Muscat – Omani radio and television productions won six awards at the 26th Arab Radio and Television Festival in Tunisia, highlighting the growing range of local content spanning environmental documentaries, youth programmes, news reports, cultural features and radio drama.

The awards were won by productions from Oman Radio and Television and the News Centre at the Tunisian festival, which brings together Arab media organisations with established production experience.

H E Mohammed bin Saeed Al Balushi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information, said the results reflected the development of Omani media and the efforts to raise radio, television and news content to regional and international standards.

He also linked the success to investment in media skills through training and professional development, saying stronger national capabilities were essential to improving content quality and competitiveness.

Among the television winners was The Arabian Humpback Whale, which took first prize in the documentary film and programme category. The production explores Oman’s marine environment and biodiversity, combining research, information and visual storytelling to examine environmental issues.

Youth Talk won first prize in the television talk show category for its focus on issues affecting young people, while The Apricot Blossom Season in Wakan Village won second prize in the news reports category. The report captured the annual flowering season in the mountain village and its significance to local life and tourism.

Its writer, Dhiab bin Abdullah Al Nofli, said Wakan’s picturesque landscape during the flowering season provided the starting point for the report, which combined visual detail, sound and narration while retaining its news character.

Oman Radio secured three first prizes. What the Shadow Said won in the cultural programmes category, using radio drama, narration and sound effects to bring literary characters to life and encourage listeners to explore the original works.

Hands that Bear Fruit won the economic programmes category for its focus on Omani women and artisanal families, particularly their crafts and economic contributions in villages and rural communities.

The drama Al Farahidi won first prize in the drama competition. It tells the story of Omani scholar Al Khalil bin Ahmed Al Farahidi through drama, using sound, dialogue and historical details to recreate his world and contribution to Arabic language and poetry.

The ministry said the awards reflected the breadth of its production and the ability of Omani media teams to combine research, creativity and technical skills across different formats.