‘Partners for a sustainable future’
With over a decade of experience in supporting and advising both public and private sector clients as lead consultant in compliance to environmental impact studies and engineering solutions, HMR Consultants are a recognized leader in their field of practice

The significant development that Oman has made in the last few decades has been achieved as a result of rational planning and coordinated effort by relevant authorities. As Oman continues to implement its development blue print, it will no doubt be confronted with challenges in managing and mitigating the potential cultural and environmental impacts that would be associated with this progress. These challenges are not unique to Oman as other nations are also grappling with similar issues.

Dr. Hussam Al Rawahy, managing director and principal consultant of HMR Consultants, maintains that “We need to accept that trade offs would need to be made in the process of implementing our development plans. However, the trade offs do not need to result in irreversible environmental impacts. I am a firm believer in the potential to develop acceptable solutions to mitigate the inevitable impact of any new development. We have tremendous leverage in applying innovative tools and technologies to address many of the negative impacts that may result from these new projects.”

With over a decade of experience in supporting and advising both public and private sector clients as lead consultant in compliance to environmental impact studies and engineering solutions, HMR Consultants are a recognized leader in their field of practice. “This recognition has resulted from our commitment to our ethos of being client driven rather than commercially driven.” adds Dr. Al Rawahy. This can be attested by the impressive resume of the firm’s project profile. “We continuously strive to be consistent with the quality of our services and to maintaining high technical integrity throughout our practice.

We believe in taking ownership of our work and recognize the responsibilities associated with our license to practice.” Based in Muscat, HMR Consultants has been commissioned to support clients nationally, regionally and internationally. Registered with the World Bank and International Funding Cooperation (IFC), HMR Consultants have qualified for projects throughout the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and continue to receive invitations to participate in global projects that require a consortium of professional service firms each one established in their specialist fields. “I always maintain that our milestone achievement has been our ability to break the glass ceiling of professional service and legitimately qualify as an active agent in the knowledge based economy”. It is clear that HMR are proud of their credo of being “an Omani based firm with international interests”.

With new offices recently established in Dubai and another soon to be commissioned in New Delhi, HMR Consultants aims to service their international clients with enhanced efficiency and knowledge. “We have recognized that our strategic location does afford us access and hence mobility to support our client catchment. We accomplish this while still being sensitive towards maintaining our cost centers without compromising the quality or integrity of our services.”

Dr. Al Rawahy agrees that it is very tempting to oversubscribe resources in response to market requirements and potential commercial gains that could be realized. But HMR’s commitment to sustain their standards while still achieving their commercial targets is a priority that does require tight management and a focus on their core competency and resources. “There is a constant danger to dilute our standards and practice by responding to market trends, however, we strongly believe in adhering to industry best standards and practices. The real legacy of our work would be witnessed after the projects have been commissioned and the cumulative impacts of their footprint begin to arise.”

HMR maintains a team of in-house technical expertise whose profile include talented Omani graduates who are developed and mentored to work as individual consultants or as part of a multi-disciplinary project team. The multidisciplinary nature of their practice demands that the firm recruit and maintain a wide range of in house skills and experiences. Technical expertise is hired from countries like South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, India and UK. “It is very important that we maintain an international profile of in house consultants. Each consultant brings in their experience and skills resulting in a healthy level of technology transfer and innovation. Ultimately our clients appreciate the value added knowledge base we offer.”

The firm’s portfolio includes environmental impact assessments for major industrial and infrastructure projects, national water resource assessment studies, ground water and air quality monitoring, remediation projects, waste management, social impact and sustainability studies, corporate advisory service, environmental auditing and engineering services.

HMR’s client list includes most of the major oil exploration and production companies as well as downstream developers such as Oman Oil, Oman Refinery, Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC) and Sohar Aluminium. Public sector organizations include the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs; Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of National Economy and Ministry of Tourism, etc. In the international arena, HMR has clients and projects in Yemen, Iran and more recently Iraq.

HMR’s practice also includes assessment and advisory services to corporate entities that are keen to implement their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). “This is an area of particular interest and activity for HMR and provides the opportunity to guide and direct corporate funding of civil aid projects and promoting social entrepreneurship. As FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) increases in response to Oman’s free market economy, there is a growing need to provide assessment that not only complies with Oman’s statutes but also complies with international guidelines. A good example of this is the increasing requirement that our international clients have is compliance to Equator Principals for lending and project funding,” says Dr. Al Rawahy.

“We welcome these new standards and protocols which ensure a detailed analyses and reporting system throughout the project lifecycle, with the overriding theme of ensuring that the project is implemented and operated along very specific sustainable guidelines and practices,” says Dr. Al Rawahy.

“There is no doubt a growing acceptance that environmental issues are transboundary in their impacts and hence the growing need for nations to comply with international convention and best practices. Green house gasses resulting in global climate change raise universal concerns and the impacts are being experienced by all nations. Oman and the region do have a vested interest in being active participants in understanding and defining measures to reduce emissions and adopt engineering standards that would protect against the potential impacts of climate change.

“Again, it is important that we recognize that there are feasible and sustainable options that can be reviewed and adopted without compromising a nations’ economic development plans and strategies. HMR Consultants are active participants in national and international forums that promote thematic dialogue to support the exchange of ideas, technologies and policies that provide practical solutions that would not compromise the economic objectives of the project,” says Dr. Al Rawahy.

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