Muscat – A nine-day mega youth festival, to be held in Duqm from Friday, will see the confluence of over 2,000 Omanis in a specially designed futuristic village discussing their aspirations for the sultanate.

As part of its efforts to support youth and channelise their energies into discussing and streamlining the future development of Oman, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MCSY) and the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones will hold an event called Amad Duqm 22 from Friday.

“The idea of Amad Duqm 22 emerged within the efforts to enhance the presence of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm as a modern, thriving city that embraces art, innovation and youth. Duqm will be one of the most prominent modern and futuristic cities in the sultanate, due to its independent administrative capabilities and various options for infrastructure and economic infrastructure,” said Dr Said bin Khalifa al Tuwairshi, Head of Supervisory Committee, Amad Duqm 22.

An official at MCSY said, “The event, to be held in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, aims to explore the aspirations of Omani youth for the future of Oman. It will include 30 activities in various fields such as innovation, technology, recreation, sports and culture.”

According to the official, the event will be held in a specially designed integrated village spread over 500,000sqm area and made an annual feature at the end of November.

The integrated village will include multiple facilities, including a Mars incubator, sports courts, a theatre for live performances, an arena to race drones and remote control cars, and a futuristic mosque, besides an area for mobile camping, display area for productive families, and electric scooters.

“Duqm was chosen to hold the event because it is the city of the future and the youth. It will also have a special site for artificial intelligence experiments. A mini experimental laboratory called Amad Village will encourage the aspirations of Omani youth as well help them achieve their goals,” the MCSY official said.

The Amad Duqm 22 event is part of the Discover Duqm campaign launched at the beginning of 2021, which seeks to highlight the Special Economic Zone at Duqm as an emerging tourist and investment destination.