FFF debates future of cities and governance

MUSCAT: The Future Foresight Forum (FFF) concluded at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday. The forum is part of the project for preparing the future vision, Oman 2040, complementing the stages that included the diagnosis of the current situation in the Sultanate and identification of the main issues of the reality of socioeconomic development, which will be addressed by the vision, the benchmark comparisons and identification of the best opportunities that can be adopted and implemented.

The last day of the forum included seminars, namely ‘ The Future of Oman: Society, Future of Cities and Governance,’ which dealt with the demographic structure in the world and the Sultanate in particular in the next 30 to 40 years, accompanied by improved healthcare and an increase in the age of older persons to a growing proportion of the mature population, as well as increasing dependency rates.

On the future of cities, the forum discussed the growing importance of urban living in particular in developing countries, with 64 to 70 per cent of the world’s population living in urban areas by 2040, where the Sultanate has begun to prepare a national strategy for urban development consistent with the vision of Oman 2040.

As for the government, the forum reviewed the development needs that include health, social security, pension systems, transport, housing and other necessities that require to know what kind of subsidy that citizens can expect from their government to provide a suitable life and familiarise with the new public services they need in the future.

Talal bin Sulaiman al Rahbi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Planning (SCP), showed a presentation on the Royal Decrees, which stipulated the preparation of the future vision of Oman 2040. He explained that the average number of participants in the forum reached 300 participants and contributed to the presentation of ideas and visions of the opportunity to turn the Sultanate into an international logistics hub for its geo-strategic location and its competitive and relative advantages.

He affirmed that the participants in the forum believe that the Sultanate has the opportunity to attract foreign investments and internal financing to convert to clean energy and can stimulate private sector participation in the transition to a sustainable economy.

He also reviewed the steps and stages of the committees and task forces to prepare and formulate this vision.