Download or read book The Report Oman 2016 written by Oxford Business Group and published by Oxford Business Group. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oman’s GDP grew 4.6% between 2013 and 2014 according to the Oman Central Bank, with hydrocarbons the main driver of the economy at almost 50% of GDP. Although the dip in oil prices has put pressure on government revenues, authorities are pressing ahead with spending plans for the sector, particularly in the downstream segment. The country’s infrastructure expansion plans are also moving forward, particularly at the country’s three ports as the country seeks to leverage its strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz and establish itself as a global transport and logistics hub. Feeding off this development drive are the sultanate’s banks, with project finance regarded as one of the most promising areas for lending growth. In the longer term, Oman Vision 2020 seeks to boost private sector participation in the economy and fuel SME growth in key sectors, including construction, retail, tourism and transport.

Download or read book The Report Oman 2017 written by and published by Oxford Business Group. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Oman’s economy contracted by 13.8% in nominal terms in 2015 as the ongoing low oil price environment squeezed growth and led to the largest budget deficit in over a decade. In a bid to tackle the shortfall the government is taking a number of revenue-raising measures such as cutting subsidies and increasing corporation tax, while remaining focused on its long-term diversification goals. Though hydrocarbons still account for 33.9% of GDP and 78.7% of state revenues, non-oil sectors are playing an increasingly prominent role in the country’s economic profile. Authorities are targeting heavy industries in particular with plans to boost their GDP contribution to from 19.8% today to 29% by 2020. Meanwhile annual growth of 6% is being targeted in the mining sector, with a host of regulatory initiatives being implemented as the government seeks to boost investor interest. Start reading

Download or read book Urban Oman written by Sonja Nebel and published by LIT Verlag Münster. This book was released on 2016 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book traces urbanisation patterns in Oman looking at the coastal strip of Muscat Capital Area. This metropolitan region emerged within the last 50 years almost out of nowhere and is now home of the majority of the national and expatriate population of Oman. Urbanisation, and the socio-political, economic and environmental aspects attached to it, become an index of the radical spatial transformation of the Sultanate. This process, if managed well, also holds the key to sustainable urban development. Urban Oman invites geographers, planners, urban designers, architects, decision-makers and scholars of Gulf Studies to rethink the emergence of Muscat Capital Area and to embrace the urban Oman. Sonja Nebel, architect and urban planner, is researcher and consultant with focus on international urban development, rehabilitation and urban management, affiliated to TU Berlin and GUtech, Oman. Aurel von Richthofen, architect and urbanist, is working on urban renewal and spatial planning strategies, and is currently researcher at the Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore affiliated to the ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Download or read book Oman 2016 Human Rights Report written by U. S. U. S. State Department and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-03 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The principal human rights problems were the inability of citizens to choose their government in free, fair and periodic elections based on universal and equal suffrage; limits on freedom of speech, assembly, and association; and restrictions on independent civil society.

Download or read book The Report Dubai 2016 written by Oxford Business Group and published by Oxford Business Group. This book was released on 2016-10-17 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Financial services in particular is one non-oil area where the emirate is starting to pull ahead, with recent growth in the Islamic financial services segment fuelling the emirate's ambition of becoming the knowledge-based capital of the Islamic economy in the future. Meanwhile, Dubai's real estate and construction sectors, which were badly affected by the 2008 financial meltdown, are once again thriving as the legacies of the global crisis recede, and the debts incurred from that time are repaid and restructured. Indeed Dubai is now firmly focused on the future, with preparations for Dubai Expo 2020 in particular helping nourish its economic recovery, development and growth in recent years. The event is expected to attract 25m visitors over a six-month period and the build-up is driving development across several sectors. The preparations,

Download or read book World Report 2018 written by Human Rights Watch and published by Seven Stories Press. This book was released on 2018-01-30 with total page 810 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories are put into perspective in Human Rights Watch's signature yearly report. Reflecting extensive investigative work undertaken in 2016 by Human Rights Watch staff, in close partnership with domestic human rights activists, the annual World Report is an invaluable resource for journalists, diplomats, and citizens, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the fight to protect human rights in every corner of the globe.

