of clean energy into its power mix by 2030.

The ministry is "devising various plans and policies to boost renewable energy production in the country", the report said.

“Projects of renewable energy contribute to economic diversification plans espoused by the Sultanate at a time the country strives to regulate sources of energy, conserve the environment and limit harmful fossil fuel emissions,” it added.

A number of solar and wind projects are currently being developed in the southern region of Dhofar by state-owned Petroleum Development Oman and Rural Areas Electricity Company (Tanweer), according to ONA.

Some of the biggest renewable energy projects in Oman include the $125 million 50-megawatt Dhofar wind farm, which was developed by Abu Dhabi's clean energy company Masdar and funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

Operational since 2019, the wind farm generates enough electricity to power about 16,000 homes and displaces 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Other projects in Dhofar include the 550MW Al Mazyouna solar energy plant and the 100MW Amin photovoltaic power plant that started operations last year, while Oman Shell launched a 25MW solar plant in Sohar last month.

Oman is also focusing on developing green hydrogen and last year opened the Oman Hydrogen Centre at German University of Technology in Muscat.

Other countries in the region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are also boosting their renewable energy capacity. The UAE aims to increase the contribution of clean energy to its total energy mix from 25 per cent to 50 per cent by 2050. It is developing a number of renewable energy projects, including the world’s largest solar power plant in Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is pursuing an ambitious renewable power strategy and plans to add 60 gigawatts of clean energy capacity to the national grid by 2030.

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July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

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Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK

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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

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3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

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Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

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MATCH INFO

Manchester United 2 (Heaton (og) 42', Lindelof 64')

Aston Villa 2 (Grealish 11', Mings 66')

WOMAN AND CHILD

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Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Visa changes give families fresh hope

Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income

Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.

Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process

In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.

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To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation

 

 

 

Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Two stars

PRO BASH

Thursday’s fixtures

6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors

10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters

Teams

Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.

Squad rules

All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.

Tournament rules

The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.

Teams

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

THE BIG MATCH

Arsenal v Manchester City,

Sunday, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm

MATCH INFO

Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')

Leeds United 0 

Results

5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m

Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)

6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m

Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor

6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m

Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar

7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m

Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m

Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly

GOLF’S RAHMBO

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- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
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- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The Little Things

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

Four stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets