Movement of Arabian Sea Humpback Whales between Oman and India
The Environment Society of Oman has shared new evidence that supports the movement of the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale between Oman and India. On 21st December 2019, dive masters from Dive Goa, Absolute SCUBA India and West Coast Adventures captured video footage of a humpback whale in the Arabian Sea off Netrani Island in India. The dive masters knew that this sighting was special, having been in contact with Dr. Dipani Sutaria, who had travelled along India’s west coast from 2016 onwards, raising awareness of the Endangered status of the Arabian Sea Humpback Whales. Thanks to some distinctive markings, the team of international researches supporting the whale programme in Oman could conclusively confirm that the whale matched Individual OM11-010 in their catalogue.
Tribute to the legacy of late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said
Khimji Ramdas recently unveiled its thematic 2020 calendar that showcases the illustrious reign of late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The gold-foil embellished calendar elaborates the theme of 50 years of renaissance and late HM’s pivotal contributions that defined the progress of the Sultanate. It features rare photographs of late His Majesty taken by his personal photographer along with colourful murals from across the country that capture various aspects of the renaissance in a vivid artistic form. It also highlights excerpts from his royal speeches from 1970 to 2015 on numerous subjects such as the future; education; the youth; the conservation of the environment; women empowerment; technology and tourism amongst others.
OCEC focuses on Youth Empowerment
The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is strengthening its focus on youth empowerment to support continued success and national capacity development. Through a collection of local partnerships, training and community outreach programmes, and career development plans, the premium events venue is looking to the next generation of professionals for the future. The state-of-the-art events venue has partnered with local educational institutions – including Sultan Qaboos University and Oman Tourism College – to support internship programmes and industry links for graduating students. Through the partnerships, OCEC has trained more than 35 students from various institutions, some of whom have continued at OCEC as full time employees to further their careers.