System Of Oman Research Articles

Executors Satisfaction Regarding Educational Process Developmental Projects and Programs in Oman from Teacher's perspective and How the Saudi Education Utilized the Omani Experience: Dhofar District Model: مدى فاعلية المشاريع والبرامج التربوية التطويرية بالمدارس على النظام التعليمي من وجهة نظر المعلمين والمعلمات الأوائل بمحافظة ظفار بسلطنة عمان

The current study aimed to investigate the educational system in Oman at its various stages, also, recognize executor's satisfaction regarding educational process developmental projects and programs in Oman from teacher's perspective and how the Saudi education utilized the Omani experience. The researcher used the descriptive analytical methodology, and he implemented questionnaire. The number of sample members was (33) teachers in Dhofar Governorate of Oman. The results indicated that the majority of the sample strongly approve on the effectiveness of projects and programs in terms of planning, as their approval degree on the technical terms was a homogenous with their approval on the effectiveness of projects and programs in terms of planning, the results also indicated that the sample members agreed on the effectiveness of one of the educational projects and programs in the educational system in terms of educational aspects. The study recommended the use of Oman's experience in implementing the programs in the gulf countries, which included the implementation of the programs of life skills and the educated village, and the importance of issuing a guide to developmental programs and projects for each of the Arab gulf countries, in addition to expanding the exchange of experiences among gulf countries.

Risk and Economic Analysis of Greenhouse Cucumber and Tomato Cropping Systems in Oman

The agriculture investment decision affected by risk of capital and operation cost, yield and sale price of planted crops. This study examined risk of investment in green-house cucumber and tomato production and optimum mix of crop pattern at Al Batinah, Al Sharqiya Regions of Oman. The net present value with Monte Carlo simulation models are used to test risk efficiency and project viability. The result indicated that investment in two green-houses and growing one tomato crop and two cucumber crops (Tom1Cuc2) per year is more profitable and risk aversion. Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function (SERF) performed and confirmed that (Tom1Cuc2) is the most risk efficient cropping system and got a positive NPV with 62% probability followed by growing tomato crop in two seasons with a positive NPV with probability of 58%. The study concluded tomato and cucumber producers are faced with different production and financial situations and their risk preferences play an important role in determining their production decisions. Risk premium analysis shows that greenhouse tomato growers need to be paid up to RO 2 847 to keep growing tomato instead of (Tom1Cuc2) cropping system. Greenhouse cucumber growers can sacrifices of RO 5 373 to justify not to switch from planting cucumber to grow (Tom1Cuc2) cropping system. Government subsidy should be given to farmers to construct new greenhouses to maximize their resource use efficiency, benefit from extended cropping season, protect their crops from adverse environmental conditions and increase food security.

Land-allocation and clan-formation in modern residential developments in Oman

Affordable housing with fair and transparent land-allocation measures is a challenge for many countries. The Sultanate of Oman solves this issue by means of land-allocation lotteries in which male and female citizens can participate in order to win a parcel of a new housing area. Besides supporting those in financial need the lottery aims to mix the separate tribes of Oman and thus contribute to the nation building of a modern society. In an earlier work, we showed that there must be severe doubts about the economic support aspect as it seems that the current lottery, without additional measures, fuels private land speculation, see Heim et al. (Homo Oecon 35:1–30, 2018). This article studies the emergent phenomenon of clan formation within the specific land-allocation system of Oman with a new mathematical and computational approach of agent-based modelling. This model is used to base the criticism to the system on scientific evidence. Both the method (clan formation exemplified as agent-based model) and findings (simulated agents and real-world behaviour) advance the discussion on how to mitigate some of the negative effects associated with the current land allocation system. To do so, we discuss the current state and criticism around this aspect of urbanisation in Oman. We study the spatial mixing of the tribes and the possibility of clan formation in modern Omani settlements in particular Muscat Capital Area. We see emergent phenomena arising from the agent-based model that matches real world behaviour leading to negative effects such as partial and incomplete land development, tribal clustering and real-estate market distortion. The agent-based model is used to discuss alternative scenarios under which tribal clan formation is used to generate a fairer and more complete settlement process in Oman to ensure the intended outcomes of Oman’s land-allocation lottery system.

