The first electric vehicle charging station in Muscat Governorate was launched by the Public Authority for SMEs Development (Riyada) on Monday.
The charging station was launched at the Intercontinental Muscat Hotel in cooperation with Global EVRT, an international organisation that aims at raising awareness about electric cars and their benefits, and Nama Group. The stopover of a convoy of electric cars in Muscat is part of the three-nation road trip to promote electronic vehicles in partnership with Tesla and Chevrolet Bolt EV, which provided its first electric model in the region — Bolt EV.
The IHG hotels in Muscat and Abu Dhabi participated in this initiative. Now, people in Oman can travel all the way to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without fearing their battery will run out. An extra charging station has also been installed in Musannah. The Muscat charging station is part of efforts made to ensure economic diversification in the Sultanate as per the vision of the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification (Tanfeedh). The initiative follows the success made by the electric vehicle journey through the UAE and the Sultanate during which it travelled 1,217 km.
The launch ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Hamoud bin Khalfan al Harthy, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Education for Education and Curricula, who said the launch of the first electric vehicle charging station is part of the Sultanate’s approach towards renewable energy such as solar and electric energy. Dr Al Harthy urged Omani youth and entrepreneurs to set up SMEs to benefit from this field, especially since the country’s economy is moving towards clean energy. Khalid bin al Safi al Haraibi, Acting CEO of Riyada, said the launch is part of the effort to provide charging points in different parts of Oman for vehicles powered by electric charge and not fuel.
These vehicles can travel for 150 to 400 km before it can be recharged. Sam Alawiye, CEO of Green Parking, which set up the charging stations in two months, said: “The more stations we have between destinations, the more likely it will encourage low income individuals to consider buying an electric car.” Green Parking has come out with an incentive. “If you have electric cars up to the end of 2019, you can use our network for charging. We will provide our cards and you don’t have to pay for consumables. We will not charge the users in Oman. They can apply for our EV charging cards.”
Abdullah bin Said al Badri, CEO of Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), said the Nama Group is keen on providing the required infrastructure for this type of vehicles.
He said the regulatory bodies and operators require collaboration to develop regulations that ensure smooth operation of such vehicles and provide opportunities for their expansion in the future.
Ben Pullen, Founder and CEO of Global EVRT, expressed his joy for the Sultanate’s interest in smart cities whose streets will host the electric vehicles in the near future. “There is still lack of awareness among consumers about the potential of such electric vehicles.”
A seminar was organised by Riyada under the auspices of Najeeb bin Ali al Rowas, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, at Muscat InterContinental Hotel under the theme, ‘The Future of Electric Vehicles in the Sultanate’. It was aimed at raising awareness about benefits of electric vehicles, data on electric vehicles manufacturing, smart cities and the development of smart and sustainable transportation in the Sultanate and the Middle East.
The seminar was also aimed at providing an opportunity to meet with exhibitors of this technology and the electric vehicles manufacturers.
Lakshmi Kothaneth
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