Refers Draft Unified Law on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to the State Council
During Its 20th Regular Sitting, the Council Also Approves:
•    A Number of Air Services Agreements 
•    The Submitted Proposal on Developing the Individual Performance Measurement System “Ejada” 
The Shura Council on Tuesday referred the Draft Unified Law on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for the GCC States to the State Council to complete its legislative cycle, pursuant to Article (49) of the Oman Council Law, which regulates the mechanism for referring draft laws between the Shura Council and the State Council within the approved legislative process.
This came during the Council’s 20th Regular Sitting of the Third Ordinary Session (2025–2026) of the Tenth Term (2023–2027), chaired by H.E. Khalid Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Shura Council, in the presence of Their Excellencies the Members of the Council and H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Al Nadabi, Secretary-General of the Council.
At the outset of the sitting, H.E. the Chairman of the Council delivered a speech affirming that the Council continues its role in contributing to the formulation of development plans and programmes implemented by state institutions, in a manner that positively supports stability and prosperity across various development sectors.
His Excellency noted that the key agenda items of the sitting included briefing members on the draft Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, discussing and approving the Draft Unified Law on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for the GCC States, and reviewing and approving a number of agreements referred by the Government.
Briefing on the Draft Air Transport Agreement Between Oman and Uruguay
At the beginning of the sitting, H.E. Khalid Hilal Al Maawali briefed Their Excellencies the Members on the draft Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, referred by the Government to the Council, within the framework of enhancing bilateral cooperation and expanding air connectivity between the Sultanate of Oman and friendly countries, in a manner that supports transport movement as well as trade and tourism exchange.
Completion of Discussions on the Draft Unified Law on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
During the sitting, the Council discussed the Draft Unified Law on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for the GCC States. H.E. Eng. Khwaidem Said Al Maashani, Deputy Chairman of the Food and Water Security Committee and Rapporteur of the sitting, presented the committee’s report on the draft law.
His Excellency stated that the committee conducted a comprehensive study of the draft law and hosted specialists from the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources and relevant entities to review the legislative and technical aspects related to the draft, in a manner that supports the achievement of its objectives in protecting, regulating, and sustaining plant genetic resources.
He explained that the draft law falls within the framework of strengthening Gulf food security, preserving plant genetic resources of economic and agricultural value, and regulating their conservation, exchange, and utilisation for research and developmental purposes, in line with challenges related to climate change, desertification, and agricultural pests, while contributing to the development of agricultural varieties and improving agricultural productivity across GCC states.
The sitting also witnessed extensive remarks and inquiries from Their Excellencies the Members regarding the procedural and technical aspects of the draft law. Discussions addressed the importance of plant genetic resources and their role in supporting agricultural innovation and scientific research, in addition to the importance of aligning national legislation with relevant GCC and international agreements, thereby strengthening Gulf legislative integration in this vital sector.
Approval of Several Air Services Agreements
In a related context, H.E. Dr. Hamood Ahmed Al Yahyaei, Chairman of the Services and Public Utilities Committee and Rapporteur during the sitting, reviewed several draft air services agreements referred to the Council by the Government.
These included the Air Services Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Republic of Togo, the draft Air Services Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Republic of Cuba, in addition to the draft Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
His Excellency noted that these agreements fall within the framework of strengthening Oman’s air transport network and expanding international cooperation in the civil aviation sector, in a manner that supports economic, commercial, and tourism activity and reinforces the position of Omani airports as regional hubs for transport and logistics services.
Their Excellencies the Members approved the draft air agreements.
Approval of the Submitted Proposal on Developing the “Ejada” Individual Performance Measurement System
On another front, the Council discussed the submitted proposal regarding the development of the “Ejada” Individual Performance Measurement System.
H.E. Younis Ali Al Mundhiri, Chairman of the Youth and Human Resources Committee and Rapporteur during the sitting, presented the committee’s report on the proposal, reviewing the key observations and conclusions reached following an extensive study of the various aspects associated with the system and its functional, administrative, and social implications.
His Excellency stated that the committee attached significant importance to the proposal due to the direct connection of the performance measurement system with government employees and the institutional work environment.
He explained that the committee conducted a thorough and comprehensive study of the proposal and hosted specialists from the Ministry of Labour to discuss mechanisms for implementing the system, approved evaluation criteria, and the extent of their suitability to the nature of work and responsibilities across state administrative units.
He further noted that the committee raised several inquiries and observations regarding the impact of the system on employee performance, job stability, motivation, and productivity, as well as its possible social, financial, and psychological implications, particularly concerning incentives, promotions, and career development opportunities.
The report also stressed the importance of ensuring that the performance evaluation system is based on clear, fair, and transparent foundations that take into account differences in job nature and specialisations while fostering a positive work environment that contributes to improving institutional performance and achieving administrative development goals without negatively affecting job stability or the work environment.
The sitting witnessed extensive interventions from Their Excellencies the Members concerning the implementation of the “Ejada” system. Members stressed the importance of reviewing certain organisational and technical aspects related to evaluation mechanisms and performance measurement to ensure job fairness and equal opportunities among employees.
The interventions also addressed the importance of enhancing motivational aspects and linking evaluations to realistic and measurable performance indicators that take into account the nature of each job.
Members additionally highlighted the importance of developing the institutional work environment, strengthening communication between supervisors and employees during evaluation processes, addressing challenges that may affect job satisfaction or professional stability, and benefiting from observations submitted by employees and relevant entities when developing the system in the future.
Their Excellencies further affirmed that developing the employee performance system should aim at improving the efficiency of the state administrative apparatus and motivating employees toward creativity and productivity, while maintaining a balance between achieving institutional performance targets and preserving the human and social dimensions related to employees.
At the conclusion of discussions, the Council approved the submitted proposal regarding the development of the “Ejada” Individual Performance Measurement System and referred it to the Council of Ministers.
Approval of Request to Discuss Regulation of Licences Related to Tobacco Products
At the conclusion of the sitting, the discussion request submitted to H.E. the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion regarding the regulation of licences related to tobacco products, their derivatives, and goods with harmful health impacts and their economic implications was presented pursuant to Article (68) of the Oman Council Law.
Their Excellencies the Members discussed the importance of the topic in light of the growing challenges associated with the health and economic impacts of certain harmful goods, stressing the importance of strengthening regulatory and oversight mechanisms related to the granting of licences and the circulation of such products in a manner that serves the public interest and safeguards public health.
Accordingly, the Council approved the discussion request and referred it to the Council of Ministers to complete the applicable procedures in this regard.