Oman Lights Up Al-Mahrah: Hawf's Joy Over Electricity and Gratitude for the Sultanate's Stances

The story began in Hawf, Al-Mahrah... The moments electricity reached citizens' homes after connecting to the Omani Dhofar Governorate's grid turned into a scene of joy and relief in the district, amidst popular praise for the Sultanate of Oman's stance and hopes that the "light" will extend to Shahan, Al-Ghaydah, and the rest of Al-Mahrah's areas.

Citizens and activists expressed their appreciation for the long-awaited step, recalling what they described as the fraternal and humanitarian positions of the Sultanate of Oman towards Al-Mahrah and Yemen. Others saw the operation in Hawf as the beginning of a broader project that would improve the stability of electricity service and alleviate citizens' suffering.

On Thursday, the gradual operation of the 3-megawatt electrical interconnection was launched, by connecting the Hawf grid to the high-voltage line linked to the Dhofar grid, before gradually supplying homes with power, in preparation for stabilizing the service and operating it 24 hours a day.

The moments the current began to reach homes turned into an occasion celebrated by the residents, with comments expressing their joy at the step and their aspirations for the experience to extend to the rest of the governorate's districts.

Ahmed Al-Sharif wrote: "Congratulations, Hawf district says goodbye to darkness from today. Hopefully Al-Ghaydah and the rest of the districts will be next, God willing," attaching scenes of the connection being activated in Hawf by Engineer Othman bin Owaidh, director of electricity for Al-Mahrah Governorate.

Rashid Abdullah Afrar expressed his appreciation for the Sultanate of Oman, saying: "Thank you, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, thank you, sisterly Sultanate of Oman," in celebration of the start of connecting Dhofar's electricity to the Hawf district.

Basem Al-Qubati wrote: "The connection and operation of Hawf's electricity in Al-Mahrah was done today. Congratulations to our people in Al-Mahrah, hopefully Aden is next," indicating his hope for the continuation of electricity improvement projects.

In turn, activist Tawfiq Ahmed considered the project to embody the Sultanate of Oman's stances towards Al-Mahrah. He said, "From Hawf in Al-Mahrah, the fraternal positions of the Sultanate of Oman are embodied in a project that serves the people and touches their daily lives," expressing his thanks for what he described as humanitarian, service-oriented, and developmental stances towards Al-Mahrah and Yemen.

Hazem Kadah said that the operation of electricity represents the beginning of the service's extension to other areas, adding: "The lighting started from Hawf... and God willing, it will extend to Shahan and Al-Ghaydah, making Al-Mahrah brighter and more stable."

He added that the step translates, in his words, good neighborliness into "development, services, and light that reaches homes," saluting the Sultanate of Oman, the Yemeni authorities, and the technical teams that contributed to the project's completion.

Arjwan Al Afrar also wrote that electricity has begun to gradually reach homes in Hawf, considering the step came after a long wait. She pointed to the next phases, which include connecting Shahan with a capacity of 5 megawatts and Al-Ghaydah with a capacity of 50 megawatts.

This step comes after the signing of the cooperation and electrical interconnection agreement between Yemen and the Sultanate of Oman, under the supervision of the governors of Al-Mahrah and Dhofar, which includes supplying the city of Al-Ghaydah with a capacity of 50 megawatts and the initial connection of the Shahan district with a capacity of 5 megawatts, as part of a project aimed at enhancing energy system stability and improving basic services.

The CEO of Nama for Dhofar Services, Engineer Ali bin Issa Shamas, confirmed the start of the gradual process of connecting the current to Hawf, appreciating the efforts of the authorities and technical teams that contributed to the project's success.

For his part, the Director-General of Hawf District, Hatem Makki, praised the operation of the electrical connection, considering it an important shift in the level of service and a relief for the citizens' suffering.

The operation of electricity in Hawf was not just a technical step to connect one grid to another, but a moment that brought with it long-awaited joy and expressed the residents' appreciation for the Sultanate of Oman and what they describe as its fraternal stances towards Al-Mahrah and Yemen.

From Hawf, where the "lighting" began, the aspirations of the people of Al-Mahrah are directed towards this light extending to Shahan, Al-Ghaydah, and the rest of the districts, so that the step remains a witness to a project that touches people's lives and to stances that Al-Mahrah holds for Oman.

With the arrival of the current in Hawf, all eyes are on the completion of the subsequent stages of the project in Shahan and Al-Ghaydah, amidst the hopes of the residents that the first step will turn into a more stable and widespread electricity service in various areas of Al-Mahrah.