Monday 14 / September / 2026
Muscat: The activities of the second edition of Oman Climate Week 2026 commenced on MOnday at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC).
This event comes within the framework of the Sultanate of Oman’s efforts to enhance national and international partnerships in climate action, support innovation and practical solutions, and exchange knowledge and expertise, in alignment with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and the national drive towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The week’s activities, held under the auspices of Sheikh Al Fadhal bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, include wide international and regional participation. The event brings together decision-makers, experts, specialists, and representatives from government institutions, the private sector, international organisations, academia, research circles, and civil society.
More than 50 countries are participating in the events, which continue until 16 September. The week features over 15 main events, 20 training workshops, more than 80 exhibitors, 400 speakers, 150 participants in the “Eco-thon” challenge, and over 5,000 attendees.
This is in addition to various programmes, panel and specialised discussions, meetings, and interactive platforms that explore issues surrounding climate, energy, the circular economy, finance, innovation, resilience, and nature-based solutions.
Dr. Abdullah Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, stated in his speech during the opening ceremony that the climate challenge is no longer an environmental issue isolated from development paths.
Rather, it has become a fundamental component of decisions related to energy, water, food, investment, and the competitiveness of economies.
He added that the Sultanate of Oman views environmental sustainability as a pivotal element in its developmental trajectory. It is moving towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 through an organised and realistic transition that considers national priorities, maintains economic competitiveness and energy security, and enhances investment in low-carbon technologies and solutions.
He pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman has already begun transforming climate opportunities into practical pathways. This is being achieved through carbon projects, nature-based solutions, mangrove cultivation, enhancing investments in nature reserves and eco-tourism, supporting the circular economy, and developing the waste management system to benefit from its economic and environmental value.
On his part, Jasim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the GCC, affirmed in a recorded video address that climate change has transcended the environmental dimension to become an economic and developmental challenge requiring a collective response and effective regional and international cooperation. He emphasized the importance of achieving a balance between environmental protection, sustainable economic growth, increasing resource utilization efficiency, and enhancing adaptive capacity.
The Secretary General noted the GCC countries’ aspiration to benefit from the proceedings of the current edition of Oman Climate Week hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, to enhance Gulf and regional cooperation, exchange knowledge and expertise, and support solutions that consider the developmental and environmental needs of the countries in the region.
In a related context, Mukhtar Babayev, President of COP29, indicated in his speech the importance of transforming climate agreements and commitments into tangible results on the ground. He noted that the world no longer treats climate change as a single, isolated environmental issue, emphasizing that the current phase is witnessing an interaction among a wide range of risks. These include climate change, natural disasters, water scarcity, land degradation, wildfires, threats to public health, technological and industrial risks, conflicts, and geopolitical instability.
He called for the necessity of ensuring a just, orderly, and equitable transition that takes into account differing national circumstances and varying starting points. He clarified that energy security, affordability, industrial development, and job opportunities represent real considerations in the transition pathway.
In conclusion, the COP29 President praised the role the Sultanate of Oman can play in the international climate dialogue, drawing on its strategic location, its economic importance in the energy sector, and its diplomatic legacy, alongside its pursuit of economic diversification. This grants the country the ability to bridge diverse viewpoints and manage the transition while preserving stability and development.
In the same context, Chris Bowen, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, affirmed that the world stands at a decisive moment for climate action.
He pointed out that exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit does not mean abandoning the goal, but rather changes the path, not the destination. The upcoming phase requires reducing emissions at a faster pace, enhancing adaptive capacity, expanding access to climate finance, and accelerating the implementation of commitments on the ground.
He stated that the transition toward clean energy has become a rapidly accelerating economic reality, and that the Paris Agreement has contributed to changing the global trajectory. The current phase requires accelerating implementation and transforming commitments into tangible results.
In a related context, Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, focused on the close interlinkage between climate change and biodiversity loss, explaining that ecosystems represent one of the most important natural defense lines against the impacts of climate change.
She pointed to the significance of nature-based solutions, foremost among them the restoration of mangroves and coastal ecosystems, as they serve as solutions that combine community protection, enhanced adaptive capacity, carbon storage, and the support of local economic systems.
Sir Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), reviewed via video call the findings of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, explaining that human activities have led to the warming of the atmosphere, oceans, and land.
He noted that the region faces increasing challenges, especially with the anticipated rise in extreme temperatures in the Middle East. He affirmed that there are practical solutions for adaptation and emission reduction, including improving irrigation technologies, planting drought- and salinity-resistant crops, expanding solar energy, wind energy, and electric vehicles, in addition to reducing natural gas and methane leaks.
The week’s events include convening a high-level ministerial session titled “The Road to COP31,” gathering officials, experts, and international figures to discuss climate action priorities and prepare for upcoming international milestones. It seeks to enhance cooperation, exchange expertise, and transform climate trends into implementable policies and projects.
The ceremony witnessed the announcement of a cooperation program to establish the Environmental Innovation Center, involving the Environment Authority, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the SMEs Development Authority “Riyada”, and the Research and Innovation Authority. The center aims to serve as a supportive ecosystem for environmental innovation and entrepreneurship, providing an integrated pathway for incubating and accelerating environmental ideas and projects in the fields of biodiversity, environmental quality, environmental economy, and climate change.
The announcement was accompanied by the signing of a joint cooperation program with a number of entities to build an integrated environmental innovation ecosystem that brings together government institutions, the private sector, academic bodies, incubators, accelerators, expertise houses, and supporting entities.
The center aims to support incubation, acceleration, the exchange of knowledge and expertise, capacity building, and technical and consulting support. It also aims to connect innovators and entrepreneurs with opportunities, partners, funding, and investment, thereby helping to transition solutions from the idea stage to application and expansion.
The ceremony included the announcement of the launch of the “Green Branch Award” in a partnership between the Environment Authority and Muscat Stock Exchange. The award aims to encourage companies to enhance sustainability practices and environmental responsibility, and to support the transition toward a green economy.
The first day’s events feature a number of sessions addressing climate change, adaptive capacity, and resilience, in addition to the circular economy, waste management, resource use efficiency, environmental governance, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and the use of satellite data in supporting climate decision-making.
The activities also include a session on the transition in the energy and green hydrogen sector, addressing the integration of renewable energy, wave energy, energy storage, hydrogen production, and improving the efficiency of energy systems, alongside solutions for producing hydrogen from treated water and utilizing brine resulting from desalination processes.
