Oman steps up cultural diplomacy with new project

Muscat Daily

28-04-2025

Muscat – H H Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, has issued a decision to form the Omani Cultural Laboratories project team.
The project is a joint effort between Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MCSY), Cultural Club and Bait al Zubair Foundation. It aims to adopt cultural programmes and encourage partnerships between government bodies, private organisations and academic institutions, both locally and internationally.
The project is part of MCSY's broader cultural strategy focused on creativity, renewal and promotion of Omani identity on the global stage.
Omani Cultural Laboratories will present the sultanate's cultural heritage through exhibitions, research projects, intellectual forums and international collaborations. These are designed to highlight Oman's civilisational legacy and contribute to global cultural dialogue.
'The decision comes within the framework of strengthening the national cultural movement, and enhancing partnerships and integration between various cultural institutions,' said H E Sayyid Said bin Sultan al Busaidi, MCSY Undersecretary and General Supervisor of the project. 'It underscores the importance of supporting cultural development programmes in the sultanate, consolidating Oman's cultural identity and enhancing its presence in regional and global forums.'
Dr Mohammed bin Ali al Balushi, Chairman of Board of Directors of Cultural Club and Vice-Chairman of the executive team, welcomed the project. 'The Omani cognitive memory carries cultural content and intellectual achievements that must be communicated abroad,' he said. 'It is our collective responsibility to engage in projects such as these cultural laboratories to contribute to the knowledge exchange movement in the world.'
Dr Mohammed Abdul Karim al Shehhi, Head of the executive team, stressed the importance of preserving and sharing Oman's intellectual heritage. 'We appreciate the ministry's continued commitment to providing the means to transform Omani cultural heritage into a source of knowledge for interested parties everywhere,' he said. 'This cooperation between Bait al Zubair and Cultural Club reinforces a tradition where efforts are unified under the umbrella of the state, translating its vision and aspirations.'
MCSY reaffirmed its commitment to supervising the project directly, aiming to strengthen Oman's identity and enhancing its cultural visibility regionally and globally via cultural diplomacy. H H Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said