Al Jabal Al Akhdar Festival: Oman’s summer cultural push is in full swing, with the 45-day Al Jabal Al Akhdar Festival drawing over 100,000 visitors by the end of July and giving SMEs, home-based producers, farmers, cafés and retailers a direct platform to sell to tourists. Quran Culture: The 34th Sultan Qaboos Holy Quran Competition kicks off in Muscat today with 2,214 contestants, featuring seven memorisation levels and judging visits across 28 centres, including new ones in Al Jabal Al Akhdar and Dima W’attayeen. Film & Creativity: The Dhofar International Film Festival is set for September 6–9 in Salalah, inviting short films (4–20 minutes) in multiple languages, with awards across story, script, acting and music. Entrepreneurship Boost: ARI has extended registration for the UpGrade Programme to August 15, supporting university students and recent graduates to turn projects into start-ups, with tracks including Emerging Technologies, Water and FinTech. Sports & Community: Oman’s FFC 6.0 in Muscat ended with a clean sweep by Omani fighters, while the Oman Skating Sports Committee launches summer skating programmes for beginners through advanced levels. Inclusion in Focus: The Omani Down Syndrome Association begins its first nationwide awareness caravan from Al Seeb to Dhofar, aiming to build inclusion and correct misconceptions. Local Economy Spotlight: Al Mouj Muscat marks 20 years with an economic impact study citing RO880m in FDI, RO878m contribution to GDP, and support for 167 SMEs with 43.6% local content. Global Tragedy: Oman mourns climber Nadhira Al Harthy after the Broad Peak avalanche in Pakistan, as international attention turns to the wider search and rescue aftermath.