STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT: The Oman Psychiatric Society (OPS) will host its first international conference, OPS2026, on July 17–18, 2026, in Muscat, marking a major milestone in the advancement of psychiatric education, research and clinical practice in Oman.
Titled ‘The First Oman Psychiatric Society International Conference 2026’, the event will bring together psychiatrists, mental health professionals, researchers, academics, trainees, students and policymakers from Oman, the region and beyond. The conference will be held at the Sheraton Oman Hotel, featuring pre-conference workshops on July 17 followed by the main scientific programme on July 18.
Speaking on the significance of the event, Dr Tamadhir al Mahrouqi said the conference represents an important step towards strengthening psychiatric practice and mental health collaboration in Oman.
“This conference reflects the dedicated efforts of the Oman Psychiatric Society and its organising committee to establish a high-quality scientific platform for psychiatric education, professional exchange and collaboration,” she said. “We are honoured to welcome distinguished regional and international experts to Muscat to share knowledge, discuss emerging developments in psychiatry and support the advancement of mental healthcare in Oman and beyond.”
Organised by the Oman Psychiatric Society, a non-profit professional body operating under the umbrella of the Oman Medical Association, OPS2026 aims to promote mental health awareness, advance psychiatric education and strengthen psychiatric services across Oman.
The conference will feature an international scientific programme with invited experts from Canada, the UAE and Qatar. Among the distinguished speakers are Prof Elisa Brietzke, an internationally recognised expert in mood disorders and biological psychiatry; Prof Claudio Soares, whose work focuses on women’s mental health and mood disorders; Prof Gustavo H Vázquez, an expert in treatment-resistant mood disorders; Prof Tarek Qassem; and Asst Prof Zerak al Salihi.
The scientific sessions will explore several contemporary psychiatric topics, including treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder, bipolar spectrum disorders, psychedelics in clinical psychiatry, neurocognitive disorders and complex depression across the lifespan.
Interactive pre-conference workshops on July 17 will focus on women’s mental health across the life cycle, metabolic psychiatry in treatment-resistant mood disorders, modern pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder and ADHD across adulthood and older age.
“These workshops were selected to address practical and clinically relevant topics encountered by mental health professionals in daily practice,” Dr Al Mahrouqi said. “Our goal is to provide evidence-based updates that can be translated into better clinical care.”
Dr Al Mahrouqi, who also serves as Chairperson of the Continuous Medical Education and Research Committee at the OPS and is a psychiatrist at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, said OPS2026 will also serve as a platform to highlight Oman’s growing contribution to mental health education and research.
“We hope this conference will foster collaboration between local, regional and international experts while inspiring trainees, students and young professionals to engage more deeply in psychiatry and mental health research,” she said.
The conference is open to psychiatrists, consultants, specialists, residents, trainees, nurses, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, allied health professionals and students in medicine, psychology, nursing and related health disciplines.
For registration and further details, participants may visit the official website: Oman Psychiatric Society Conference Website.
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