H H Sayyida Basma al Said was recently invited to the UK to officiate as a judge for the 2023 Diana Awards – the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work, established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. “It was a great feeling to be among outstanding youth and a huge challenge judging the amazing work they do,” she tells Hubert Vaz in an exclusive tete-e-tete. Excerpts:

How did it feel to officiate as judge for the second time for the prestigious Diana Awards?

It was a great feeling to be amongst the outstanding youth and a huge challenge judging the amazing work they do. Judging them, two years in a row, is not easy. It was a huge challenge, honestly, because each project was better than the other. It was also a big honour for me, since I was the only Arab, Omani, female judge. And to be part of the legacy of Princess Diana is something one could only wish for – it was a big responsibility and I’m so happy about being chosen.

Over the years, how many Omanis have received this award?

I have been associated with the Legacy Awards for only the past two years and, so far, no Omani has been a recipient. The who idea, when I came in, was to motivate Omanis to get nominated. We did an event in The National Museum, where all the schools were invited, besides government officials, to get acquainted with it. The Diana Awards is unique, wherein youth work for a whole year on projects before they can be eligible to get nominated or awarded, and they continue doing that work later on. It’s all about ‘giving back’, and a sustainable activity that needs to be recognised.

What is the criteria to be nominated for these awards and have Omanis been nominated in the past?

Oman is yet to pick up on this and that’s why we’re working hard to promote it and motivate the youth to take up such projects. This year, an Indian expatriate student from ABA received an award, and that is good, but I’m hoping that in the years to come there will be a lot of nominations of Omanis from Oman.

This year, did you have any direct interaction with Prince William and what is his opinion about Omani youth?

I was honoured to sit at the same table with Prince William, he actually chose me to sit at his table, besides being a judge, along with other officials and the youth. We were very focused on the youth at the event, and there was little opportunity for any other chit-chat, as it was all about the youth. However, Prince William has visited Oman many times and he has a good idea about how energetic and intelligent the youth are in Oman.

From the various entries, did you notice anything particular about the new generation and their involvement in social work?

It is more about volunteering, rather than social work per se. From last year’s and this year’s entries, I noticed that it has become extremely competitive, with a lot of amazing projects, as all choose to do unique things. And it is getting more and more difficult to choose the best from among them.

Do we also need to make social service a compulsory subject in school, so that young Omanis are nurtured with this virtue from a young age?

I think, we do need to make, not ‘social service’ but ‘volunteer work’ a compulsory activity in school. It needs to be introduced in every school in the sultanate and children should not be allowed to graduate without doing volunteer work. It is so honourable to do volunteer work – it teaches our youth how to be kind and how to focus on many other virtues. It will be a game changer, something they will cherish for their whole life. So, I do hope that volunteer work is made compulsory from the school level.

What is your personal admiration for Late Princess Diana?

I have always been impressed by the various qualities of Princess Diana, and I still am. She was a person who gave freely from her heart, not to show off. She took up work for difficult things, like HIV, which people would rather not talk about. She believed in the youth and in being kind. Besides her grace and her beauty, her caring about children and those in need was something I have always been impressed about.

So, it is great to be connected with her legacy, especially this year when we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the Diana Awards. It was a great experience to be there in person with her son at a time when Prince William himself is dealing with difficult times, with King Charles and his wife being unwell, yet focusing on the youth and giving time to talk with each of them – I find that amazing.

Do you think, Oman should also institute a similar award for young people in community service?

Definitely. I think we should do this. It’s not about business or getting money from it, it’s about giving back. This is something we really need to work on; we need it so much in this time. We only work on business projects, not on those which concern humanity and the bigger picture in which we all are as individuals.

The young winners of 2023