Oman

Feb 10 designated as annual day for honouring UNESCO-listed Omani personalities

 
Muscat: The Ministry of Education, represented by the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, announced that the 10th of February every year will be designated as an annual day to honour the memory of globally influential Omani personalities included in the UNESCO’s list for celebrating the 50th or centenary anniversary for of major historical events and globally influential personalities.



The celebration, which marks the Sultanate of Oman’s accession to the UNESCO on February 10, 1972, aims to make influential Omani personalities known at the local and international levels, notably by highlighting their knowledge and scholarly accomplishments.

Dr Madiha Ahmed Al Shaibani, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the allocation of an annual day to give tribute to UNESCO-listed Omani personalities fits with the global organization’s programme to celebrate the 50th or centenary anniversary of major historical events and personalities.

She pointed out that the event also reflects the country’s keenness on innovative throughout history and in the legacies left behind by the scholars for humanity. It celebrates the accomplishments that transcended the boundaries of place and accessed wide global horizons, benefiting many knowledge-seekers interested in medicine, navigation, geography, literature and areas.



The minister added that some regional and international researchers, libraries, research centres and modern universities gave impetus to Omani personalities that had a global impact. This, she explained, constitutes a focal point that contributed to consolidating the legacy of Omani figures and promoted their sustainability throughout the ages.

On his turn, Sayyid Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, laid emphasis on Oman’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the UNESCO programme that celebrates influential Omani personalities of global outreach.



Al Busaidi said that Oman’s contribution started right upon the establishment of the UNESCO’s programme in 2005, namely through the registration of Arab scholar Al Khalil bin Ahmed Al Farahidi, then the listing of the Arab physician and pharmacist “Rashid bin Omeira” in 2013.

Al Busaidi pointed out that Noureddine Al Salmi, an Omani polymath, encyclopaedist and social reformer was included in the UNESCO’s list in 2015, alongside physician and physicist Abu Mohammed Al Azdi (Ibn Al-Dhahabi).

In the field of poetry and journalism, Omani scholar Abu Muslim Al Bahlani was included in the UNESCO’s list in 2019, while another Omani scholar named Ahmed bin Majid was added to the UNESCO’s list in 2021, Al Busaidi said.