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(From left) Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shammakhi, Undersecretary of Transport at Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT); Chung Ho-keun, Executive Vice President and Head of Future Strategy at Hyundai Motor Group; H.H. Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, Oman; and Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of MTCIT. / Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Group is teaming up with the Omani government to accelerate its transition to green mobility. The group aims to support the realization of Oman Vision 2040, the country's mid- to long-term national development strategy, while building an eco-friendly transport ecosystem grounded in hydrogen and electric vehicles to foster a carbon-neutral transition.

Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 4th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for green mobility cooperation with Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) and local energy distributor Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah, Oman, on the 3rd local time.

The signing ceremony was attended by Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shammakhi, Undersecretary of Transport at MTCIT, Tariq Al Junaidi, CEO of OOMCO, and Chung Ho-keun, Executive Vice President and Head of Future Strategy at Hyundai Motor Group, among others.

The core objective of the agreement is to support Oman's transition to green public transportation and establish charging infrastructure for hydrogen and electric vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to develop sustainable mobility solutions alongside the Omani government and local enterprises, initiating projects in public transit and municipal services before broadening cooperation across the local mobility market as a whole.

First, Oman's first hydrogen-powered city bus will be introduced. Omani state-owned transport company Mwasalat will designate a "Green Route," dedicated to eco-friendly vehicles among Muscat's public transit lines, and deploy Hyundai's Elec City hydrogen fuel-cell bus to run a passenger transport pilot project.

Through operating the hydrogen bus, the project seeks to verify the real-world operational feasibility and environmental performance of hydrogen mobility within Oman's public transit sector, laying the groundwork for expanding hydrogen-based mass transit down the road.

The parties will also collaborate on establishing EV charging infrastructure. OOMCO, an energy distribution subsidiary of Oman's state-owned energy group OQ, will install and operate Hyundai KEFICO's 240-kW ultra-fast EV charger at an OOMCO-run service station in the Halban area through its green charging infrastructure subsidiary, EVO.

The two sides plan to assess charging performance and user demand over an approximate six-month trial using this charger. Based on the outcomes, they intend to establish a foundation for expanding EV charging infrastructure across Oman and executing broader green mobility projects.

Taking this partnership as a springboard, Hyundai Motor Group plans to progressively broaden the scope of its green mobility business in Oman. Drawing on the experience gained in public transit domains such as hydrogen-powered buses and EV charging infrastructure, the group envisions expanding green mobility cooperation into general commercial vehicles and passenger cars in the future.

In particular, as Oman Vision 2040 prioritizes economic and industrial diversification alongside sustainable growth, the potential for expanding bilateral cooperation in green mobility is expected to grow.

Chung Ho-keun, Executive Vice President and Head of Future Strategy at Hyundai Motor Group, stated, "Hyundai Motor Group will work together so that Oman's bold vision in smart cities and future mobility can translate into tangible achievements."

                                                                                                            Kim Jeong-gyu