Download or read book Oman written by Tony Walsh and published by Bradt Travel Guides. This book was released on 2016-12 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bradt's is the most up-to-date and informative guide to Oman, the Arabian peninsula's most welcoming destination, fully revised and updated by an author who has been living in Oman and Arabia since 1986. Oman is finally reaping the economic benefit of its location between Europe, Africa and Asia with substantial investment in major shipping ports and significant expansion of the national airline with new routes to Western Europe and East Asia. Despite being at the crossroads of great trade routes and empires, Oman has remained an independent country through much of its long history, and today tourism and travel are a major focus for Oman's government. This new edition covers the recent substantial investment in new airport facilities and upmarket accommodation and also features the historic UNESCO towns of Samharam and Al Balid. If you want to live like a local, the guide also tells you how to slow cook the traditional spiced meat shuwa and how to be a perfect guest if invited into an Omani home. Oman is not merely a desert. While it has the classic sand seas - Wihibah Sands - home to the nomadic Bedouin and their camels, this sultanate also boasts lush monsoon-soaked valleys near Salalah, mountain villages surrounded by green terraced fields of fruit trees and rose bushes, and the reef-fringed Ad Dimaniyyat Islands. With such a varied wilderness there is huge scope for adventure. Oman is increasingly perceived as a high-end cultural destination. The new Opera House has opened, directly supported by the Sultan, with top-notch international performers like Placido Domingo. The guide includes advice on property buying, since Omani law changed to allow expatriates to buy, explaining the rules and regulations. There is also a detailed overview of language schools teaching Arabic, not found in other guides. With advice on cultural etiquette, basic Arabic phrases and political history - as well as full practical information on where to stay and eat, and what to see and do - this fully updated edition remains the essential guide for travellers looking to discover the real Oman.

Download or read book The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf written by Hisham M. Akhonbay and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-09-27 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) has been at the epicenter of global energy markets because of its substantial endowment of hydrocarbons. Yet countries in the region have also stated their intent to be global leaders in renewable energy. This collection explores the drivers for the widespread adoption of renewable energy around the GCC, the need for renewable energy and the policy-economic factors that can create success. All six countries within the GCC have plans to include renewable energy power generation in their energy mix for various reasons including: a growing demand for electricity because of increasing populations, an increasing government fiscal deficit due to inefficient subsidies, the need to diversify the economy and global pressure to meet climate change requirements. However, the decision of when and by how much to introduce renewable energy is fraught with complications. In this book, a stellar cast of regional policy and academic experts explore the reasons behind these renewable energy plans and the potential impediments to success, whether it be the declining cost of producing energy from hydrocarbons, an infrastructure which needs to be updated, social acceptance, lack of financing and even harsh weather. Weighing up all these factors, the book considers the route forward for renewable energy in the Gulf region. The Economics of Renewable Energy in the Gulf offers an excellent examination of the adoption of renewable energy in the area. It will be of great interest to academic researchers and policy makers alike, particularly those working in the areas of energy economics, public policy and international relations.

Download or read book The Report Oman 2014 written by Oxford Business Group and published by Oxford Business Group. This book was released on 2014-01-15 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sultanate’s economy continues to enjoy the benefits of petroleum wealth, which has provided budget surpluses in most years and served as a backbone for growth. However, planning is well under way for an era in which oil will not be the main economic driver, with the twin goals of diversification and creating an increased number of private sector jobs at the top of the government’s current agenda. Indeed, in recent years, the non-OPEC oil exporter’s economy has been undergoing a steady transformation, reorienting from oil toward a more diverse set of service and industry-based economic activities. So far, progress has been promising. In 2011 oil and gas accounted for 38.8% of GDP. With the continuation of higher-than-expected energy prices in 2012, the government has increased economic investments accordingly. These investments, which include infrastructure, social programmes and small-business development, are aimed toward better preparing the country for its post-fossil fuel future.

