As part of its efforts to support the exhibitions and conferences industry in the sultanate, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) has urged the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from the coronavirus pandemic to reopen the sector with precautionary measures.

The Exhibitions and Conferences Committee of OCCI held its second meeting for 2021 at the chamber’s headquarters under the chairmanship of Zakaria bin Saeed al Ghassani, in the presence of the committee members.

The meeting discussed the challenges faced by the sector in light of the ongoing pandemic. The members of the committee also stressed the importance of reconsidering the provision of some incentives and finding a mechanism and solution to help companies operating in the sector to overcome the economic effects caused by the pandemic as the sector is an important pillar that supports the national economy. 

The meeting also requested the Supreme Committee to reconsider the requirements imposed on the sector’s companies in order to reopen, setting appropriate controls that would reduce the burden on owners of these businesses. 

‘The Exhibitions and Conferences Committee directs its request to the Supreme Committee to reopen this sector with precautionary controls. The committee implores that this sector has been directly affected, which may lead to the declaration of bankruptcy by some companies that incurred losses,’ it said.

The members of the committee emphasised that there are countries that have opened the sector and that they can benefit from their experiences on the mechanisms and precautionary measures taken.

The meeting also discussed the obstacles facing the exhibitions sector in South Sharqiyah governorate, and mechanisms to overcome these challenges and work to develop the sector in the governorate by benefiting from the experiences of specialists at local and international levels.