GUtech and Opal sign MoU to set up road safety, transportation and mobility lab
MUSCAT: The German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) and the Oman Society for Petroleum Services (Opal) have joined hands to establish a Road Safety, Transportation, and Mobility Lab, the first new research & development facility in Oman, where cutting-edge technologies will be deployed and innovative solutions will be proposed and implemented to solve the challenges of road safety, transportation, and mobility in Oman and ultimately create related business opportunities.
To this end, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) setting out the terms of a collaborative and ambitious partnership recently, at GUtech campus in Halban.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Modigell, the Rector of GUtech, and Musallam Al Mandhari, CEO – Opal signed the agreement.
The signing ceremony was also attended by representatives from Opal, including Ramesh Sivathanu, QHSE executive manager; Abdulla al Sinani, acting communications executive manager; and Turkiya al Adawi, L&D Manager. From GUtech, representatives included OES CEO, Dr Hussain Al Salmi; Dr Nafaa Jabeur, head of Computer Science Department; Dr Nabil Sahli, member of Computer Science Department; and Heiderose Moossen, manager of Vocational Training and Industry Relations.
The initiative stems from Opal commitment to increase awareness about road safety.
“Opal is delighted to partner with GUtech in this lab, which will act as a research and development hub for educational institutions in the fields of mobility, transportation, and road safety research,” commented Al Mandhari.
Dr Nafaa Jabeur will head the Road Safety, Transportation, and Mobility Lab. The lab will be located on GUtech Campus, and open for research initiatives by GUtech students and researchers, as well as third parties interested in developing and testing their ideas in collaboration with GUtech.
Throughout its 10 years of operation, GUtech has always endeavoured to collaborate with the industry to develop its research capacity. Modigell said, “GUtech and Opal are committed to carrying out studies and research on road traffic and transportation conditions, produce scientifically treated data analytics, and propose effective solutions to problems being faced in Oman.”
“GUtech will mobilise its research capacity to contribute in scientific research that aims to reduce Road Traffic Crashes, produce and analyse mobility and transportation statistics, identify related KPIs, and benchmark local performance against international standards,” elaborated Nafaa Jabeur.
Both parties are highly interested to contribute to the international reputation of Oman as a country with a high level of traffic safety on Oman’s Roads and to support the economic growth of the country by contributing to research and development activities for a sustainable and effective mobility and transportation solutions and services within Oman.
GUtech offers internationally accredited Bachelor degree programmes in Engineering, Urban and Architectural Design, Logistics, International Business and Service Management, Applied Geosciences and Computer Science. A new suite of masters has recently been added to its portfolio, including Master of Science in Computer Science, Applied Geosciences, and a Master of Business Administration.
The Oman Society for Petroleum Services (Opal) is the first society in Oman’s Petroleum Industry to be officially approved and established in the Sultanate. It is a non-profit organisation, which is also the industry forum society for Oman’s Petroleum Industry.