MUSCAT: The Youth Centre is no longer a space for recreation or gatherings, it has transformed into a national laboratory for aligning the aspirations of young people with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
The Youth Centre continues to solidify its position as a cornerstone in the comprehensive development process, embodying the wise vision of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik who said: “Youth are the wealth of nations and their inexhaustible resource, their builders, the present and future of the nation.” His Majesty issued Royal Decree No 38/2026 establishing the Youth Centre and promulgating its system.
Alya bint Said al Shanfari, Executive Director of the Youth Centre, said: “We extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for issuing the Royal Decree No 38/202, establishing the Youth Centre. The Royal decree embodies the unwavering support of the wise leadership, which has made youth empowerment a cornerstone of the renewed renaissance, a key component of national development and a key element of Oman Vision 2040. This decree will mark a new phase in the centre’s work, as it will lead to devising more specialised and sustainable programmes, building upon the centre’s previous efforts, with greater youth participation, and supporting strategic expansion to reach the largest segment of young people in society across the governorates. At the Youth Centre, we emphasise our commitment to continue providing high-quality, inspiring, and comprehensive programmes that meet the aspirations of young people and align with the aspirations of our beloved nation.”
The Youth Centre aims to build a youth community capable of actively and efficiently participating in achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040 as well as discovering, developing, and nurturing the skills and talents of young people, providing them with necessary guidance, offering spaces that cater to their needs and interests and developing their knowledge and expertise in creative fields.
From 2022 to January 2026, the Youth Centre made numerous accomplishments, including contracting with 1,335 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed individuals, implementing 407 training programmes, and benefiting over 450,000 people through its facilities and 67,920 through its programmes, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to over 500,000 during this period.
The youth sector intersects with several international indicators targeted by Oman Vision 2040. The Youth Centre aims at strengthening and improving Oman’s rankings in various indices, including the Global Talent Competitiveness Index, the Global Innovation Index, and the Global Competitiveness Index as Oman plans to achieve the 20th place globally by 2040, and 30th place globally in the Youth Development Index by 2040.
Royal Decree No 117/2011 was issued on October 26, 2011, establishing a committee named the National Youth Committee. The committee was formed by a decision of the Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court and consisted of 28 members. In 2020, Royal Decree No 87/2020 was issued establishing the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. The decree stipulated the transfer of all allocations, assets, rights, obligations and holdings of the National Youth Committee to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth. The ministry’s organisational structure provided for the establishment of a Directorate-General for Youth, overseen by the under-secretary of the ministry for sports and youth.
On November 24, 2021, HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, then minister of culture, sports and youth, announced the establishment of the Youth Centre as one of the ministry’s initiatives aimed at developing an integrated system of modern youth facilities in the various governorates of Oman.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
