Huge opportunities in culture & sports
Published: 05:07 PM,Jul 11,2021 | EDITED : 11:07 PM,Jul 11,2021
Oman and Saudi Arabia enjoy more than 50 years of relationship. However, there is more to be explored that would see a connection between people of both nations, and that is through arts and sports.
“There is a gap that exists between perception and reality and how that perception in our minds and hearts of each other is still quite focused in terms of not just lack of clarity of what does the country and the people stand for beyond what we know,” said HH Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al Said, Ambassador of Oman to Saudi Arabia.
After visiting and seeing different parts of Saudi Arabia, reflecting on that, he said most of the people know about Salalah but not the other tourism areas of Oman.
There has been quite a lack of exchange in terms of how we promote each other. We still need to do so much more to get people to know about one another, and here the media has a significant role to play,” pointed out Oman’s ambassador.
How would you build stronger bridges and connections?
He said Riyadh alone has almost eight million people. “This is just one city. Where do you start! Do we talk about frankincense or our culture, our history, our food, arts, music etc? Here, individuals, institutions and organisations can become complementing the ambassadorial role. The opportunities are huge.”
According to HH Sayyid Faisal, His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s visit has brought in great interest in the media.
All of a sudden, there is a huge interest in people who, for the first time, walked into our embassy just passionate about sharing and wanting to know more about this visit.
“Social media influence, for example, who have good content balance can be encouraged to visit,” he noted.
The other area of interest is sports, and it is more than football.
“There’s so much already happening in the context of the GCC and how we as countries basically collaborate in many things. But when it comes to the bilateral, there is always room for unique
opportunities to work together that suits us specifically as two nations in our own bilateral context.
I am interested in exploring sports beyond the typical conventional interests of football — interests seen in our youth and of Saudi Arabia such as adventure, sports, horseback riding, you name it. We can. Of course, football would be one of those things, but what can we do beyond that already exists.”
“What is expected is development at different levels — political diplomacy, foreign relations, economy, culture and sports and most importantly connection between people of two nations,” he said.
“There is a gap that exists between perception and reality and how that perception in our minds and hearts of each other is still quite focused in terms of not just lack of clarity of what does the country and the people stand for beyond what we know,” said HH Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al Said, Ambassador of Oman to Saudi Arabia.
After visiting and seeing different parts of Saudi Arabia, reflecting on that, he said most of the people know about Salalah but not the other tourism areas of Oman.
There has been quite a lack of exchange in terms of how we promote each other. We still need to do so much more to get people to know about one another, and here the media has a significant role to play,” pointed out Oman’s ambassador.
How would you build stronger bridges and connections?
He said Riyadh alone has almost eight million people. “This is just one city. Where do you start! Do we talk about frankincense or our culture, our history, our food, arts, music etc? Here, individuals, institutions and organisations can become complementing the ambassadorial role. The opportunities are huge.”
According to HH Sayyid Faisal, His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s visit has brought in great interest in the media.
All of a sudden, there is a huge interest in people who, for the first time, walked into our embassy just passionate about sharing and wanting to know more about this visit.
“Social media influence, for example, who have good content balance can be encouraged to visit,” he noted.
The other area of interest is sports, and it is more than football.
“There’s so much already happening in the context of the GCC and how we as countries basically collaborate in many things. But when it comes to the bilateral, there is always room for unique
opportunities to work together that suits us specifically as two nations in our own bilateral context.
I am interested in exploring sports beyond the typical conventional interests of football — interests seen in our youth and of Saudi Arabia such as adventure, sports, horseback riding, you name it. We can. Of course, football would be one of those things, but what can we do beyond that already exists.”
“What is expected is development at different levels — political diplomacy, foreign relations, economy, culture and sports and most importantly connection between people of two nations,” he said.