About 121,000 people visited museums in 2020, a reduction of 70.3 per cent compared to 2019, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) .

Museums play a major role in spreading historical awareness among members of society. These bring Arab and foreign cultures and civilisations together, leading to a constructive civilised dialogue in order to reach a contemporary global society living in peace The sultanate has several museums, including the National Museum of Oman, the Omani French Museum, the Oman Children’s Museum and the Natural History Museum.

In 2020, 510 individuals visited the Omani French Museum, 8,399 visited the Children’s Museum, and 42,027 visited the Natural History Museum. 

In 2019, 1,828 visited the Omani French Museum, 27,397 visited the Children’s Museum and 14,951 visited the Natural History Museum.

According to NCSI statistics, the government spent RO237.1mn on heritage and culture projects in 2019. The average monthly household spending on recreational and cultural activities in the sultanate in 2019 was RO10.5. 

NCSI’s statistics also show that the number of museums in the sultanate grew from ten in 2015 to 12 in 2019, while the number of visitors during that period increased by 68.5 per cent to 408,040 visitors at the end of 2019. Of these, 78 per cent visitors were to three museums – the National Museum, Zubair Museum and the Land of Frankincense Museum. 

In this period, the number of museum employees increased by 25.6 per cent to 186 workers.

‘The number of visitors to Oman’s 51 castles and forts increased by 71.2 per cent between 2015 and 2019 to 426,525 visitors, while the total number of employees at these sites grew to 110 workers,’ an NCSI statement said.