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The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment promotion has issued a ministerial decision that bans imports of plastic bags with effect from January 2023. The decision comes in line with the ministry’s plan to regulate market activities pertaining to the import of products that damage the environment, according to Sami Salim Al Sahib, Director General of the Industry, as reported by Oman News Agency (ONA).

The decision, issued in coordination with the Environment Authority, will support Omani factories by limiting unfair competition from imported products that do not meet environment standards, he explained.

“Eliminating plastic bags is one of the challenges that the ministry seeks to overcome in cooperation with the concerned authorities and find specifications for manufacturers and suppliers to ensure the correct transition to alternatives to plastic bags that harm the environment,” said Sahib, as reported by local news.

An administrative fine of OMR1,000 will be imposed on anyone importing plastic bags, the fine will be doubled if the violation is repeated.

In cooperation with the Environment Authority, the ministry seeks to shift to environment-friendly industries, however, it was noted that the decision will not affect local plastic production facilities. The decision intends to help local plastic production factories to augment sales and production to meet local market demands.

To ensure a proper shift to plastic alternatives, as well as, raise social awareness about the negative impacts of plastic, the ministry will be working in cooperation with concerned departments to develop specifications and instructions. The decision is set to come into effect by January 1, 2023.

SOurce:https://www.arabianbusiness.com/politics-economics/oman-to-ban-import-of-plastic-bags-from-2023

The World Bank has approved US$85 million in financing for the Jordan Support for Industry Development Fund Project, which aims to promote investments and exports in the manufacturing sector through the operationalization of a new Industry Development Fund. The fund is one of the commitments Jordan has made under its Economic Priority Plan 2021–2023.

Jordan urgently needs to create inclusive and broad-based job opportunities to promote resilient recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, requiring a shift towards a resource-efficient, export- and investment-driven growth model. Manufacturing, among the largest employers in Jordan’s economy, suffered acute shortages of cash during the COVID-19 pandemic. To diversify and expand their exports, and generate more jobs, companies now need to move out of survival mode to a new level of competitiveness.

The Government of Jordan is establishing the Industry Development Fund to put its development policies and programs on manufacturing into practice. The government asked for the World Bank’s support in designing and operationalizing the fund as an efficient, transparent, and effective delivery platform for support for firms, and as a key financial enabler for industrial transformation. Its focus will be upgrading and modernizing industries; export development and promotion; and incentivizing companies toward high performance in areas critical to the sector reaching its full potential, such as increased climate-responsiveness and female employment.

“The Industry Development Fund is a key instrument in our Economic Priority Plan 2021–2023 to help firms in the industrial sector recover and build back better following the COVID-19 crisis,” said H.E. Nasser Shraideh, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan. “It will serve as a stimulus to promote private sector-led investment, as well as modernization, upgrading, and export development, which are key engines of growth for the Jordanian economy.”

The project aims to support more than 500 export-oriented firms directly through the fund’s programs and to mobilize at least US$17 million in additional private capital. It will also support the building of effective delivery mechanisms and a robust governance and operational capacity, enabling the fund to support the transformation of the industrial sector in the longer term.

“Jordan’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been broad-based, but many sub-sectors are operating below their pre-pandemic level and external shocks have led to higher unemployment, especially for women and the youth,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, Mashreq Regional Director, World Bank Group. “This project will complement the integrated package of support for private sector development that the Bank and the Government of Jordan are implementing to foster enhanced public-private partnerships for inclusive and resilient recovery and growth.”

The main activities financed by the Fund will include: (i) Industry upgrading and export development programs; (ii) Outcome-based incentives program; and (iii) Easing access to export credit insurance and to new supply chain finance products.

The project prioritizes gender balance and includes measures to ensure the inclusion of women business leaders/owners and employees, and of various vulnerable groups in the fund’s programs.

Source:https://indiaeducationdiary.in/jordan-us85-million-for-a-new-industry-development-fund-to-promote-investments-and-exports/

Diamond Developers, in partnership with the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), has announced the launch of The Sustainable City – Yiti in Muscat, Oman.

With an investment value of nearly $1 billion, the city will be built over an area of 1 million square metres and will be developed within the phase one of the Yiti Integrated Tourism Development Masterplan.

With sustainable innovation at its heart, the project will feature 1,657 residential units including 300 eco-friendly and energy-efficient villas in car-free districts.

The city is designed to produce 100 percent of its energy requirements from renewables which include solar panels and biogas. It will also recycle all its water and waste and use it for irrigation.

The city also aims to grow its own food through productive farm areas and greenhouses and will adopt clean mobility solutions like autonomous shuttles and electric cars, and by deploying EV charging stations.

A sustainable school that will teach important concepts of sustainability through the school curriculum while the city will also feature a number of sports facilities which include jogging and cycling tracks, an equestrian club, and a horse track.

A four-star hotel with 197 rooms, a five-star resort with 170 rooms and a range of restaurants, numerous leisure facilities, and beachfront access will also be included while the resort will also manage 132 luxury serviced apartments.

Faris Saeed, chairman of Diamond Developers, the company behind Dubai Sustainable City, said: “The Sustainable City – Yiti is not only a benchmark for sustainable urban development, it is a working model for future cities. It is a thriving community made up of thousands of residents, visitors, students, researchers, and entrepreneurs.”

He added that the project, scheduled for completion in 2025, is expected to be one of the region’s most sustainable cities and, by adopting the latest solutions in energy production, vertical farming, humidity harvesting and autonomous transportation, it aims to be net zero carbon by 2040.

Mohammed Salim Al Busaidi, chairman of OMRAN Group, said: “Our partnership with Diamond Developers is a unique milestone in our journey as we continue to invest, develop, and maximise the limitless potential of Oman’s tourism sector.

“Yiti will open avenues for numerous lucrative investment opportunities for both local and international investors in line with the directions of Oman Investment Authority.”

Source:https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/construction/1bn-sustainable-city-project-to-be-built-in-muscat-set-for-2025-completion