Muscat – The North Sharqiyah governorate is organising a two-day grape festival from June 19 to celebrate a major jump in the cultivation of the woody grape vine in the governorate.

Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed al Shamsi, governor of North Sharqiyah and chairman of the festival’s organising committee, highlighted the significance of the festival, particularly in the wilayat of Mudhaibi, which has witnessed a remarkable progress in grape cultivation, while playing a vital role in reinforcing food security.

The governorate currently cultivates grapes over an area of 3.240 hectares of land, yielding approximately 55.9 tonnes of fruit per year, he informed, adding that Al Rawda village in Samad al Shan, situated in the wilayat of Mudhaibi, boasts of having the largest grape fields in North Sharqiyah. 

“The festival aims to support grape cultivation, production, and encourage young entrepreneurs to invest in grape-related projects.”

It seeks to shed light on the economic and social importance of grape cultivation, promote investment opportunities in grape farming and marketing, and encourage small and medium enterprises to establish companies for packaging and promoting grape farming. “The event also aims to stimulate the private sector’s involvement in grape cultivation, foster contract farming through agricultural associations, and create employment opportunities,” said Shamsi. 

The festival will witness the signing of agreements to support grape growers, establish model farms, and facilitate the marketing of grape production, the North Sharqiyah governor said. 

A seminar will be organised as part of the festival to discuss grape cultivation, production, marketing, and processing, while an exhibition will be held on the sidelines. It is expecting a large number of visitors, including researchers, academics, and students from higher educational institutions.