WELCOME MESSAGE

Air Commodore Ahmed Bin Saif Al-Badi
Head of National Survey Authority
Sultanate of Oman

Oman Geospatial Forum is now entering its fourth year and the outcome of the previous events has indeed resulted in a significant positive impact on the functioning of various government organisations across the Sultanate, the results of which are there for everyone to see. As a result of the success and the benefits attained from such events in terms of participants' enthusiasm we are pleased to welcome the 4th edition of Oman Geospatial Forum 2017, which is being jointly organised by National Survey Authority, Oman and Geospatial Media and Communications on 10th and 11th April 2017 at Muscat, Oman. The National Survey Authority feels honoured and privileged to be the co-organiser of this extremely significant event.
Over the past couple of decades, geospatial technologies have seen wide implementation across different organisations in the Middle East. The tremendous utility of these technologies and the benefits that it can provide to offer enhanced citizen services and organised functioning has prompted various governments to create policies and frameworks conducive to the further growth and implementation of these technologies. Oman, in particular has been at the forefront in this technological revolution.

Geospatial technology, with its ability to provide the right information to the right people at the right time, is just what we need to make sure that the country's ambitious development plans are met in a timely and sustainable manner. The application of these technologies results in improved decision making at various levels, ensuring increased opportunities for industry and society. The geospatial community thus acts as the backbone for efficient governance, leading to overall growth and development.

The National Survey Authority plays a vital part in the overall growth and development of Oman. Its mission is to improve the quality of life of citizens and residents of the Sultanate of Oman and optimize the use of Geospatial Information through communication, coordination and collaboration. With this in mind, the Authority's vision is to take a leading role in the provision of user focused, cost effective, and reliable quality Geospatial data and information for meeting the sustainable national development needs and the requirement for National Security. Therefore, our role to the Nation is to provide Maps and Charts, which are the basic requirements of any country for securing its borders and ensure effective management of its resources, so that citizens enjoy a safe environment and better quality of life.

As the Head of NSA, I am looking forward to this opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with the geospatial community from around the world. The overarching theme for the conference is GeoSmart Empowering Economic Development, which shall aim to bring forth trends in Spatial Analytics, Business Intelligence, Digital Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning and how these trends enhance economic value creation for national economies.

With this, I welcome you all to this extremely important event and hope that you have an extremely wonderful and enlightening experience throughout the event.