Oman- SQU students to take part in submarine race  

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Oman's flag will fly high at the International Submarine Race in Maryland, United States, from June 27 to July 1. Representing the sultanate will be the College of Engineering at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).

The college started preparations two years ago with a group of students in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering involved in designing and building a submarine under the supervision and guidance of their faculty members.

The students are currently in the process of giving final touches to the vessel and testing its performance under water with a trial run in the university. The submarine has been named 'Sultana' after the first Omani ship 'Sultanah' to visit the US in 1840 during the reign of Sayyid Said bin Sultan, the first Arab ruler to establish diplomatic relations with the United States.

The race is held every two years; the one which will take place at Bethesda (Maryland) from June 27 to July 1 is the eleventh edition. This year approximately 34 submarines from the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Greece, Venezuela and Mexico and the Sultanate will participate. The sultanate will be the first Arab and first Asian country to participate in the race.

The race is held with a view to inspiring students of various engineering disciplines to delve into broad areas of underwater technology advancement and to provide them with an educational experience that translates their theoretical knowledge into reality.