Download or read book Trafficking in Persons Report 2017 written by Office of the Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Ri and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2017-08-18 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report highlights the successes achieved and the remaining challenges before us on this important issue. The primary focus is to showcase the responsibility of governments to criminalize human trafficking and hold offenders accountable. This year's report theme is increasing criminal accountability of human traffickers and addressing challenges in prosecution - an essential component of 3P- paradigm of prosecution, protection, and prevention. It provides an overview of the type of human trafficking offenses that are taking place around the world in violation of human rights. The text includes side bars of situational human trafficking experiences to allow the reader to understand the different types that occur throughout the world. High school students and above may find this report helpful for research and writing essays about human rights and law enforcement of human trafficking. American citizens, policy analysts and decision-makers, law enforcement personnel, and human rights policy activists and advocates and world leaders may refer to this report as a reference on these crimes. Related products: Explore ourHuman Rights resources collection and other products produced by the U.S. State Department.

Download or read book Houseways in Southern Oman written by Marielle Risse and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-30 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores how houses are created, maintained and conceptualized in southern Oman. Based on long-term research in the Dhofar region, it draws on anthropology, sociology, urban studies and architectural history. The chapters consider physical and functional aspects, including regulations governing land use, factors in siting houses, architectural styles and norms for interior and exterior decorating. The volume also reflects on cultural expectations regarding how and when rooms are used and issues such as safety, privacy, social connectedness and ease of movement. Houses and residential areas are situated within the fabric of towns, comparison is made with housing in other countries in the Arabian peninsula, and consideration is given to notions of the ‘Islamic city’ and the ‘Islamic house’. The book is valuable reading for scholars interested in the Middle East and the built environment.

Download or read book Oman written by Congressional Research Service and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-01-17 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Sultanate of Oman has been a strategic ally of the United States since 1980, when it became the first of the Persian Gulf monarchies to formally allow the U.S. military to use bases there. The facilities access accord represented a long-term Omani shift from reliance on Britain for its security, although Oman continues to maintain close military ties to Britain. Oman has hosted U.S. forces during every U.S. military operation in and around the Gulf since then, and it is a partner in U.S. efforts to counter the transit of terrorists through regional waterways. Oman has consistently supported U.S. Middle East peacemaking efforts by publicly endorsing peace agreements reached and meeting with Israeli leaders, even when doing so ran counter to the policies of Oman's Gulf state allies. Oman's ties to the United States are unlikely to loosen if its ailing leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id Al Said, leaves the scene in the near term. He returned to Oman in March 2015 after nearly a year of treatment in Germany, but has rarely appeared in public since, causing rampant speculation about his health and succession issues. Within the region, Oman has tended to avoid joining its Gulf allies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman) in direct intervention in regional conflicts. Oman also has historically asserted that engaging Iran is the optimal strategy to reduce the potential threat from that country, and the country maintains close relations with Iran. Oman was the only GCC state not to downgrade its relations with Iran in connection with the Saudi-Iran dispute over the Saudi execution of a Shiite cleric in January 2016. Oman has publicly joined the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State organization but it is apparently not participating militarily in those efforts and did not join a Saudi-led broad counterterrorism coalition announced in December 2015. On the other hand, some reports indicate that Iran might be taking advantage of its relationship with Oman to smuggle weapons across Oman's borders to the Houthi rebels in Yemen that Iran is supporting. Oman's ties to Iran has enabled it to broker agreements between the United States and Iran, including the release of U.S. citizens held by Iran. Oman's diplomacy paved the way for U.S.-Iran direct talks that ultimately produced the July 14, 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the international community ("Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" (JCPOA)). Prior to the wave of Middle East unrest that began in 2011, the United States consistently praised Sultan Qaboos for gradually opening the political process even in the absence of evident public pressure to do so. The liberalization allowed Omanis a measure of representation, but did not significantly limit Qaboos's role as paramount decision maker. Modest reform-as well as the country's economic performance-apparently did not satisfy some Omanis, because unprecedented protests took place in several Omani cities for much of 2011. The apparent domestic popularity of Qaboos, coupled with additional economic and political reforms as well as repression of protest actions, caused the unrest to subside in 2012. However, since then, Oman has mimicked the policies of the other GCC states in increasing press censorship and arresting critics who use social media. As are the other GCC states, Oman is attempting to cope with the dramatic fall in the price of crude oil since mid-2014, which has accelerated GCC efforts to try to diversify their economies. Oman's economy and workforce has always been somewhat more diversified than some of the other GCC states, but Oman has only a modest financial cushion to invest in projects that can further diversify its revenue sources. The U.S.-Oman free trade agreement (FTA) was intended to facilitate Oman's access to the large U.S. economy and accelerate Oman's efforts to diversify.

