Muscat – H H Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, has reviewed the ‘sports city project’, scheduled to be established in the Wilayat of Mussanah, in South Batinah Governorate, and indicated that an esteemed international company has been recruited to undertake the project.

Affirming that good citizenship takes centrestage in national thinking and that the Sultanate of Oman adheres to its customs, history, culture, and heritage, Sayyid Theyazin said, “We were and are still open to the world and we continue to extend a helping hand and espouse friendship and peace in pursuit of what serves the interests of the Sultanate of Oman.”

This was stated during the second panel discussion titled ‘Culture, Sports, Youth, Media and National Identity’. The dialogue session took place as part of the activities of the second edition of ‘Together We Progress’ forum organised by the Secretariat General of the Council of Ministers.

H H Sayyid Theyazin pointed out that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth has come a long way in consolidating Omani identity, getting impetus from the country’s traditions and ancient history. He explained that, within the context of attention accorded to youth, an Omani encyclopedia will be launched in the near future to enlighten emerging generations.

Speaking about the sports sector, H H Sayyid Theyazin stressed that more attention would be accorded to all that young people aspire for. The ministry is embarked on re-evaluating the sports sector in Oman, seeking assistance of a specialised firm, said Sayyid Theyazin, noting that the company will undertake a supervisory role in this sector. The company will also take measures to upgrade the performance of sports federations and clubs in line with public aspirations.

H H Sayyid Theyazin also reviewed the sports city project scheduled to be established in the Wilayat of Mussanah, in South Batinah Governorate, in implementation of Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. For this purpose, a prestigious international company has been recruited to undertake the project, with the overall plan covering maintenance of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher.

“The ministry is also considering the privatisation of clubs, and a plan is underway to start with four clubs that will be affiliated to major companies. We will begin applying some standards to improve the performance of these clubs, with emphasis on a specific activity and look out for the desired results, before proceeding with the rest,” Sayyid Theyazin added.

During the third dialogue session, titled ‘Media and the National Identity’, Dr Abdullah Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, announced the start of two strategic projects on ‘soft power’ that will be informed by culture, sports, media, identity, and the civilisation of the Sultanate of Oman.

The aim is to raise the status the country, highlight its history, and transfer it to future generations, said Dr Abdullah, adding that the Ministry of Information will on Sunday launch three documentary films about Oman and its historical presence. The films were produced in cooperation with a global company specialised in cultural documentation. The ministry will also launch a book about the Sultanate of Oman, he said.

The minister pointed out that the issue of identity and culture constitutes one of the most important determinants endorsed by government in Oman, and that those familiar with the Basic Law of the State would observe that the issue of culture and identity is sufficiently defined in its provision. He stressed that the issue of culture and identity represents a major pillar in Omani statehood and all forms of nation building.

The minister laid emphasis on the importance of developing various local media institutions to keep pace with the progress taking place in the modern media, including artificial intelligence.

“There is a great opportunity to invest in the media field, and the ministry is according great attention to children and their upbringing,” said Dr Abdullah. He noted that examples of this attention include the establishment of Ayn Platform, Children’s Supplement in Oman Arabic Daily newspaper and Children’s Channel project, which is now completed and ready to be launched as soon as financial resources become available.