Miller Magazine Issue: 142 October 2021

82 TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM MILLER / OCTOber 2021 Could you tell us flour consumption patterns in Oman? In Oman, 99. % of people consume rice at least 4 days a week. Omanis consume also wheat bread, mostly white bread, which is prepared with refined white wheat flour and only a few health-conscious people use whole wheat bread 4 to 7 days a week. The frequency of bread consumption varied significantly between governorates, gender, education and income levels. The probable rea- sons for these variations might be diversification in pop- ulation and level of education. Most of the government organizations, ministries and educational institutions are in Muscat, and therefore a higher percentage of educat- ed people live there and those consume more wheat flour. Whereas, the other people who live in a small com- munity with a minimum population consume less amount of wheat flour products. Oman is located at the crossroads of trade be- tween Asia and Europe. What advantages does this geostrategic location offer you? Recently expanded mandate for the Oman ports such as Sohar Port, Duqm Port, Sultan Qaboos port in Muscat and Salah port to further integration, highlights the con- tinued growth in this coastal city’s trade and develop- ment projects. Logistical, supply and venture contracts have been signed between the port authority and local and international firms. As the infrastructure completion and the prospect of full operations becomes more vi- able, its economic and geostrategic implications will extend far beyond Oman’s waters. Oman has not been ruptured by the threat of Iranian nuclear developments and recent Inter-Gulf disputes. That is not to say, how- ever, that the growing economic agendas of regional nations will not create competition. As it assumes great- er economic importance, geostrategic interest in Oman ports develop. For example, as the US attempts to re- position its assets and investments in the Indo-Pacific region, the port could provide a crucial gateway for a US northern Indian Ocean presence, beyond the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Qatar-hosted Central Command. For example, as China consolidates its great power status with greater maritime capabilities and India works to- wards its inevitable rise, it is essential that the prospects of greater prosperity through economic interconnection overcome the geopolitical competition and strategic fault lines that develop. With the facilitation of greater economic activity through the Indian Ocean, from Asia to Africa to Europe, Oman ports could be a source of economic integration.