Oman Sustainability Week Awards honours companies committed to sustainability

The Oman Sustainability Week (OSW), which is being hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said and will be officially inaugurated at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on 14 March 2022, was preceded by an exclusive awards ceremony to honour the efforts of local companies who have made significant contributions in areas of sustainability. The Oman Sustainability Week Awards was held on Sunday, 13th March at W Hotel Muscat at the Great Room and welcomed H.H. Sayyid Dr. Fahad Bin Al Julanda Al Said, Vice-Chancellor at Sultan Qaboos University as Chief Guest and key patron. Organised by be’ah and CONNECT in collaboration with Petroleum Development Oman, and Sustainability Specialist - Centre for Sustainability and Excellence, the event also witnessed the presence of key delegates from participating companies.

The Oman Sustainability Week Awards marked the commencement of a week-long initiative that comprises an expansive exhibition, a thought leadership summit, a conference and various site visits. The awards were aimed at raising awareness on sustainability issues while supporting companies and organisations in integrating responsible, ethical and sustainable practices into their corporate strategy. It also highlighted the need to stay committed to social and environmental causes to achieve long-term economic growth.

Commenting on the awards, Shaikh Mohammed Sulaiman Al-Harthy, Executive Vice President-Strategic Development, be'ah, said, “The Oman Sustainability Week Awards is an industry-first platform that recognizes the organisations that have demonstrated their unfaltering commitment to sustainability and set themselves apart from competitors. Leading by example, these organisations have not only paved the way for others to follow but have also shown how sustainable practices are essential for long-term growth. Through the events at OSW as well as the awards, we endeavour to share innovative strategies, discuss industry best practices, and promote the cross-fertilisation of ideas. It is indeed delightful to see the efforts taken by so many organisations to drive sustainability, and we would like to congratulate all the winners.”

An award ceremony of national importance, the Oman Sustainability Week Awards assessed organisations operating in Oman in areas of sustainability and corporate responsibility. The organisations that took part in the awards were required to perform a situation analysis that highlighted the status of their current sustainability practices against other industry peers. It also prompted them to identify prospective risks and opportunities in the medium and long term. Aimed at encouraging organisations to commit to their sustainability targets, adopt operational transparency and thereby boost their credibility, the Oman Sustainability Week Awards seeks to establish itself as an annual event that continuously rewards the various contributions of organisations in areas of sustainability.

To ensure inclusion of all areas of sustainability, the awards recognized the initiatives taken by organisations who received special recognition for governance Nama Group, society and environment OQ, education Oman Broadband and employees’ Asyad Group. Bank Nizwa, Oman Broadband and Shell Development Oman received the Bronze awards, whereas Bank Muscat and Nama Group won the Silver awards. Appreciating and applauding their continuous efforts towards sustainability, Asyad and PDO were awarded the Gold awards. In recognition of its exemplary effort in the field of sustainability, its innovative campaigns to advocate sustainable practices in the community and its strong dedication to contribute to Oman Vision 2040, OQ was honoured with the Platinum award.

Participating companies also benefitted from an extensive report from highly specialised sustainability assessors. The reports provided an in-depth evaluation of each company and individualised results and scores for each area assessed. It also offered recommendations in areas of improvement for the year ahead and meaningful insight to enhance medium and longer-term sustainability strategies.

While the awards provided an excellent self-assessment platform for participating companies, other key events to look forward to at the OSW is the Expo featuring the latest sustainability technologies, solutions and initiatives from across the world, the International Sustainability Resources and Technology Conference (ISRTC), the C-level thought leadership, Gaia Summit and the OSW site visits to be organised on the final day of the week. For more information, please visit www.sustainabilityweekoman.com.