Muscat – Oman, represented by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, has joined the International Transport Forum (ITF), the only intergovernmental organisation in the world with a global mandate for all transport modes.

Along with Oman, the Dominican Republic and Saudi Arabia also joined the International Transport Forum as the organisation’s member countries.

Hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the ITF acts as a think tank for transport policy and organises the global summit of ministers of transport every year.

The ITF’s highest statutory body, the Council of Ministers of Transport, voted on Thursday to admit Oman, the Dominican Republic, and Saudi Arabia at the International Transport Forum’s annual meeting in Leipzig, Germany.

More than 1,000 delegates from around the world met in Leipzig from May 22 to May 24 for the annual summit of transport ministers under the theme ‘Greening Transport: Keeping Focus in Times of Crisis’.

Welcoming the new member countries of International Transport Forum, ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim said, “The ITF welcomes the Dominican Republic, Oman, and Saudi Arabia with open arms as new members. We are proud to have with us a seventh nation from Latin America and the Caribbean, and our second and third members from the Middle East.”

He added, “Oman’s Vision 2040 depends on the provision of advanced transportation, communications, and information technology infrastructure that is safe and integrated with urban and economic development. In particular, Oman’s Ministry of Transport has initiated plans for zero-emission light and heavy-duty vehicles. ITF’s member countries look forward to assisting Oman in any way that they can. I am sure that Oman will find much inspiration in the experiences of other countries for further improving its transport systems.”

In a statement to Oman News Agency, H E Eng Khamis bin Mohammed al Shamakhi, Undersecretary for Transport at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said that Oman’s membership in ITF comes within the ministry’s efforts to make the most of the sultanate’s strategic position in strengthening the transportation system at the local and global levels.

“The ministry’s endeavor to obtain such membership also reflects Oman’s commitment to international cooperation towards finding successful solutions to the various challenges facing the transport and logistics sector. The ministry will seek, through this membership, to benefit from global expertise in developing policies and employing technology and innovation in all modes of transportation, including green transportation,” he said.