Muscat – Oman has secured recognition for two of its prominent cultural figures in Unesco’s ‘Programme for the Celebration of Anniversaries of Important Events and Influential Personalities’. 

The newly added names are poet Abdullah bin Ali al Khalili, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth, and linguist and grammarian Mohammed bin Yazid al Azdi, known as Al Mubarrad, on the 1,200th anniversary of his birth. This takes the total number of Omani figures included in the programme to nine.

The announcement was made during the 43rd session of the Unesco General Conference, being held from October 30 to November 13, 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Khalili was born in Samail where he spent most of his life. Known as the ‘Prince of Eloquence’, his poetry often explored themes of love, longing and remembrance. Over his lifetime, he wrote nine poetry collections, including Al Khayal al Wafir (Abundant Imagination), Faris al Dhad (Knight of the Letter Dhad) and Bayn al Fiqh wal Adab (Between Jurisprudence and Literature). He also wrote short stories, maqamat and plays, most notably Jadhima wal Malik (Jadhima and the King). He died in Muscat on July 30, 2000.

Al Mubarrad was born in Muqasa, North Batinah. He earned his title from his teacher, Abu Othman al Mazini, in recognition of his precise responses and strong arguments. His most notable works include Al Kamil, Al Muqtabas, Al Maqsour wal Mamdoud and Al Ta’azi wal Marathi. His grammar book Al Muqtadab is regarded as the second most important work in Arabic grammar after Sibawayh’s book. Later scholars in language, interpretation and Quranic readings frequently referenced it.

He was also known for his work in hermeneutics – the interpretation of sacred texts – drawing from poetry and the Holy Quran to clarify meanings and moral concepts. In his work The Epistle of Rhetoric, he outlined principles of rhetoric and the foundations of artistic speech.

Oman’s earlier inclusions in the Unesco anniversaries programme are linguist Al Khalil bin Ahmed al Farahidi (2005); physician Rashid bin Omairah al Hashimi al Rustaqi (2013); encyclopedist and reformer Sheikh Nour al Din Abdullah bin Hamid al Salmi (2015); physician and physicist Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muhammad al Azdi (2015); poet Abu Muslim al Bahlani al Rawahi (2019); navigator Ahmed bin Majid al Saadi (2021); and historian and poet Hamid bin Muhammad bin Raziq (2023).