Muscat – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, represented by the Directorate General of Youth and the Oman Debate Centre, will launch the preliminary rounds of the National Debating Championship on April 4.

The championship targets students from schools, universities, colleges and sports clubs. A total of 100 teams will participate, including 12 school teams and 88 teams representing universities, colleges and sports clubs, with winners advancing to the final stage.

Hilal bin Saif Al Siyabi, Director General of the Directorate General of Youth at the ministry, said the competition aims to promote the art of debate as an educational tool that helps young people develop critical thinking, persuasion and public speaking skills.

He added that the initiative also seeks to foster a spirit of fair competition, strengthen the ethics of constructive dialogue and encourage responsible citizenship among youth, while enhancing the role of debate in enriching Oman’s cultural landscape and addressing societal issues through systematic discussion.

Al Siyabi noted that debate topics will cover a range of fields including artificial intelligence, social development, environment, health, education, culture, as well as industry and mining.

Mukhtar bin Mohammed Al Salmi, Head of the Championships Department at the Oman Debate Centre, said the ninth edition of the National Debating Championship is one of the most prominent initiatives aimed at developing debate and logical reasoning skills among young people.

He explained that the championship seeks to prepare a generation capable of engaging in structured dialogue and analysing national and global issues while promoting constructive and effective communication.

The competition will revolve around themes aligned with the objectives and indicators of Oman Vision 2040.

According to Al Salmi, the championship will be conducted in two main stages – the qualifying rounds and the finals.

The qualifying stage will be held across four governorates. The first will take place in Buraimi with the participation of 26 teams representing institutions from Musandam, North Batinah, Buraimi and Dhahirah.

The second will be held in Muscat, with around 43 teams representing North Sharqiyah, South Sharqiyah, Muscat, Dakhliyah and South Batinah.

A third stage will be conducted virtually, involving 11 educational governorates in addition to the Directorate General of Private Schools, while the fourth station will be held in Dhofar and Al Wusta, with eight teams taking part.

The final stage will be held in Muscat in early May, bringing together the teams that qualify from the preliminary rounds. A total of 14 teams representing educational institutions and sports clubs, along with six educational governorates from the virtual qualifiers, will compete over three days.

Al Salmi added that the championship is accompanied by a training programme that includes workshops and skill-building sessions designed to enhance participants’ debating and leadership abilities.

Interactive activities, exhibitions and media platforms will also run alongside the competition, allowing participants to engage with audiences and showcase the spirit of debate.