Oman

Oman Sail celebrates 15 years of rekindling nation’s maritime eminence

 
MUSCAT: Oman Sail marked its 15th anniversary on Wednesday, August 9 with a celebration of all of the achievements so far as well as a look at the future. Since 2008, Oman Sail has pioneered the re-emergence of sailing across the nation by engaging Omani boys and girls, professional sailors and people with disabilities in the sport, encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle and providing training to create new career opportunities.

Oman Sail has also organised and hosted an impressive roster of major international and regional events, as well as uniting the nation and honing Omani talent in several sports, generating significant global exposure for Oman, securing foreign direct investment, boosting inbound tourism through its extensive range of events and SeaOman, which has served more than 24,000 customers in the last decade, and making an important contribution to the national economy across all areas of the organisation.



Dr Khamis al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “Over the past 15 years, Omani sailors have won 85 medals between youth and senior sailors, we have set two speed records and hold another Guinness World Record for our commitment to the environment. Our success and our growth are testament to the multi-faceted approach we have always taken, and the impact we have had on so many lives across Oman and around the world. It has been our honour to represent Oman at home and abroad and fly the Omani flag proudly wherever we go. We are ambassadors for the sport and for the nation, playing an important role in driving the national economy, connecting our people with our heritage and making the world aware of Oman’s potential as a partner, a tourism destination, and a world-class host venue.” During this time, Oman Sail has supported Mohsin al Busaidy to become the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world, recreated the Jewel of Muscat’s historic voyage from Muscat to Singapore, launched Sailing Arabia – The Tour to showcase regional talent and the natural beauty of Oman, introduced the region’s first women’s sailing team and first Para Sailing initiative, and became the first nation in the Middle East to host an America’s Cup event, among many other achievements.



Oman has become a regular host venue for events such as the 44Cup, and for major international events including the 50th edition of the Youth World Sailing Championships, and the 2022 RS Venture World Championships – the first sailing event exclusively for PRESS RELEASE people with disabilities to be held in Oman which welcomed 72 sailors from 18 nations and was the largest Para Sailing event in the world that year. In the same year, Oman Sail won Gold for Best Sport Event Organiser of the year and Silver for Best Sport Event of The Year in the Middle East’s Sport Industry Awards.