Muscat – The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) based in Muscat, in collaboration with TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East & Africa and with the support of Omran Group, has officially commissioned its solar rooftop project, now fully operational and powering the venue with clean solar energy since early 2025.

The project agreement was signed in March 2024, with construction commencing immediately thereafter. Completed in record time, the installation comprises 8,300 state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic (PV) modules spanning 16,600sqm across the OCEC’s Atrium and Exhibition Halls rooftops. For perspective, this area is equivalent to 63 tennis courts, or two full-sized football pitches now covered with high-efficiency solar panels.

Designed to significantly reduce the venue’s carbon footprint, the system is expected to avoid approximately 3,300 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually amounting to over 72,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided over the project’s lifetime.

In addition to generating around 25% of OCEC’s total energy needs, the PV modules offer added benefits such as lowering indoor temperatures by providing shade and protecting the roof from direct UV and rain exposure, contributing to further energy savings.

This initiative represents a major step in OCEC’s wider sustainability journey, in line with Oman’s national Net Zero 2050 ambitions. It complements a range of ongoing efforts, including the venue’s LEED Gold certification, the development of a biodiverse garden, regular food donations, a robust waste recycling program, and close collaboration with local suppliers and SMEs to implement further sustainable solutions.

“This project is a major milestone in our ambition to become a more sustainable venue,” said Said al Shanfari, CEO of the exhibition centre.