Latest news with #Observer
Observer
3 days ago
- Business
- Observer
IGC prioritises local growth, clean energy in gas strategy
MUSCAT, JUNE 17 'Oman's gas is a national asset — and we manage it with that responsibility in mind,' said Abdulrahman al Yahyaei, CEO of Integrated Gas Company (IGC), as he outlined the company's strategy to ensure natural gas drives both industrial growth and the country's clean energy transition. At the heart of IGC's approach is a clear principle: domestic needs come first. 'In our model, local demand — especially for power generation and key industries — takes priority. Only after meeting those requirements do we allocate any surplus for export,' said Al Yahyaei in an interview with Observer. 'This is how we protect economic stability while remaining active in the global LNG market.' IGC manages more than 44 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually and plays a critical role in balancing the needs of over 140 domestic consumers with export flows via Oman LNG. With the Sultanate of Oman exporting 11.4 million tonnes of LNG in 2024, IGC's role in ensuring that this export growth does not compromise national needs is vital. Al Yahyaei noted that IGC's use of data-driven tools and real-time systems is key to achieving this balance. 'We've introduced Oman's first gas spot market and digital auction platform. This allows us to respond rapidly to changes in demand, whether it's an industrial shortfall or a shift in export conditions,' he said. Another major innovation is the launch of the Gas Applications Portal — a fully digitised platform for managing gas supply requests. 'This gives us visibility across the entire value chain. We evaluate requests based on economic impact, energy efficiency, and decarbonisation potential. It's a strategic allocation, not just a supply exercise,' he added. The company's impact extends beyond conventional gas management. IGC plays an enabling role in Oman's long-term decarbonisation goals, including the development of green hydrogen and low-carbon industries. One example is its involvement in supporting Vulcan Green Steel in Duqm. 'Vulcan is a landmark project — and our role is to ensure it has transitional gas during its ramp-up. This allows the plant to begin operations while gradually shifting to electricity and green hydrogen. We're creating a practical decarbonisation pathway,' said Al Yahyaei. Abdulrahman al Yahyaei, CEO of Integrated Gas Company IGC has embedded this mindset across its operations. 'We prioritise gas allocation to industries that are serious about sustainability — whether that means hydrogen readiness, carbon capture, or electrification. These decisions shape the kind of industrial base Oman will have in the future,' he explained. In parallel, IGC is facilitating the development of Oman's fourth LNG train, aiming to expand liquefaction capacity to 15 million tonnes annually by 2030. But this expansion, Al Yahyaei stressed, is not being pursued at the expense of local development. 'We've made it clear that gas for the fourth train will come from new upstream volumes. It's not a reallocation; it's an expansion with safeguards,' he said. Since its establishment in December 2022, IGC has moved quickly to centralise gas contracting, unify allocation policies, and shift the sector toward transparency and responsiveness. But the transformation has not been without its challenges. 'Integrating different legacy systems and moving from a regulatory to a commercial model required a deep institutional shift,' Al Yahyaei admitted. 'But we've built the foundation. Now, we're focused on refining the system and scaling clean energy support.' Ultimately, IGC aims to evolve from a conventional gas aggregator into a platform for managing clean molecules and enabling low-carbon industrial growth. 'Our long-term vision is clear,' Al Yahyaei concluded. 'We want to ensure that every molecule of gas we manage drives national value — whether through job creation, industrial competitiveness, or climate resilience.' As Oman charts a path toward Net Zero by 2050, IGC is positioning itself not only as a distributor of energy, but as a strategic force shaping the future of the country's economy and environmental footprint.
