Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman is hosting a 4-day regional workshop to review and approve a plan for the implementation of a project to control the spread of desert locusts.

According to Oman News Agency, the workshop, being held in Muscat until 17 September 2026, seeks to review and approve the documents and implementation plan for a project titled "Strengthening Desert Locust Preventive Control in the Central Region (East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula) and the Horn of Africa."

The event is held under the auspices of Dr. Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for Agriculture. The workshop focuses on enhancing regional cooperation in combating the outbreaks of desert locusts, developing related early warning and response systems, and boosting national and regional capacities to address this transboundary pest.

The project, funded by the French Development Agency (Agence Fran§aise de D©veloppement "AFD"), elaborates on preventive control measures against the spread of desert locusts, notably by supporting regional governance and strengthening national locust control units. The project seeks to build sustainable technical capacities and develop more efficient management mechanisms with the prime objective of mitigating the risks posed by desert locust swarms and safeguarding food security and ecosystems.

The programme includes a workshop on devising action plans and defining responsibilities and timelines, in addition to reviewing and adopting a unified implementation framework for coordination, monitoring, reporting, and communication. The event underscores the Sultanate of Oman's role as an active partner in supporting preventive control and consolidating early warning efforts in the region.