Oman-Netherlands water cooperation strengthened through high-level delegation visit
From 26-30 January, the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) welcomed a high-level delegation from the Sultanate of Oman for a week-long programme in the Netherlands focused on strengthening bilateral water cooperation.
The delegation, representing the Oman Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources (MoAFWR) and Nama Water Resources, was joined on the first day by H.E. Sheikh Dr Abdullah Salim Al Harthi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Netherlands.. NWP was honoured by the presence of His Excellency, and would like to extend its sincere gratitude to him for his valuable guidance and engagement throughout the meeting. His contribution set the tone for an open and constructive dialogue between Omani and Dutch partners.
Oman Netherlands Water Taskforce meeting
The programme opened with a warm welcome and a government-to-government (G2G) Taskforce meeting, led by NWP in its role as Secretariat of the Oman-Netherlands Water Taskforce. Representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management joined the discussions, which focused on priorities for bilateral cooperation and opportunities for knowledge exchange between Oman and the Netherlands.
Field visits
A key element of the visit was exposure to the Dutch water innovation ecosystem through a series of field visits. The delegation visited World Horti Center, followed by meetings with NWP members VP Delta, The Green Village, Flood Proof Holland, Deltares, and KWR. These visits highlighted the importance of field labs and living laboratories as spaces where innovative water solutions can be tested and demonstrated in real-world conditions. The exchanges allowed for in-depth discussions on topics such as climate adaptation, flood resilience, water governance, and applied research, underlining the value of learning directly from practice.
Dutch water sector networking opportunity
On Thursday, the delegation participated in a networking session organised by NWP that brought together over 20 representatives from public organisations, private companies, and research institutes across the Dutch water sector.
By facilitating this gathering, NWP created a unique platform for knowledge exchange, dialogue, and partnership-building, allowing both the Omani delegation and Dutch stakeholders to explore potential collaboration, share expertise, and identify concrete business and project opportunities.
NWP members had the chance to connect one on one with the delegation members, while the delegation gained a comprehensive overview of the Dutch water sector’s expertise. This session exemplified NWP’s role as a connector in the international water sector, enabling meaningful interactions that strengthen long-term partnerships and advance joint water initiatives