Observer
3 days ago
- General
- Observer
Oman marks World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
The Sultanate of Oman has called for intensified afforestation and land restoration efforts as the world observes World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on June 17, reinforcing its commitment to a more sustainable and climate-resilient future. Speaking to the Observer, Masoud Sulaiman Abood al Azri, DG of Marketing for Agriculture and Fisheries and spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR), emphasised that desertification is a critical environmental challenge facing nations worldwide. With the global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, the demand for nutritious food and clean water is increasing rapidly, making land restoration an urgent priority rather than an option. 'In Oman, we have devised multiple strategies to combat desertification through various projects and initiatives,' the official said. 'These include reforestation, rangeland restoration, awareness campaigns and active collaboration between public and private sectors.' He noted that Oman has integrated desertification control into its national strategy, with a focus on environmental protection, sustainable land use and natural resource management. Among the major initiatives undertaken by Oman are: Tree planting in arid regions such as Al Rumayl and Hayal to increase vegetation cover; Rangeland restoration projects in Dhofar targeting issues such as soil erosion, biodiversity loss and vegetation decline; Community awareness campaigns promoting sustainable agriculture; and Support for water-efficient crops and eco-friendly farming technologies. 'These efforts are essential in promoting food security, conserving biodiversity and building climate resilience,' Al Azri said. Globally, the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2025 is being led by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This year's official observance is taking place in Bogotá, Colombia, where policymakers, civil society organisations and indigenous representatives are gathering to advocate for land restoration as a cornerstone of sustainable development and lasting peace. Held under the theme 'Restore the Land; Unlock the Opportunities', the event highlights the economic, social and environmental benefits of restoring degraded lands for both people and the planet. A UNCCD statement said: 'Every $1 used to restore land yields a return of $7 to $30 through enhanced ecosystem services and livelihoods, making for an investment case that the world cannot afford to overlook.' The organisation estimates that to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030, the world must invest approximately $1 billion per day. In alignment with this vision, Oman's afforestation and restoration efforts demonstrate how local initiatives can contribute meaningfully to global goals — ensuring food security, preserving ecosystems and fostering sustainable economic growth for future generations.
Observer
4 days ago
- General
- Observer
Oman calls for afforestation on World Desertification and Drought Day
Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman has called for afforestation on the day the world is celebrating the Desertification and Drought Day on June 17 towards a sustainable environment. Desertification is a significant environmental challenge for all countries of the world in view of the growing demand for nutritious food and clean water as the world's population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050. Speaking to the Observer , Masoud Sulaiman Abood al Azri, DG of Marketing for Agriculture and Fisheries and spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR) said that this increasing demand for food and clean water means that restoring degraded land is no longer optional but of top priority for human existence. 'In Oman, we have devised manifold steps to combat desertification through various projects and initiatives, including reforestation efforts, rangeland restoration, and awareness campaigns with multiple agency collaboration and public and private participation,'he said. Oman has incorporated desertification control into its national strategy, focusing on environmental protection, natural resource management, and sustainable land use. Some of the steps taken by Oman are reforestation, range-land restoration, community awareness, sustainable agriculture, and fog harvesting. 'The Omani government is planting trees in arid places like Al Rumayl and Hayal, to increase vegetation cover and combat desertification, we have rangeland restoration projects in Dhofar are aimed at addressing soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and declining vegetation cover, besides carrying out extensive community awareness campaigns towards sustainable agriculture,'he said adding that Oman is promoting sustainable farming practices, encouraging the use of water-efficient crops, and supporting farmers with environmentally friendly technologies, as well as using fog harvesting techniques in Dhofar to mitigate desertification and provide water for irrigation. The Desertification and Drought Day 2025 is led by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) with leaders calling for global land restoration as basis of peace on on 17 June in Bogotá, Columbia, where civil society organisations, and indigenous representatives will convene and advocate for global land restoration as a foundation of food security, sustainable development, and lasting peace. Convened under the theme 'Restore the Land; Unlock the Opportunities will spotlight the undeniable economic, social, and environmental benefits of land restoration for people and the planet. In a statement, the UNCD said, 'Every US$1 used to restore land yields a return of US$7 to US$30 through enhanced ecosystem services and livelihoods, making for an investment case that the world cannot afford to overlook. Nations need to invest US$1 billion per day by 2030 to bring some 1.5 billion hectares of land back to health in support of human security and dignity, according to UNCCD.'
