Muscat – A public voting campaign was launched on Monday for the Oman Nation brand visual identity. It followed an extensive 12-month research and development phase and is one of several public engagement initiatives conducted and planned for the country’s ongoing Oman Nation brand strategy.

Over a four-day voting period from December 26 to 29, the country-wide campaign will give Omani citizens and Oman-based residents an opportunity to select and vote for one of three Oman Nation brand visual identities, each of which take the form of a logo inspired by various Omani design elements. The most voted logo will subsequently be used as the visual identity for the ongoing Oman Nation brand strategy.

The voting campaign was launched at a media conference held in the presence of H E Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, and attended by several Oman Nation brand representatives, stakeholders and partners, besides media personnel.

Aisha Mohammed al Saifi, Director of Oman’s Unified Promotional Nation Brand Project and Vice-President of National Programme for Development of Private Sector and Foreign Trade (Nazdaher), described the campaign as a “great opportunity for the people of the sultanate to actively participate in selecting the logo they feel best represents Oman to the world”.

Aisha added, “The perceptions, feelings and emotions that the world associates with any country are incredibly important, as they can have a significant positive or negative impact on its economy and society.

“For Oman, this visual identity voting campaign and long-term Oman Nation brand strategy have been developed to provide an essential platform on which our nation’s brand and story can be formed and presented to the world, and perceived in a positive light with positive outcomes.”

The core objectives of the Oman Nation brand project include highlighting the sultanate globally and differentiating it from other countries in the region, promoting economic and social development by showcasing Oman as a prime location for investment, tourism and residence, while highlighting its authentic products and services.

It is also expected to support emerging industries and innovative projects by spotlighting local talent while correcting misconceptions and sharing Oman’s authentic story that stems from the art of building meaningful connections  embodying a soft power woven into the fabric of business transactions, personal interactions and Oman’s international relations.

The brand strategy project is currently at the third of a total of six steps – Research, Strategy, Visual Identity, Guidelines, Implementation Plan and Launch. 

The project has been ongoing for the last 12 months, involving comprehensive domestic and international research. A total of 500 surveys, 128 interviews and numerous focus groups and street consultations with both Omani citizens and residents were conducted across the country. In addition, 5,500 international surveys were carried out and over 3.8mn search engine keywords were analysed to determine how the brand strategy can be best implemented.  

The three visual identity options are the result of a close collaboration with Omani talent and international expertise. A creative committee consisting of Oman’s prominent talent and creative professionals from the arts, music, graphic design and photography carefully reviewed 700+ images that represent the diverse collective identity of Omanis. This collaboration of Omani and international designers led to the creation of each of the visual identity options.

Over a four-day period from Thursday to Sunday, voters are encouraged to log on to the soon-to-be-announced official voting platform and take part in the selection of the visual identity of Oman.

Following the initial public voting campaign, the winning logo will be revealed to the public for the official Oman Nation brand strategy launch in early 2025.