Multi-criteria decision analysis of waste-to-energy technologies for municipal solid waste management in Sultanate of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman faces challenges, like rapid growth of waste generation, which calls for an optimum waste management strategy. Oman has witnessed the production of 1.5m t of municipal solid waste in 2012, which is expected to elevate to 1.89m t in 2030. This rapid increase needs to be tackled to reduce the generation rates along with the environmental impacts. Currently, there are no treatment facilities in Oman other than limited recycling, and therefore dumping waste into the landfill is the only ultimate way to dispose solid waste. Hence, this study is an initiative to improve the waste managing system in Oman by proposing optimum waste-to-energy technology using an analytical hierarchy process, manually and through expect choice software as well. In the present study, the identified important parameters were considered in an analytical hierarchy process model to rank the waste-to-energy technology alternatives. Based on the survey conducted, the most important criteria were environmental and economic, with the local priority vector of 0.400 and 0.277, respectively. This research concludes that the most suitable waste-to-energy technology for Oman, on the basis of the identified criteria, is anaerobic digestion followed by fermentation and incineration, which will help to reduce the amount of waste, greenhouse gas emissions and developing and maintaining costs of landfills.

On the Process and Economics of Land Settlement in Oman: Mathematical Modeling and Reasoning in Urban Planning and Design

The Sultanate of Oman organizes a peculiar land allocation system by lottery. Combined with governmental loans this system is intended to provide house ownership for male and female nationals. Active land-management measures such as incentives or taxation do not exist. The process can be described as an ideal market. As observed in empirical studies the resulting settlement remains incomplete and inefficient, which leads to an overall unsustainable land-use. The paper develops an agent-based land-settlement simulation based on cellular automata. The simulation describes the agents and their motivation. It is calibrated with a real-estate price index compiled for Muscat Capital Area for the first time. The simulation allows discussion of four scenarios: Status quo, negative, positive and combined land-management measures. The status quo scenario reveals that the original intention of the land allocation program as part of the welfare system in Oman is not attained. On the contrary, the present system without additional management fuels private land speculation that rapidly excludes those in need and benefits a few. The alternative scenarios of negative, positive and combined land-management measures support policies for a fair and sustainable settlement process.

English

This paper investigates the implications of smallholder farming, that is, characteristic of a community based water management system in Oman known as a falaj (pl aflaj). The aflaj are naturally sustainable, and for centuries have provided water in an arid region, supporting agriculture and livelihoods. With over three thousand active aflaj in Oman, the typical falaj is small; conveying enough water to irrigate a relatively small amount of land, and this water and land is further subdivided among many farmers. The implications of these smallholdings on the economic viability of the falaj were investigated by studying one falaj system. It is found the small holdings of water and land imply a typical farmer cannot realize economies of scale in farming, implying average costs are high and farm profits are low. As the aflaj are community managed, the low economic value of the falaj implies there may be insufficient funds for maintenance of the falaj, thus threatening their sustainability. Key words: Traditional agriculture, water management, community based natural resource management system, smallholdings.

Genetic mutations associated with neonatal diabetes mellitus in Omani patients.

Neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is a rare disorder worldwide where diabetes is diagnosed in the first 6 months of life. However, Oman has a relatively high incidence of NDM. In this study, we investigated the genetic etiologies underlying NDM and their prevalence in Oman. We collected a cohort of 24 NDM patients, with and without genetic diagnosis, referred to our center from 2007 to 2015. All patients without a genetic diagnosis were tested for mutations in 23 NDM-associated genes using a custom-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel and methylation analysis of the 6q24 locus. A genetic abnormality was detected in 15/24 (62.5%) of our Omani NDM patients. We report the detection of 6q24 methylation abnormalities and KCNJ11 mutations for the first time in Omani NDM patients. Unlike Western populations where NDM is predominantly due to mutations in the KCNJ11, ABCC8 and INS genes, NDM due to homozygous GCK gene mutations were most prevalent in Oman, having been observed in seven out of 15 NDM patients in whom we established the genetic etiology. This reflects the high degree of consanguinity which makes recessive conditions more likely. The results of this study are likely to impact any future strategy to introduce genetic testing for NDM disorders within the national healthcare system in Oman.