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Nick Cave says he declined Morrissey's request to sing ‘silly anti-woke screed' on new song
Nick Cave has said that he turned down Morrissey's request to appear on a new song in 2024, claiming that the former Smiths frontman wanted him to sing 'an unnecessarily provocative and slightly silly anti-woke screed he had written'. In response to a fan question on his Red Hand Files site about his relationship with the singer, Cave said that 'although I suppose I agreed with the sentiment on some level, it just wasn't my thing. I try to keep politics, cultural or otherwise, out of the music I am involved with. I find that it has a diminishing effect and is antithetical to whatever it is I am trying to achieve.' The Guardian has contacted representatives for Morrissey for comment. In 2019, Cave said: 'Regardless of the virtuous intentions of many woke issues, it is its lack of humility and the paternalistic and doctrinal sureness of its claims that repel me.' A year later, he called cancel culture 'bad religion run amuck'. In 2024, he clarified in an interview with the Observer that he was 'totally down' with social justice but didn't 'agree with the methods that are used in order to reach this goal – shutting down people, cancelling people. 'There's a lack of mercy, a lack of forgiveness. These go against what I fundamentally believe on a spiritual level, as much as anything. So it's a tricky one. The problem with the right taking hold of this word is that it's made the discussion impossible to have without having to join a whole load of nutjobs who have their problem with it.' In addition to the lyrical content of Morrissey's proposed collaboration, he said, 'while the song he sent was quite lovely, it began with a lengthy and entirely irrelevant Greek bouzouki intro'. Cave said that the two of them had never met, 'which is probably why I like him. He is undeniably a complex and divisive figure, someone who takes more than a little pleasure in pissing people off. As enjoyable as some may find this, it holds little interest for me, but for the fact that Morrissey is probably the best lyricist of his generation – certainly the strangest, funniest, most sophisticated, and most subtle.' Answering a further question about the state of yearning, Cave said that 'certain music' can fill the void that he described as 'the essence of being human … a sense of incompleteness, of abandonment, a feeling of something lacking'. 'We feel complete when we listen to music we love, while being guided towards the goodness of things,' Cave wrote. 'I find that Morrissey's music, regardless of how jaundiced and disaffected the songs may sometimes seem, does precisely that – ushers us toward what is true.' Answering one final fan question about what he was currently listening to, Cave namechecked the New York punk-funk noise band YHWH Nailgun, whose debut album 45 Pounds has been hailed as one of the year's best, and who, Cave wrote, 'in their own purifying way, do all of the above, pointing us to the heavens by going all the way down. Completely awesome.' Cave has used his Red Hand Files site to communicate directly with fans since 2018. 'Over the years, the Red Hand Files has burst the boundaries of its original concept to become a strange exercise in communal vulnerability and transparency,' he wrote on the site. Cave is currently on a solo tour of Europe that concludes in Luxembourg in September. His most recent album with the Bad Seeds, Wild God, was released in March 2024. Morrissey has not released an album since 2020's I Am Not a Dog on a Chain. He has claimed that a follow-up album, Bonfire of Teenagers, was 'gagged' and prevented from release as a result of 'idiot culture' after he left his US label, Capitol, in 2022. He has called it 'the best album of my life'.
Observer
5 days ago
- Observer
Summer travel plans disrupted due to regional unrest
Muscat, June 15 As tensions in the region escalate, travel plans are being revisited. Iran has been a popular destination for medical and leisure tourism, as northern Iran is known for its exceptional weather during the summer. However, tourists who went for Eid holidays are now rushing to find ways to return. The route back will likely be by road or sea. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, reiterated the round-the-clock efforts to facilitate the evacuation of Omani citizens wishing to return to their homeland. He noted that the Foreign Ministry has allocated direct contact numbers in Muscat and Tehran based on the geographical distribution of citizens, in addition to the possibility of communicating via the ministry's app and other social media tools. The ministry urged all Omani citizens who are currently in Shiraz and nearby areas to gather at specified locations in the Islamic Republic of Iran, namely assembly points in Shiraz and Bandar Abbas to facilitate procedures to ensure everyone's safety and return to Oman. "My parents are still in Iran. They have been there since the Eid holidays. They have already been contacted by the ministry, but they are in Mashhad, Iran, which is up north. We are not sure when they will be able to plan their journey back," said a concerned daughter. Some citizens conveyed through social media that they are still stuck in Baku, Azerbaijan. The summer holidays have begun for some sections of the school students, and amidst summer holiday planning comes the current situation in the region that has prompted airspace closures, resulting in the cancellation of some popular destinations for Omani tourists. Issa al Harthy, Sunny Island Travel and Tours, told the Observer: "Once the current conflict is over, the situation will return to normal, but there will be cancellations to the northern hemisphere and Central Asia." "Many Omanis might not be in the mood to travel under the circumstances. People usually like to travel to Iran for medical treatment and for religious visits, but now that is not possible," he added. When asked if there had been cancellations yet, he replied, "We have not sold many tickets to Central Asia; it is important to wait and see. Many Omanis also like to travel to the Far East and Africa. We have the optimism that after the dust has settled down, Omanis and residents will resume travelling. And we might see last-minute decisions to travel." Nizam Aniyaram, B - One Travels, said, "We have had destination bookings to Central Asia, with Georgia being popular, but connecting flights have been cancelled. So our travellers have had to make changes. As of now, we think it is a temporary situation." Salam Air had announced a temporary suspension of flights from/to Iran and Iraq. The destinations that have been impacted are Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Russia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Airlines in the UAE have also mentioned that some other flights may face delays or rerouting. Passengers are advised to check the flight status of the respective airlines.
