Correspondence Address:
Abdulatif Al-Raisi
Chief Editor, Oman Journal of Ophthalmology

Full Text

It is my pleasure to address this special issue of Oman Journal of Ophthalmology (OJO). I welcome all the participants and delegates attending the International Ophthalmology Conference being held in Muscat from December 12 to 14, 2013. The conference organized by Oman Ophthalmic Society (OOS), in collaboration with the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and the Middle-East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) is a sign of cooperation between OOS and these important and giant scientific bodies, and is expected to pave the way for further collaborations.

Since its inception in 2006, OOS has organized regular scientific activities with an aim to strengthen ophthalmic practice in the country. By providing regular updates about the rapid progress in all aspects of the field (different subspecialties, therapeutic and diagnostic, knowledge and practice, clinical and surgical skills), the Society's mission has been to broaden the scientific imagination of participating ophthalmologists, eye-care providers including optometrists, orthoptists, other healthcare professionals, and research workers in all aspects of the field of visual science, so that ophthalmic care in the country could be on par with worldwide ophthalmic practice patterns. Society members (both Omani and nonOmani) have worked enthusiastically in promoting Ophthalmology in Oman.

A giant step in this journey has been the blessed birth and emergence of OJO. The first issue of OJO penetrated the world web site on October 8, 2008 on World Sight Day. OJO started as a humble step with a big ambition. In the last 5 years it has proved to be a step in the right direction. Despite weak logistics and absence of financial support, the strong belief of the editorial board in their abilities and their endless enthusiasm and self-confidence, has led to OJO's recognition in 2009 by the US National Library of Medicine's PubMed and since then by other reputed indexing agencies such as SCOPUS, EMR Index Medicus, Index Copernicus, National Science Library, SIIC databases, and Ulrich's International Periodical Directory. The current issue of OJO, which is a Conference Special issue, includes a Supplementary Section, which includes manuscripts submitted by the keynote speakers.

I have no doubt that the International conference commencing on December 12, 2013 in collaboration with the DOG, and MEACO (always a strong supporter of OOS), will add further tributaries to the river of OOS. I sincerely hope that all the attendees will enjoy the beautiful weather in Muscat at this time of the year and the renowned Omani hospitality, explore the tourist attractions, witness the breathtaking scenes, in which white beaches play a harmonic symphony with rocky mountains around the Conference venue, and beyond.