13 June 2018, FAO Headquarters, Rome Presenter: Hamdan Salim Said Al-Wahaibi

1. Country presentation
(Sultanate of Oman)
By
Hamdan Salim Al-Wahaibi, PhD
Director of Soil and Water Research Center
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

2. Location: North East of the Arabian Peninsula
Area : 309,500 km2
Population: 4,642,945 ( 2,534,149 Omani)
Rainfall: 100 mm
2
Sultanate of Oman

3. Land division
• Mountains (15%)
• Sand and deserts (80%)
• Plains (5% )

4. 2.52
%
4.55
%
92.9
%
Highly to moderately suitable
Marginally suitable
Not suitable
Soil Suitability

5. Land Resources

6. Water Resources

7. land use and Production
Perenni
al
Crops
52%
Date
Palms
19%
Vegeta
bles
22%
Fruit
Crops
5%
Field
Crops
2%
Production (%)
Perenni
al
Crops
39%
Date
Palms
28%
Vegeta
bles
20%
Fruit
Crops
8%
Field
Crops
5%
Cropping pattern (% of
cultivated area)

8. • Secondary Soil Salinity
• Soil erosion
• Low soil productivity (low fertility, low organic mater)
• Desertification
• Urbanization , changing land use, land fragmentation
Major challenges of soil resources (priorities)

10. Northand South Al- Batinah Governorates is
the most affected by salinity

11. Soil erosion

12. Construction of concrete protection walls

13. Protection walls

14. Terraces for soil conservation

15. Degradation due to overgrazing

16. Urbanization and changing land use

17. Implemented Activities
Pillar 1: promote sustainable management of soil resources for
soil protection, conservation and sustainable productivity
Outcome 1.2 Soil rehabilitation programs including documentation
of best SSM/SLM practices and scaling out to areas at high risk of
soil degradation implemented
Project: Management of salt affected lands in Oman:
improving land productivity (WOCAT-LADA)
((Dr. Daniel Danano , FAO Land Management and Tenure Office

18. Implemented Activities
Pillar 2: encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy,
education, awareness and extension in soil
Outcome 2.3 Key messages to create awareness campaign to
target the civil society and non- soil specialists through TV and
other media implemented
A training workshop for students school under the
name of “ Soil: Vibrant Pluses of Life”

19. - A training workshop for students school under the name of
“Healthy Soil for a Healthy Life”
- Forum under the name “Soil cosmos as a foundation of
food security”
Implemented Activities

20. Soil Day
Implemented Activities

21. Pillar 3: promote targeted soil research and development
focusing on identified gaps, priorities and synergies with related
productive, environmental and social development actions
Outcome 3.1 Integrated research for development approach
targeting soil challenges within specific agro-ecosystems or
landscape established
Project with IAEA:
Use of Isotopes and Nuclear Techniques In Integrated
Water Soil and Nutrients Management to Optimize
Crop Productivity
Activities under implementation

22. Main obstacles to the implementation of activities
- Strategies of five years plan (2016-2020)
- Limited soil researchers
- Fund - Limited financial resources
- Need for technical supports from FAO

23. Thanks for
your attention