Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

The trend that keeps on going

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Every year, November 18 is celebrated as Oman’s National Day marking the victories of the nation and the birthday of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. It makes the month of November an important time for the People of Oman. National Day for the citizens of Oman is a time of great pride, patriotism and love for their peaceful and wonderful nation.


With the festive atmosphere at its peak, people eagerly await the 47th National Day celebrations. The city has been brightly lit up with the garlands and decorative lights on residential and commercial buildings and all around the city roads. Red, white and green during this month becomes the visual theme of the Sultanate.


In the past few years, along with the display of lights, pictures and flags, a new trend has emerged. People of Oman are known worldwide for their warm and friendly nature, their etiquettes and love for football but above all, their fascination for cars. In the month of November, seen around the roads of Oman are vehicles decorated with photos of the Sultan, designs and paintings in the colours of the flag and bright lights.


Although this adds to the festivities of the month, owners of cars have been advised by the ROP to follow certain rules to ensure the safety and welfare of the drivers and others. Lt Col Mohammed bin Hilal al Zedjali, Director-General of Traffic said, “the stickers (or clothes) should be properly fixed and should not obscure driver’s vision or cover the windscreens, side window glass, registration plate, the car engine or the head lights.”


Decorations on cars will be allowed only during the month of November starting the first day of November and end on November 30.


The people of Oman parade their beautifully decorated cars around the city showing off their unique designs and expressing their love for their country, this is a common sight at the Qurum Beach road in this time of the year. Car owners decorate their cars with slogans like ‘My Hero, My Sultan’ and ‘I love my leader’, showing their love for His Majesty and his great leadership.


Ahmed Said al Jardani is a car enthusiast and painter who for the past 4 years has become popular in the car community for beautifully painting cars for national day. Using water based colours that can be easily washed off, Ahmed using a brush spends the days prior painting and decorating the cars of his many clients.


He said, “This year, I have already painted over a 100 cars. Each car takes around one to two hours at a time, sometimes longer depending on the design and size of car.” To follow more of his work, check out and follow him on Instagram @a7med_painter.


Another local enthusiast and photographer Marwan Mansour al Kharusi shared with us why he believes that the Omani people put in time and money to decorate their cars for this one month, he said, “The people here take this opportunity to express their talents and distinguish themselves, painters, artists or simply those with good ideas come together to decorate their cars. But the main reason behind this is not just the festivities and excitement of decorating but a way of expressing their love for their country.” You can also follow his work on @marwan.alk


There are many competitions hosted around the city for the best decorated cars in the country.


For those wishing to see these moving works of art, keep an eye out on the roads and it is a sight one can’t miss. With the national day festivities in full gear today, the excitement in the city is at its highest. Watch out for the parades, fireworks and of course the beautiful display of cars!


Titash chakraborty


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