NAMAT Sixth Edition launches at Oman Climate Week

Muscat: The Environment Society of Oman (ESO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and with the support of Veolia in Oman, launched the sixth edition of Namat Competition at the Oman Climate Week held in Muscat from 14th - 16th September 2026.The Namat Competition is a national-level sustainability programme designed to empower school students and support government schools in adopting sustainable practices as part of everyday school life. The sixth edition marks a significant evolution of the programme moving beyond the traditional project-based competition to focusing on helping schools embed sustainability across their everyday activities and culture, under the slogan “Sustainability is a Lifestyle.” The approach aligns with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and national sustainability priorities.Suaad Al Harthi, Executive Director of ESO, said, “Since its inception, Namat has been growing in its reach and impact, reinforcing its commitment to inculcating environmental and sustainability awareness and responsibility among young people.”“The sixth edition represents an evolution from the traditional project-based competitive approach to a more practical transformation journey; moving from evaluating which school has the best environmental project to understanding how sustainable a school has become. The key differentiators of this approach include embedding sustainability across the entire school rather than limiting it to a single project; prioritising action over awareness through practical changes and measurable results and applying an evidence-based assessment framework.”Erwan Rouxel, CEO of Veolia Oman, said: “At Veolia, our ambition is to be the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Our experience has shown us that while infrastructure and technology are essential, they cannot achieve lasting environmental change alone. Meaningful change also requires education, awareness and people who are prepared to act. This is why NAMAT reflects our purpose so closely and why Veolia values this initiative greatly.”“We are proud to have supported NAMAT over the years and to see the programme continue to evolve with each edition, expanding its reach and strengthening its impact across Oman. Its sixth edition marks an important step forward by encouraging schools to move beyond individual environmental projects and embed sustainability more deeply into their everyday activities and culture. By giving students the opportunity to identify environmental challenges, develop practical solutions and see the results of their actions, NAMAT helps turn awareness into responsible habits that can extend beyond schools into homes and communities.”“We sincerely thank the Ministry of Education for its leadership and for enabling schools across the Sultanate to participate in NAMAT, and the Environment Society of Oman for its environmental expertise, dedication and continued efforts in implementing and developing the programme. Through this partnership, we are supporting a generation that understands the value of Oman’s natural resources, recognises its responsibility to protect them and is prepared to contribute positively to the country’s sustainable future.”Open to all government schools across the Sultanate that have registered online through competition website and will share the registration link through ESO’s social media platforms, qualified schools then will be selected based on a 3-minutes video produced by them outlining the environmental challenges on their school and showing their action plans to overcome these challenges .then they will have until end of next semester to implement their project and submit their final reports. All reports will be evaluated by judging panel across the governorates and the top 50 will be evaluated a gain by the central judging panel in Muscat and the top 10 will be visited for final assessment. 3 winners will be awarded in an awarding ceremony in Muscat. 1st place 2000OMR,2nd place 1500OMR, and the 3rd place 1000OMR. Launched in 2019, Namat is one of ESO’s leading environmental initiatives to promote sustainable practices within educational institutions and surrounding communities. The programme focuses on key environmental challenges, including water, energy and waste, while encouraging institutions to embed a lasting culture of environmental responsibility and achieve measurable improvements.Through the programme, dedicated teams comprising students, school staff and members of parent councils identify environmental challenges, develop solutions and implement practical initiatives that contribute to more sustainable educational environments.