Investigation of Water Losses in Water Supply System: Muscat as a Case Study

One of the problems affecting water supply systems in Oman is the problem of water loss and Non-Revenue Water (NRW). The aim of this research is to carry out water auditing for Al Seeb water distribution network as a case study to estimate the water losses, NRW, water balance, and the resulting financial and operational impacts. Annual data on water supplies, water consumption, system data, and cost data for the years from 2010 to 2014 was collected from the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) and the analysis was done using the American Water Works Association (AWWA) audit software to determine water losses including real and apparent losses, NRW, water balance, and the cost. The results indicated that the average of apparent loss, real loss, and NRW from 2010 to 2014 was approximately 19.5%, 21%, and 40 % respectively. It was estimated that the average annual cost of NRW between the years 2010 and 2014 was approximately 9.4 million USD, which was approximately 33% of the total revenue budget. In conclusion, there is a need for the development of water management systems to provide the best management practice system to further minimize NRW problems in Oman.

Smart Transportation for Smart Oman: An Enquiry into its Potentials and Implications

The concept of smart city has recently gained popularity both among policy makers and academic researchers. Despite the importance of smart city, there is still confusion regarding its meaning as many terms associated with it is often used interchangeably. Many countries around the globe have developed various smart city initiatives to help solve the problems associated with traffic congestion. This paper explores smart city initiatives that are currently being implemented in Muscat. The paper provides the need for the development of smart city initiative in Muscat. Muscat city has been experiencing heavy traffic congestion especially during the morning and evening hours when people are travelling to and from their workplaces. The increase in traffic congestion in Muscat is occasioned by an increase in population in the city and poor traffic management to cope with increase in population and number of vehicles in the town. The study provides analysis of the current situation of public transport in the Sultanate, particularly in Muscat. There is a need to find suitable mechanisms for solving the city’s traffic problems. Every problem has various solutions, and enhancing public transport will be explored as part of a comprehensive solution for Muscat city traffic problem. Thus, the study presents the solutions for growing traffic congestions in a smart city and public transportation perspectives. While addressing the traffic problems and extent of public transportation in Oman, the researchers used primary data collected form 80 respondents to know their perception of traffic issues and user acceptability of public transportation initiatives in Oman. The study, while exploring available smart city initiatives in Oman provides further recommendations that can be implemented in order to solve the problems related to traffic congestion, and further recommendations are placed for enhancing the public transportation systems in Oman.

‘Much ado about something’ how school leaders affect attitudes towards inclusive education: the case of Oman

ABSTRACTThe development of inclusive education (IE) is arguably the biggest challenge currently facing school systems in Oman. School leadership (SL) was argued to be a determinant of organisational effectiveness and an antecedent of organisational commitment (OC). The current study investigated how SL affects teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education (TATIE). A total of 378 teachers from both genders responded to the Principal Leadership Style (PLS), Scale of Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC), and the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ). Using structural modeling, we tested a set of hypotheses drawn from a conceptualised model which we developed from previous research evidence. Results supported our conceptualised model. OC was found to mediate the relationship between PLS and TATIE. Further, different PLSs showed different indirect effects on TATIE through OC. Results are discussed in relation to the context of Oman.

Fungal Diversity in Tomato Rhizosphere Soil under Conventional and Desert Farming Systems.

This study examined fungal diversity and composition in conventional (CM) and desert farming (DE) systems in Oman. Fungal diversity in the rhizosphere of tomato was assessed using 454-pyrosequencing and culture-based techniques. Both techniques produced variable results in terms of fungal diversity, with 25% of the fungal classes shared between the two techniques. In addition, pyrosequencing recovered more taxa compared to direct plating. These findings could be attributed to the ability of pyrosequencing to recover taxa that cannot grow or are slow growing on culture media. Both techniques showed that fungal diversity in the conventional farm was comparable to that in the desert farm. However, the composition of fungal classes and taxa in the two farming systems were different. Pyrosequencing revealed that Microsporidetes and Dothideomycetes are the two most common fungal classes in CM and DE, respectively. However, the culture-based technique revealed that Eurotiomycetes was the most abundant class in both farming systems and some classes, such as Microsporidetes, were not detected by the culture-based technique. Although some plant pathogens (e.g., Pythium or Fusarium) were detected in the rhizosphere of tomato, the majority of fungal species in the rhizosphere of tomato were saprophytes. Our study shows that the cultivation system may have an impact on fungal diversity. The factors which affected fungal diversity in both farms are discussed.

