Muscat: The Projects and Services Forum kicked off on Sunday with the theme 'Towards a Comprehensive and Advanced Education Environment.'
The forum is organized by the Ministry of Education, specifically the Directorate-General of Projects and Services, and is held under the patronage of Majid bin Said Al Bahri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Administrative and Financial Affairs.
Attended by directors-general, their assistants, directors of departments and divisions from the Directorate-General of Projects and Services, as well as their counterparts from the educational directorates in the governorates, the two-day forum is being held at the Maani Hotel Muscat.
The opening ceremony of the forum featured the unveiling of the forum's logo, followed by an opening speech delivered by Khamis Al-Hadidi, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Projects and Services.
"This forum provides a unique opportunity to discuss ways to enhance our work, by reviewing the accomplishments of the Directorate and our partners in the educational governorates, examining the development aspects in the projects and services sector, and exploring new avenues and innovative approaches that will elevate the quality of our services," he stated.
He also highlighted the efforts of the Directorate and its counterparts in the educational governorates in preparing for the upcoming academic year.
The current academic year saw the acquisition of 33 school buildings, with an additional 20 schools being expanded. Furthermore, 350 schools underwent maintenance and restoration. The Directorate has also taken the initiative to prepare and refurbish 118 science laboratories across various educational governorates.
In terms of infrastructure, the first phase of supplying and installing 24,000 air conditioning devices has been completed, with over 75 percent of the second phase also finished. Additionally, the analysis of the tender for the third and fourth batches, which consists of 44,000 air conditioning devices, has been finalized.
To ensure a smooth start to the academic year, the Directorate is working diligently to provide all textbooks without any delays. Framework contracts have been signed with printing presses for a four-year period to guarantee their timely availability. Furthermore, efforts are being made to improve and develop student and school furniture, with a focus on replacing furniture in 324 schools.
In terms of transportation, an agreement has been reached between the Ministry, Karwa Company, and the Oman Development Bank to replace 5,000 school transportation vehicles. Additionally, over 10,000 beneficiaries have been accommodated for various training programs.
The exhibition accompanying the Forum of the Directorate-General of Projects and Services was inaugurated by Majid bin Said Al Bahri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Administrative and Financial Affairs. The exhibition showcased eight areas that align with the Directorate's main vision, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive educational environment for future generations.
The exhibition features various corners including the International Security Company for Technology specializing in safety security systems, the Mozaic company specializing in vehicle tracking systems, the C Genial production company specializing in virtual systems and artificial intelligence, the Weber company specializing in thermal and water insulation, the Zoom company specializing in water purification and filtration, and the Caparol International Paints Company specializing in paints for schools. Additionally, there are corners for the Midmac Company for making awnings and doors, and the Al-Zaidi Integrated Projects Company for manufacturing armor, which supports the Ministry.
Dr. Faisal Al Busaidi, Director-General of the Directorate-General of Information Technology, presented a paper on 'Artificial Intelligence in Education' at the forum. Engineer Basem Al Hadi from the Projects Department shared lessons learned from designing and establishing 13 schools in different governorates of the Sultanate.
Youssef Al-Muqbali from the Department of Transport and Services discussed 'Developing services between reality and challenges,' followed by Abdullah Al-Shuaili from Mozaic Web Solutions Company who presented on 'Supplying and installing a surveillance system in vehicles' for monitoring vehicle locations and movements.
Dr. Bilal Younis presented 'The National Initiative for Drinking Water Technology in Schools,' Saif Al-Jalandani discussed 'Leadership Skills in the Twenty-First Century,' and Engineer Suleiman Al-Riyami presented the initiative 'Developing the drainage pipe system in public school toilets.'
