SALALAH: The ongoing Salalah Tourism Festival 2019, which will continue until August 22, is one of the major cultural and entertaining festivals in the region that coincides with the tourism season in the Governorate of Dhofar, locally known as Salalah Tourism Festival. The festival showcases the touristic, heritage, cultural and social potentials that the Sultanate enjoys in general and the Governorate of Dhofar in particular. The festival targets visitors and tourists from all governorates of the nation and the GCC countries. This year’s festival programme includes many activities and events highlighting various religious, economic, heritage, social, cultural, sports, leisure and artistic fields, as well as launch of a variety of new events.
Mohammed bin Omar al Rowas, General Supervisor of the Festival Department in Dhofar Municipality, highlighted the efforts exerted by all government and private institutions to make the activities and events of the Salalah Tourism Festival a success.
He pointed out that Dhofar Municipality has provided all the facilities for the Recreation Centre, such as theatres, sponsoring companies, the Heritage Village, the electric and aerobic playgrounds, the consumer exhibition site and the rest of the centre’s facilities in general. He stressed the keenness of the festival to set up various activities and events outside the site of the municipality’s Recreation Centre, in cooperation with the private sector, such as the Balloon Carnival in Sahl Sahlnout and the activities of ‘Samahram Tourist Village’ along with Atina Land Park, the ‘Friends of the Municipality’ site in the Itin Plain, as well as the family activities at Taqah and Mirbat parks.
CEREMONY ON JULY 23
Al Rowas said that the Balloon Carnival is one of the most important events of this year’s festival, which is held for the first time from July 20 to August 25, organised by Sabeen Group, in collaboration with the competent government authorities and the private sector.
Al Rowas said that the Organising Committee of Salalah Tourism Festival will hold a national ceremony on July 23 at the Al Muroj Theatre entitled ‘Omani Night’. It will also organise a national march in the city hall to celebrate the Blessed Renaissance Day.
Al Rowas said that Dhofar Municipality will organise an operetta in early next month to celebrate the crowning of Salalah City as the Capital of the Arab Resorts of 2019. He added that the municipality has harnessed all human cadres and modern technologies for this event, which embodies the celebration of the Sultanate in general and the Governorate of Dhofar in particular.
He said that the programme ‘Nights of the Festival’ includes a variety of programmes, including the Salalah Tourism Festival for the locally called ‘Al Bara’ traditional performance, which is held for the seventh time, in addition to the second edition of the Omani folklore song.
He pointed out the programme will host local, GCC and Arab artists and actors. Competitions, raffles and a variety of concerts by artists from the Sultanate and the Arab world will also be held.
The festival includes exhibitions and awareness, educational, service and marketing pavilions of various government institutions, private sector companies, Omani Women’s Associations and craft centres. Some exhibitions are held throughout the festival, others on a specific period
of time.
LAND OF PEACE EXHIBITION
Al Rowas said that the ‘Oman Land of Friendship and Peace’ exhibition, which is held annually, includes 120 different photos of His Majesty the Sultan, including the Royal Meet the People Tours and the Royal audiences to leaders of brotherly and friendly countries, in addition to various aspects of the Blessed Renaissance march.
He added that the exhibition has witnessed during the previous sessions a high turnout of visitors due to its national goals, messages of peace and patriotism, and love for the country’s leader.
The organising committee is keen on holding cultural and religious events, the major ones are the 7th Holy Quran Memorising Festival and the Festival of Photography and Fine Arts, in addition to the competition of the 3rd Mass Theatre Festival. — ONA
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