Salalah – More than 50,000 visitors attended the Omani Culinary Arts Festival, held at Al Haffa Beach in Salalah from August 22 to 26, coinciding with the Dhofar Khareef 2024.

Organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT), the event brought together both locals and tourists to experience the rich culinary traditions of the region.

Over the five-day festival, attendees were treated to a range of activities and live cooking demonstrations by renowned chefs from Oman and the GCC, including Lulwa Altaanak, Nader al Aisari, Ahmed al Saadi and Mohammed Issa.

The event also featured participation from Oman Tourism College, photographer Haitham al Farsi, and entrepreneurs who led discussions on innovation in Omani cuisine.

The festival offered a variety of sections to explore, such as the Little Chef’s Corner for children, traditional music performances, culinary competitions, and the Farmers Corner, where local produces were showcased.

Restaurants served authentic Omani dishes, and a Souvenir Corner allowed visitors to take home a piece of the experience.

More than 34 local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) participated, further enhancing the local content through their products and services.

The Omani Culinary Arts Festival is part of the broader ‘Food Tourism and Omani Culinary Arts’ programme by the ministry, aimed at promoting Omani cuisine on both local and global stages.

The event had been designed to support the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the region by positioning Omani culinary arts as a key cultural tourism asset.

The programme also focused on documenting the heritage of Omani cuisine, ensuring its preservation while encouraging innovation to meet the evolving tastes of tourists. By maintaining the core ingredients that define these traditional recipes, the initiative seeks to create unique culinary experiences and entrepreneurial opportunities for local communities, contributing to the broader tourism industry.

The festival’s success underscores the growing interest in culinary tourism, with the ministry committed to further developing Oman’s food tourism potential, benefiting both the local economy and international visitors alike, organisers said.