Case
Bringing the Omani date palm sector into the modern age
To the Arabian Peninsula, dates are not merely a delicious food. The date palm tree is deeply rooted in the economy, culture and history of the region, which contributes significantly to the global production of dates.
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said
In the Sultanate of Oman, one million new date palm trees are currently being planted across the country as part of the One Million Date Palm Project, which was initiated and developed by the Diwan of Royal Courts and now being looked after by Nakheel Oman Development Company. The project was initiated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said and is currently overseen by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
As its name indicates, the aim of the project is to plant one million date palm trees across the Sultanate of Oman, in an effort to create jobs and to celebrate the importance of the date palm tree to Omani agriculture, economy and cultural heritage.
So far, 600,000 palm trees have been planted across 17,000 acres of land, and the project is expected to stretch over more than 27,500 acres by the time the one millionth date palm tree is planted.
The challenge
Needless to say, a project of this size requires a sizeable number of irrigation pumps to keep the date palm trees flourishing, even in the driest parts of Oman.
With large variations in topography and water quality throughout the Sultanate of Oman, the project required a pump supplier who could offer a range of irrigation pumps with different features to accommodate the vastly different needs.
Furthermore, with the installation of hundreds of pumps across the Sultanate of Oman, it was essential for the Diwan of Royal Courts to find a supplier with service partners present in the area to assist them when issues inevitably occur.
The solution
In Grundfos, the Diwan of Royal Courts found just what they needed: A large supplier with a broad range of irrigation pumps and a network of service partners with a local presence.
In cooperation with Oman Pumps Mfg. & Engineering Services Co. (SAOC), Grundfos was not only able to accommodate the different needs for features and materials in the irrigation pumps, they were also able to advise the Diwan of Royal Courts throughout the planning and design process and to help with technical training and the pre-qualification submission for the very rigorous approval process.
Taking into account the client’s demands for quality, durability, life cycle costs, and more, Grundfos and SAOC were able to make sure that the Diwan of Royal Courts got just the right products for the iconic project and Grundfos continues to advise and supply pump solutions as the project develops.
So far, Grundfos har supplied:
- 128 SP submersible pumps
- 17 NB end-suction close-coupled pumps
- 6 NK pumps
- 4 CR vertical, multistage centrifugal pumps
- 12 CRN vertical, multistage centrifugal pumps
- 70 MP204 motor protections
- 1 Grundfos Remote Management license
The outcome
With the many Grundfos pumps installed and qualified service people nearby, the date trees are thriving, and the client has peace of mind. Despite the vast differences in topography, the Grundfos pumps are perfectly irrigating the 600,000 trees that have been planted so far. And with a Grundfos service partner present in Oman, the Diwan of Royal Courts and Nakheel Oman Development Company can lean back and know that help is nearby, should an issue occur somewhere in the irrigation system.
With this project, the Diwan of Royal Courts and Nakheel Oman Development Company are bringing the Omani date palm sector into the modern age by uniting the traditional trade with state-of-the-art technology, increasing efficiency and creating jobs throughout Oman. Grundfos has played a big part in making that possible by supplying high-quality, reliable pumps and easily accessible service.