MUSCAT: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth announced the winning projects of the second edition of the “Share the Change” competition on Tuesday night, during a ceremony held at W Muscat Hotel under the auspices of Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
This year’s competition saw broad participation, with 119 projects submitted, out of which 25 advanced to the final stage. The results saw the project “Fitana Bracelet” winning first place, followed by “Sustainable Steps” in second place and “Smart Movement Path” taking third. The “Iqdam App” project won the award for Best Use of Modern Technology, while “Play It Right” earned the award for Best Awareness Content. “Khatwa App” received the first encouragement award and “Fit Wheels” took home the second encouragement award.
Speaking on the occasion, Mohammed bin Ahmed al Amri, Director General of Sports Activities, stated that the competition aligns with the ministry’s efforts to implement the objectives of Oman’s sports strategy in line with Oman Vision 2040, particularly under the “Sports and Society” theme. He said that the ministry aims to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and to make it part of daily life rather than a temporary endeavour.
Al Amri noted that the second edition focused on innovative awareness initiatives, targeting societal behaviour towards adopting a healthy lifestyle. He added that the qualified projects benefitted from specialised training workshops in health, marketing, artificial intelligence and media campaigns, in addition to participating in the Muscat International Book Fair to showcase youth ideas and allow the public to vote.
He affirmed the ministry’s commitment to empowering youth and turning their projects into reality, in accordance with the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and with the support and follow-up of HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth.
Raghad al Jalandani, representing the “Fitana Bracelet” team, presented the idea of smart family bracelets connected to a mobile app that offers group challenges to promote health, physical activity and family bonding. She noted that the project has not been implemented yet, but the execution plan is ready, including bracelet production both locally and internationally, with a focus on cost and innovation.
Nusra al Abri, from the “Sustainable Steps” project team, explained that their project aims to convert kinetic energy from walking into sustainable electricity using smart tiles and fitness devices. The project is linked to a smart app that rewards users with points to encourage exercise and provide access to commercial and service-based offers.
Fahad al Jabri, from the “Smart Movement Path” team, outlined their project: a smart fitness track equipped with interactive screens linked to a website that tracks physical activity. The goal is to encourage walking and combat sedentary lifestyles and chronic diseases. He described the competition as an enriching experience, saying that entering the challenge and creating a community-benefitting project was exciting and rewarding. He added that the team drew from their university studies to refine the idea into a scientifically and practically feasible concept.
PHOTO BY ABDULWAHID AL HAMDANI
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