Courtesy Visit with H.E. Dr. Al-Rumhi, Omani Minister of Oil and Gas

Courtesy Visit with H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhi, Minister of Oil and Gas

On November 1, 2009, Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing Director of JCCP, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhi, Minister of Oil and Gas in Oman.
Oman is situated on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula facing the Gulf and is bordered by UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. It is a country blessed with abundant water and greenery compared to other countries in the Middle East. The country’s capital is Muscat. Oman and Japan not only enjoy a close relationship of trade in crude oil and natural gas, but also engage in various joint R&D exchange activities. A technical cooperation project brought JCCP and Oman together in 1996 and formed the foundation of a cooperative relationship that still continues today.
Mr. Yoshida made the courtesy visit to Minister Al-Rumhi to pay his respects as the new managing director of JCCP as of last August. He also took the occasion to give a general overview of JCCP activities in Oman and to thank the Minister for his understanding and cooperation in those activities.
Minister Al-Rumhi also voiced his appreciation for the progress and results achieved through JCCP activities that have been implemented to date, and expressed his expectations of continued activities in the future. He also gave a description of the warm and hospitable character of the Omani people and the country’s beautiful natural environment upon learning that this was Mr. Yoshida’s first visit to the Middle East. He also added that he wishes to develop the country through the effective utilization of its natural environment.
When Mr. Yoshida mentioned a plan to hold a ceremony for the currently ongoing JCCP technical cooperation project on the “Treatment and Utilization of Oilfield-produced Water in Oman,” Minister Al-Rumhi gave a forward-looking response in regard to his attendance. The meeting was thus held in an extremely friendly atmosphere thanks to the minister’s kind and considerate disposition.
In addition to the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Mr.Yoshida also paid courtesy calls on Prof. Amer-Al-Rawas, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU); Mr. Masoud S. Al-Msalmy, Oman Refineries & Petrochemicals Company (ORPC); and H.E. Mr.Seiji Morimoto, Japanese Ambassador to Oman. At each of the institutions he visited, Mr. Yoshida received many words of appreciation for the achievements and progress of JCCP activities, as well as strong requests to continue implementing the activities into the future based on a strong cooperative relationship.
We wish to take the opportunity of this newsletter to extend our feelings of gratitude to everyone at the Omani Ministry of Oil and Gas, SQU, ORPC,and the Japanese Embassy in Oman, who gave their time and effort to receive Mr. Yoshida and the JCCP delegation. Thank you all very much.


(by Kenji Ikushima, Technical Cooperation Dept.)