Renewable solar energy projects in Oman: challenges and strategies
Sulaiman Nasser Salim Al-Mazrooei, Zainab Al Bulushi
كلية الإقتصاد والعلوم السياسية-جامعة السلطان قابوس · عمان
This thesis delves into the challenges encountered by organizations in Oman as theyundertake solar energy projects and the corresponding strategies that can be employed tonavigate these hurdles. The renewable energy sector is a prominent path to competitiveadvantage, notably by harnessing clean energy that augments the overall quality of life.Central to this research are two pivotal questions: what specific challenges manifest whenmanaging solar projects in Oman? Secondly, which strategies prove effective insurmounting these challenges? In pursuit of answers, lists enumerating these challengesand strategies were drawn from existing literature and subsequently enriched by insightsfrom semi-structured interviews. These challenges were methodically categorized usingthe PEST (Political, Economic, Social, and Technological) framework. This groundworkled to a survey completed by twenty domain experts, which ranked the challenges andpaired them with potential strategies. The data gathered was subjected to analysis via theTechnique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Emerging fromthis in-depth exploration, the research concludes that a strategic partnership is theparamount supply chain strategy to overcome the challenges faced in Oman's solarprojects.