Director General Gurry Visits Oman (March 6 to 7, 2018), Establishes New Cooperation Agreement

March 8, 2018

Director General Francis Gurry traveled to Oman for a two-day official visit that included a meeting with Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ali bin Masoud Al-Sunaidi, to establish a new bilateral cooperation agreement aimed at helping smaller businesses.

The newly inked Technical Cooperation Agreement between WIPO and the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (RIYADA) will include, among other aspects, information exchange on matters of interest to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), technical support related to SMEs development policies and programs, as well as delivery of technical material for training courses.

The Director General also met Secretary General of the Omani Research Council, Hilal bin Ali Al-Hinai, with whom he discussed many IP-related issues including the Omani National Innovation Strategy aimed at creating an enabling environment for research and innovation. They also discussed the importance of the Global Innovation Index, co-published by WIPO, INSEAD and Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business.

Mr. Gurry visited the Omani Industrial Innovation Center (IIC), which is part of "Muscat Knowledge Oasis," and met with the IIC’s Chief Executive, Abdullah Al-Mahrouqi, who spoke of the center’s assistance in establishing partnership between the Oman government and the private sector, with a view to diversifying the Omani economy.

On March 6, the Director General met with President of the Sultan Qaboos University, Ali bin Saud Al-Bemani, for discussions including IP education and training programs. They discussed the possibility of organizing a joint Masters' degree program on IP, establishing a Start-up Academy in Oman and organizing a WIPO Summer School in Oman later in 2018.

On March 7, 2018, the Director General met with the Omani Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Fua’ad Jaffar Al Sajwani, for discussions on a range of IP-related issues, particularly in the fields of capacity building for Omani human resources and technical cooperation between WIPO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Mr. Gurry also met with Secretary General of the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, to discuss issues of mutual interest, particularly those pertaining to the IP international agenda.

Mr. Gurry visited Oman’s Ministry of Education, where he met with innovation-focused students and made a presentation on the role and importance of IP and innovation, including current and future challenges and trends at the national and international levels.