Oman unveils immersive virtual pavilion for Expo 2025 Osaka
OSAKA: The Sultanate of Oman has introduced an innovative virtual platform as part of its participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan. Developed by the Omani tech company U-Verse, the platform is seamlessly integrated into Oman's national pavilion and offers visitors an immersive digital experience that bridges heritage and future aspirations.
According to Ibrahim Bani Araba, Assistant Director General of the Arts Directorate at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and a member of the pavilion's Technical Committee, the virtual platform leverages cutting-edge extended reality and artificial intelligence technologies. Created in collaboration with a group of Omani innovators, the platform reflects the country's vision for technological advancement and openness to global innovation.
"This is more than a digital showcase — it's a gateway to Oman's limitless potential," said Bani Araba in a statement to the Oman News Agency. 'It merges our rich cultural legacy with forward-looking innovation, in line with Oman Vision 2040.'
The platform features a wide array of interactive content, allowing users to explore Omani culture through digitized manuscripts, visual and audio arts, and modern representations of Omani theatre and cinema. Notably, it includes a creative blend of Japanese manga and Omani cultural elements — an effort aimed at engaging younger audiences and presenting tradition in a contemporary format.
It also serves as a promotional tool for Oman's higher education sector and highlights investment opportunities in advanced technologies, underscoring the Sultanate's strategic focus on building a knowledge-based economy and strengthening global cooperation in research and innovation.
Bani Araba emphasized that the U-Verse platform, developed entirely by Omanis, represents a unifying space that fosters cultural exchange and celebrates innovation and creativity.
Importantly, this virtual initiative is designed to live on beyond the Expo, offering a sustainable and accessible window into Oman's cultural identity and future ambitions through a dynamic digital environment. — ONA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
16 hours ago
- Observer
‘Raf' student platform enables creation of smart e-stores
MUSCAT: 'Raf', a student-led start-up under the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, has developed an innovative Omani digital platform that empowers users to create AI-powered e-stores tailored for the local market. The platform eliminates technical barriers for youth and e-commerce enthusiasts through its intuitive interface. Saif al Hashar, CEO of Raf, said that Raf allows automated store setup, price adjustments, competitor tracking and smart data analytics — aligning with Oman's digital transformation vision by supporting SMEs with AI solutions. With a 12-member interdisciplinary team, Raf offers flexible subscription plans catering to diverse entrepreneurs. 'Our mission is to democratise e-commerce entry and equip Omani youth with smart business tools,' Al Hashar stated. Selected among Oman's top 40 start-ups from over 300 applicants in the 'Injaz Oman 2025' programme, Raf completed its prototype in early 2025 after development began in January 2024. The company plans to launch the full platform by early 2026 while seeking seed funding and strategic partnerships. Notably, Raf aims to become a regional e-commerce leader by introducing advanced AI features including sales analytics, product recommendations and a virtual business assistant to optimise user operations. — ONA
Observer
16 hours ago
- Observer
Oman calls for international cooperation in science
The Sultanate of Oman is participating in the 2nd Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange held in the People's Republic of China. The Omani delegation is headed by Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. In her speech at the conference, Dr Rahma emphasised the importance of international cooperation in science and technology, praising the Belt and Road Initiative's role in strengthening scientific and research partnerships among participating nations. She also highlighted Oman Vision 2040 and its key pillars, which align with the objectives of the Science and Technology Exchange Initiative under the Belt and Road framework. She noted Oman's key achievements since its first participation in the initiative, including the signing of an MoU on science and technology cooperation. This has led to several collaborative programmes between Omani and Chinese universities, such as knowledge exchange in 'smart campuses,' enhanced scientific cooperation with Chinese private sector institutions — particularly global company Huawei — as well as student and researcher exchanges; and cultural cooperation through Chinese language education and Arabic teaching for non-native speakers. On the sidelines of the event, the Minister held talks with Lin Xin, Vice Minister of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, exploring ways to enhance scientific and technical exchange in priority research areas such as environmental sciences, food security, medicine, health sciences (including traditional medicine) and artificial intelligence. Discussions also covered expertise exchange in marine and ocean sciences, genetic resources and mutual invitations to scientific conferences, including the upcoming Arab-Chinese Conference scheduled in August 2025. Additionally, they reviewed cooperation in cultural exchange, teaching each country's language in higher education institutions and increasing mutual recognition of academic credentials. During her visit to Sichuan University in Chengdu, the Minister explored potential collaboration in scientific and research programmes, particularly in creative arts. She also discussed partnership opportunities between Omani private higher education institutions and the Chinese university, including joint exhibitions, young researcher training, bilateral research projects, cultural student events and cooperation in AI, IoT and modern technologies. — ONA
Muscat Daily
17 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
Omani filmmakers win top honours at Tunisian film fest
Muscat – Two Omani filmmakers have won top awards at the International Environmental Film Festival of Gabes in Tunisia, marking a significant achievement for Oman's growing film industry. Mohammed al Darwish received the Pomegranate Golden Award for Best Picture for his documentary Beta Carotene, which explores Oman's unique natural landscapes and the role of marine bacteria in the formation of mysterious inland lakes. The 12-minute film, combining live-action footage with animation, was selected from among over 145 submissions, with only 15 films making to the final competition. 'It took longer than expected because I wanted to undertake research and travel for the film,' said Darwish. 'I have always loved documentaries. I shot the scenes slowly and often took breaks. I wanted to create something distinct.' Darwish used a combination of cameras, including Canon 5D, Blackmagic, and GoPro, along with 11 different types of lenses – ranging from zoom to wide and prime. He also deployed drones for aerial shots. Post-production involved editing and colour grading using Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve. The film was produced by the Oman Film Society, with support from assistant director and editor Hussain al Balushi, and scriptwriter Mohammed bin Khalifa al Rasbi. Abdullah al Raisi won the Pomegranate Silver Award for Best Film for his documentary Wetlands, which focuses on environmental themes. 'Winning this award motivates me and hopefully others to take risks, embrace innovation, and use cinema to tell our stories in new ways,' said Raisi. The Pomegranate Bronze Award was presented to Sardinelles une responsabilité from Tunisia, while I Will Not Leave Her from Yemen won the Best Production award. The annual festival in Gabes highlights environmental cinema and this year's edition featured entries from around the world, reinforcing the region's increasing recognition in global filmmaking.
