Ideas and inventive thinking can shape a better future

MUSCAT: World Creativity and Innovation Day, which is marked on April 21 every year, highlights how fresh ideas and inventive thinking can shape a better future. The day serves as a reminder that creativity is not limited to art – it is a powerful tool for solving challenges, improving livelihoods and driving sustainable growth.
The United Nations designated April 21 as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in human development.
'Oman Observer explores creativity and innovation to narrate cultural and heritage aspects,' said Abdullah al Shueili, Editor-In-Chief of the daily.
'Innovation is everywhere right now, but we need to narrow it down to understand the term 'innovation' and how we can use it. In our culture, as an Omani, how can we promote the cultural identity, and how do we promote our legacies and our traditions? AI has helped us in narrating the stories to convey to others our manners, customs, traditions and values. This kind of innovation might be on a small scale, but producing some AI videos has been impactful in promoting the culture itself, whether it is the Eid customs, collecting frankincense, or rose picking in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar,' he said.
'Failure breeds creativity because if one idea fails, the mind pushes for success, and a new line of creativity is born. A new day is what I call innovation, giving one the drive for a new brand. I feel creativity is internal and innovation is external,' reflected HH Sayyidah Zawan al Said, a broadcaster and currently a property developer.
'Innovation is a function of situational awareness and creative response. It is about reorienting our perspective,' said Ahmed al Mukhaini, policy analyst.
In Oman, the Ministry of Health held events to mark the World Creativity and Innovation Day at its headquarters under the auspices of Dr Said bin Harib al Lamki, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Health for Health Affairs. Dr Ahmed bin Salim al Mandhari, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Health for Planning and Health Regulation, and other senior officials were also present.
The event featured an exhibition of health innovations showcasing a number of distinguished projects, including winning innovations from the 'Ejada' system's Innovative Employee track, alongside innovations from emerging companies. The event further included a series of panel discussions and awareness lectures in the Innovation Hall, covering topics such as health innovation and entrepreneurship and the role of modern technologies in transforming ideas into successful projects, as well as a lecture on artificial intelligence tools and presentations of innovative experiences, most notably solutions for predicting epileptic seizures using modern technologies.