Techno-economic feasibility analysis of 1 MW photovoltaic grid connected system in Oman

Solar photovoltaic panels (PV) face many challenges in the Sultanate of Oman. These challenges include costs, policy and technical development. With the growing needs of the Sultanate in the energy sector, Grid Connected PV (GCPV) system could help in reducing peak load demand and offer an alternative energy source. This study aims to numerically discover the optimal configuration for a 1MW GCPV plant in Adam city. Real time data, on hour-by-hour basis, from the location are used to ensure highest accuracy. The simulation not only is set for technical evaluation but economic as well. Investment in GCPV technology needs a bigger push both by research, development and policy. The assessment results show that the PV technology investment is very promising in this site whereas the annual yield factor of the system is 1875.1 kWh/kWp. Meanwhile, the capacity factor of the proposed system is 21.7%. The cost of energy found for the plant is around 0.2258 USD/kWh which is economically feasible and shows great promise.

Toward a national sustainable building assessment system in Oman: Assessment categories and their performance indicators

The new generation of sustainable building-rating systems especially in developing countries is geared toward incorporating the variations in regional social, cultural, governmental and economic aspects. Likewise, the Sultanate of Oman possess its unique local context, geographical conditions, traditions and culture. The governmental and political requirements including the Omanization program, have also been highly considered in the Oman National Comprehensive Human Development 2040. The National Development Plan 2040 of Oman aims to bring the country into a more a sustainable life style.The aim of this study is to develop a framework for sustainable building construction in Oman by proposing an assessment system for the construction industry. While addressing sustainability, the system should respect the unique context of Oman in terms of its unique geographical, political, cultural, and societal features. No dedicated sustainability-rating system currently exists for Oman. Hence, this study involves two main stages to establish the sustainability assessment system for Oman. The first stage concentrates on further developing the formulation of the proposed system structure in relation to Oman by reviewing the literature on sustainable development and buildings, as well as analyzing international and regional sustainability-rating systems. The structure of the proposed system development is composed of 5 themes (environmental, economic, social, cultural and governance requirements), 11 categories, and 86 indicators. The second stage focuses on formulating assessment categories and their relevant performance indicators, which are validated through conducting a survey including different stakeholders of the industry from building engineers, building regulators, and sustainability experts. Pairwise and direct ranking method comparisons are used as data collection methods to examine the relative importance and weights of each category and each indicator respectively. The analysis of survey data shows that a prominent relative importance and balanced weights are given to indoor environment quality, natural and human resources, social, and governance requirements. The research output shall help and promote future studies to develop a detailed assessment system for sustainable construction in Oman.

Dates Palm Farming Systems Sustainability and Risk Efficiency in Oman

Date Palm is the most important cultivar in Oman and occupies 35% of total cultivated area and 78% of the total fruit trees area. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries attempted to improve Date production but due to climate change and environmental constrains agricultural production has shown instability in production and generated a desire to build a sustainable farming systems. The study used stochastic model to analyze Date Palm Farming Systems in Oman and identify the most sustainable and risk efficient one. Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to Function (SERF) technique use certainty equivalent concept to rank a set of risk efficient alternatives. The study found Batinah Region is the most risk efficient region and got a positive NPV with a probability of 88% followed by Dakhiliyah Region 77% and Dahirah Region 67%. The study also indicates Batinah and Dakhiliyah Regions which cultivate 52% of total Date Palm area in Oman is located in risk efficient farming system areas. Risk premium analysis performed and shows Dakhiliyah Region farmers can pay up to RO 59 for replanting Date Palm tree and move to Batinah Region farming practices with less risky farming system. The farmer in Dahirah Region is willing to pay RO 144 per Date Palm tree to shift to more efficient farming system practices such as Batinah Region. Date Palm Farming System analysis should be used as a basis and foundation for replanting program and resources and environmental constrains need be considered. A right economic incentives to be given to encourage production of selected Date Palm varieties for each region to increase ecosystem resilience and economic benefit.

Managing the Impacts of New Fish Wholesale Market on the Fisheries Exporting System in Oman

This study aims to give brief information about exporting activities in Oman, where it tend to present the available information in simple methods depending on the diagrams to illustrate the information, and to investigate the main problem behind the improper managing of the exporting system, and to achieve the following specific objectives behind this study, to study the alternatives for the improvement in the fish exporting system, to ascertain the reason behind the declining and the raising of the exporting system value, and to discover the impacts of the new fish wholesale market on the exporting system and on the local fish markets.

Visual acuity and refractive status of Omani students with refractive error in grades 1, 4 and 7: A retrospective cohort study.

