Vale Oman produces WHO-standard sanitiser

Vale Oman, the Omani-Brazilian joint venture that owns and operates a mega iron ore pelletising complex and distribution hub at Sohar Port, says it has produced its own in-house version of a hand sanitiser spray that has a qualitative edge over commercially available brands. The JV joins a growing list of major corporations, as well as local SMEs and start-ups, that have come up with their own innovations in support of Oman’s collective campaign against the novel coronavirus which causes the deadly COVID-19 disease.  Providing impetus for the majority of these local innovations has been a severe dearth of protective gear and sanitizing liquids at the outset of the pandemic. In a statement, Vale Oman said the hand sanitiser was formulated at the company lab based on guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The formulation, it noted, was far more potent in destroying viruses and bacteria than many commercially distributed versions. Younis al Mamari, Supervisor of the Vale Oman Laboratory, said the locally developed sanitiser was carefully tested at the company clinic before an application was made to the authorities for its wider use.  The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has since given its consent for the sanitiser to be mass-produced internally for use by Vale staff and contractors, he added.