Muscat  – As countries increasingly deploy culture as a lever for influence and economic expansion, the upcoming edition of Tejarah Talks will assess how Oman can convert its cultural heritage into sustainable economic opportunity while preserving authenticity.

The session, titled ‘Cultural Capital: Turning Heritage into Global Influence’, will be held on April 14 at the Civil Aviation Authority Training Centre. It will convene specialists from the heritage, museum and tourism sectors to examine how Omani cultural assets can achieve broader international reach without diluting identity.

Globally, cultural and creative industries account for about 3.1% of GDP and 6.2% of employment, underlining their growing role in economic development. The forum will consider how Oman can position its heritage resources more effectively within this expanding sector.

Discussions will address the contribution of heritage to sustainable growth, tourism diversification and creative enterprise. Areas of focus include traditional craftsmanship, conservation of historic sites, development of curated cultural experiences and the use of technology to widen access and commercial scope.

Panellists will also explore funding frameworks to support the sector, strategies to strengthen international visibility of Omani cultural exports, and mechanisms to safeguard traditions as creative industries scale up.

The panel features Fatma Al Balushi, Adviser to the Secretary-General for Museum Affairs at the National Museum of Oman; Omar Al Mamari, Museum Manager at Bait Al Zubair Museum; and Ahmed Al Mukhaini, Senior Research Fellow at the Unesco Chair for World Heritage Sites and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region at the German University of Technology in Oman. The session will be moderated by Jamal Al Asmi, Creative Growth Director at Mubashir.

Badriya Al Amri, from the Oman Business Forum office at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and organiser of Tejarah Talks, said the objective is to reconcile preservation with economic participation.

“The challenge is not whether Omani heritage has value — it clearly does,” she said. “The real task is how to bring that value into a wider view without losing the qualities that make it distinctive. Culture is sometimes protected so carefully that it struggles to reach new audiences, or commercialised so heavily that it loses meaning. The goal is to find a thoughtful middle ground where heritage can generate opportunity, support livelihoods and remain authentically Omani.”