Download or read book E Learning in the Middle East and North Africa MENA Region written by Alan S. Weber and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-02-27 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the last decade, due to factors of ICT infrastructural and broadband maturation, rising levels of educational attainment and computer literacy, and diversification strategies, e-learning has exploded in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. However, significant barriers remain in the region’s e-learning development: lack of research on outcomes and effectiveness, paucity of Arabic language learning objects, monopolies and high cost of telecommunications, cultural taboos, accreditation, censorship, and teacher training. This unique volume is the first comprehensive effort to describe the history, development, and current state of e-learning in each of the 20 MENA countries from Algeria to Yemen. Each entry is expertly written by a specialist who is acutely familiar with the state of e-learning in their respective country, and concludes with a bibliography of key reports, peer-reviewed books and articles, and web resources. E-Learning in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) proves itself as a vital compendium for a wide readership that includes academics and students, transnational program directors, international education experts, MENA government departments, commercial vendors and investors, and ICT development and regulatory agencies involved in e-learning in the Middle East.

Download or read book Sustainability in the Gulf written by Elie Azar and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-31 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainability is a topic of great interest today, particularly for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which have witnessed very rapid economic and demographic growth over the past decade. The observed growth has led to unsustainable consumption patterns of vital resources such as water, energy, and food, highlighting the need for an urgent shift towards green growth and sustainable development strategies. Sustainability in the Gulf covers the region’s contemporary development challenges through the lens of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which place sustainability at the centre of the solution to the current environmental, economic, and social imbalances facing GCC countries. The book presents multiple analyses of Gulf-specific sustainability topics, examining the current status, challenges, and opportunities, as well as identifying key lessons learned. Innovative and practical policy recommendations are provided, as well as new conceptual angles to the evolving academic debates on the post-oil era in the Gulf. Through chapters covering sector-related studies, as well as the socio-economic dimensions of the sustainability paradigm, this volume offers valuable insights into current research efforts made by the GCC states, proposing a way forward based on lessons learned. This is a valuable resource for students, academics, and researchers in the areas of Environmental Studies, Political Economy, and Economics of the GCC states.

Download or read book Political Change in the Middle East and North Africa written by Szmolka Inmaculada Szmolka and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2017-06-29 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taking a comparative approach, this book considers the ways in which political regimes have changed since the Arab Spring. It addresses a series of questions about political change in the context of the revolutions, upheavals and protests that have taken place in North Africa and the Arab Middle East since December 2010, and looks at the various processes have been underway in the region: democratisation (Tunisia), failed democratic transitions (Egypt, Libya and Yemen), political liberalisation (Morocco) and increased authoritarianism (Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria). In other countries, in contrast to these changes, the authoritarian regimes remain intact (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Arab United Emirates.

Download or read book Science Education in Countries Along the Belt Road written by Ronghuai Huang and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-01-18 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book aims to highlight science education in countries along the Belt and Road. It consists of 30 chapters divided into three main parts, namely Arab and African countries, Asian countries and European countries,. We invited science education experts from 29 “Belt and Road” countries to introduce the current status of science education in their countries and the new requirements with the rapid evolution of Information Technology. The major contributions of this book include: 1) Provide the current status of science education in countries along the Belt and Road as well as the requirement for developing and improving science education in these countries; 2) Discuss new insights of science education in future years; 3) Inspire stakeholders to take effective initiatives to develop science education in countries along the Belt and Road.

Download or read book A Quiet Revolution written by Nick Forster and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-09-07 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An irreversible transformation is taking place in the lives of many thousands of university educated professional women in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Drawing on eight years' participative research and extensive secondary sources, Nick Forster introduces the first extensive study to document this development in the Middle East. This book documents the emerging economic and political power of women, and how they are beginning to challenge ancient and deeply-held beliefs about the 'correct' roles of men and women in conservative Islamic societies, and in public and private sector organisations. It also describes the vital role that women could play in the economic development and diversification of these countries, and the broader MENA region, in the future. It is an essential read for professionals, scholars and students, in fields as diverse as economic development, international management, gender studies, and Middle Eastern studies.