Background:The visual and refractive status were assessed for grade 7 students in seven governorates in Oman. The health records were reviewed to assess the rationale for their previous school-based vision screening.Methods:A representative sample of 7th grade students with a refractive error (RE) was examined by optometrists in 2012. Their compliance with spectacle wear was also reviewed. Each student's vision and refractive status in grades 1 and 4 were compared with the status in grade 7. Each student's use of eye care services between grade 4 and 7 was evaluated to determine the uptake of existing eye services for vision problems.Results:This study had 286, 7th grade students with RE (myopia [94%], hyperopia [4%] and astigmatism [>1D] [2%]). The types of RE between genders in each grade were not significant (P > 0.05). During their vision screening when they were in grade 4, 5 of 13 moderate myopes (>−2D to − 6D) and 3 of 4 high myopes (>−6D) were detected and managed. Ten students with moderate and high myopia were already using spectacles before they were screened in grade 7. The compliance for spectacle wear was 62% in grade 7. Between grades, 4 and 7, 140 (49%) students did not visit eye clinics or an optician.Conclusions:Refractive services in grade 4 were an additional initiative from the eye health care systems in Oman to the actual World Health Organization recommendations of conducting vision screening and RE corrections at grade 7 and 10. However, this was not proved to be significantly effective in early detection, and even the uptake of eye care services by school children was also low.

Overdesign of Villa Structures in Oman

Residential projects represent the largest section of the construction industry in Oman. It is widely claimed that designers in Oman tend to unnecessarily overdesign structures, thereby aggravating construction costs. The aim of this research was to investigate the existence and extent of structural overdesign through the investigation of 31 villas which were approved by Muscat Municipality between 2000–2010. The specified villas were structurally redesigned based on the British Code of Practice using the same geometry and material strengths recorded in the drawings. The required reinforcement resulting from the redesign work was compared with the provided reinforcement as per the drawings. The results showed clear cases of extra reinforcement in almost all villas. The difference between required and provided reinforcements in the villas ranged from 2.3– 104.8%, with an average of 48.5% and a standard deviation of 24.0. The required and provided weights of reinforcement per square meter of the built-up area ranged from 25.7–71 and 40.9–87.9 kg/m2, respectively. The largest differences between the required and provided reinforcement were in the slabs, followed by the footings. A field survey of consultants and municipality engineers indicated that the most notable reasons for overdesign are the absence of authorized agents specialized in reviewing structural design, a lack of an engineering licensing system in Oman, and the phenomenon of experienced engineers leaving design offices for better paying jobs elsewhere. Finally, the cost implication of overdesign is minor compared to the overall cost of building.

Integrated Water Management for Aflaj System in Oman —Different Approach

Integrated Water Management for Aflaj System in Oman —Different Approach

Interest rate in Oman: is it fair?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to try to answer whether the banking system in Oman is fair for both depositors and entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach – The interest margin decomposition is based on the methodology proposed in Randall (1998). The income statement of banks defines profits before taxes (P) as interest income (II), plus non-interest income (NII), minus interest expense (IP), minus operating costs (OC) and minus provision for loan losses (Prov). After rearranging this identity, the net interest revenue can be expressed as follows: II – IP = OC + Prov + P – NII. The above expression decomposes the margin into the following cost and profit components: reserve requirement costs, operational costs, loan loss provision costs, profitability and non-interest income (with a negative sign). Findings – A trend analysis of commercial banks’ interest rate spreads in Oman exposes the following facts: First, the implicit interest margin is relatively small (in the neighborhood of 1 percentage point); second, profits constitute a substantial proportion of the margin; third, the share of operating costs in the margin has been broadly constant over time; fourth, reserve requirement costs have been reduced following the decline of the reserve requirement ratio; and fifth, the weighted average interest rate on deposits base is lower than the rate of inflation. Originality/value – This work is original.

Stakeholders’ views on the status of the fish quality and safety regulatory schemes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of the primary and the secondary stakeholders on the current functioning of the fish quality and safety regulatory system in Oman. Design/methodology/approach – The views on the fish quality and safety regulatory governance mechanism were elicited using a questionnaire survey. Findings – Although specific benefits derived from the quality control (QC) regulations were recognized by both groups a number of key factors were highlighted for improvement such as funding, being more proactive, literacy, quality of fish received. Originality/value – The paper has identified some weaknesses and constraints that hinder the effective and efficient functioning of the quality and safety regulatory systems and provided appropriate policy recommendations to make the governance of the QC regulatory system in the seafood sector efficient and effective and to mitigate public health risk.