Oman Joins International Transport Forum as New Member
Leipzig, The Gulf Observer: The Sultanate of Oman has officially become a member of the International Transport Forum (ITF), the globally recognized intergovernmental organization dedicated to all modes of transport. The announcement was made on Thursday during a meeting of the ITF’s Council of Ministers of Transport in Leipzig, Germany.
Oman, alongside Saudi Arabia and the Dominican Republic, has expanded the ITF’s membership to 69 countries. This inclusion was first reported by the Times of Oman on Wednesday.
The ITF is integrated into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and serves as a think tank for transport policy, organizing an annual global summit of transport ministers. The forum is the only intergovernmental organization with a global mandate encompassing all transport modes.
Hamood Musabah Al Alawi, a senior representative from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, expressed gratitude towards the ITF for the inclusion. “I would like to thank the ITF for embracing us in their family. We look forward to collaboration with ITF and other member nations as we have witnessed some sterling examples of partnership among member nations to make remarkable progress in the transport sector,” said Al Alawi, who also serves as the Metro Project Manager at the ministry.
Al Alawi highlighted Oman’s commitment to enhancing connectivity across all transport modes and improving infrastructure through technological advancements and green mobility initiatives. “Public transport systems and logistics are also areas where we would like to collaborate and have partnerships with member nations,” he added.
Abdullah Al Busaidi, Director General of Oman Logistics Centre and a member of the Omani delegation at the ITF, remarked on the honor of joining the ITF. “Oman is committed to being an active member of the ITF, delivering the right mandate to make the activities of ITF a success. The inclusion of Oman in the ITF family will give us a global appeal with the family now comprising 69 members, including six from the MENA region,” he said.
Al Busaidi also emphasized the potential for enhancing knowledge and sharing best practices in the transport sector. “We hope that our joining the ITF will help us make our transport sector more efficient. We also wish to push green mobility in Oman as we are working hard to push the agenda of green initiatives in the transport sector. Oman is committed to Net Zero by 2050, and we are working with various stakeholders inside the country and across the globe to achieve our goals under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.”
The inclusion of Oman and Saudi Arabia increases the ITF members from the MENA region to six, joining the UAE, Morocco, Tunisia, and Israel. Europe remains the region with the highest representation, boasting 44 member nations.
ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim welcomed the new members, stating, “The ITF welcomes the Dominican Republic, Oman, and Saudi Arabia with open arms as new members. We are proud to have a seventh nation from Latin America and the Caribbean, and our second and third members from the Gulf.”
Kim highlighted Oman’s Vision 2040, emphasizing the importance of advanced transportation, communications, and IT infrastructure integrated with urban and economic development. “In particular, Oman’s Transport Ministry has initiated plans for zero-emission light and heavy-duty vehicles. ITF’s member countries look forward to assisting Oman in any way they can.”
Welcoming Saudi Arabia, Kim noted the country’s goals to diversify its economy away from oil by enhancing transport connectivity and trade through improved networks in road, maritime, rail, and air transport. “Saudi Arabia’s membership provides ITF members with an opportunity to offer advice to Saudi Arabia and learn from its specific approach to solving its transport issues.”
During a press briefing on Thursday, it was announced that Chile has taken over the ITF presidency for a one-year term from Lithuania, with the Czech Republic serving as first vice-president and Azerbaijan as second vice-president. The Czech Republic will assume the presidency following Chile, with the next ITF Annual Summit scheduled in Leipzig from May 21-23, 2025.
More than 1,200 delegates, including journalists from around the world, are attending the ongoing 2024 ITF Annual Summit, which began on Wednesday and will conclude on Friday. The summit features key debates and discussions on various transport and communications topics, with speakers and experts participating in nearly 70 sessions over three days.
