AGP Executive Report

Dhofar Film & Festivals: Salalah will host the second Dhofar International Film Festival (6–9 Sept 2026), with 32 films from 16 countries and a focus on boosting Oman’s film presence across the Arab and international scene. Community & Identity: Indian Social Club Oman marked India’s 80th Independence Day in Muscat with cultural performances, unity messages, and an “Indian of the Year” community service award. Education & Quality: Sultan Qaboos University’s Biomedical Science (with Clinical Training) programme has received international accreditation again, extending its 2025–2029 cycle. Youth & Skills: OQ’s Serdal Leadership and Skills Development Programme wrapped up, training 188 students (Grades 9–11) in leadership, teamwork and decision-making. Culture for Kids: The National Museum launched “Omani Character” summer programme at Bayt al-Greiza to teach children pride in national identity through workshops and hands-on activities. Salalah Summer Twist: Khareef is getting a playful upgrade with a “mini London” snow installation and the new Salalah Eye observation wheel. Oman in the Arab literary world: Oman is participating in the Istanbul International Arab Book Fair under “The Story Continues.”

Oman in Arab literature spotlight: The Sultanate is taking part in the 11th Istanbul International Arab Book Fair (15–23 Aug) with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, under the theme “The Story Continues,” showcasing Omani publications and cultural programmes. Khareef Dhofar gets a playful twist: Salalah’s summer season adds a “mini London” with Big Ben and a red telephone booth plus artificial snow shows, while Salalah Eye opened on 15 Aug with air-conditioned cabins and wide views. Youth and identity in focus: The National Museum’s “Omani Character” summer programme runs in two age stages (5–7, then 8–12) with workshops on etiquette, hospitality, symbols and Arabic calligraphy. Education & skills: OQ’s Serdal Leadership and Skills Development Programme wrapped up, training 188 students in leadership and life skills. Sports & community life: Ittihad Fanja won Oman’s 2026 Amateur League on penalties; Seeb and Qurayat started the Junior Hockey League with wins. Money habits for young adults: BankDhofar launched its Youth Account to help 18–23-year-olds build savings and smart spending routines. Culture beyond borders: Oman’s participation also ties into the wider regional cultural calendar, while the week’s global news is dominated by Hormuz shipping disruption fears.

Strait of Hormuz & Oman-Iran Shipping: Reports say Iran and Oman have reached an understanding to manage different categories of vessels through the Strait, aiming to keep traffic organised amid heightened tensions. Tourism Outlook: Oman says international tourism in 2026 remains cautiously strong, with India emerging as a key growth market despite regional uncertainty. Khareef Dhofar Consumer Culture: Dhofar’s consumer protection teams ran holiday awareness activities in Salalah, using interactive learning, sign-language support, and even VR to teach rights and safer shopping. Corporate Waqf for Social Impact: A Dhofar forum urged companies to move beyond one-off sponsorships and consider setting up a waqf institution for longer-term community funding. Salalah Free Zone Fertiliser Push: SFZ signed for a ~$105m integrated fertiliser and chemicals complex targeting exports across the Gulf, India, and beyond. Oman Heritage Milestone: Oman Across Ages Museum topped 909,000 visitors through end-2025, with hundreds of events and education programmes. India Utsav in Oman: LuLu’s India Utsav 2026 brings food and culture celebrations to Oman, highlighting long-running Oman-India ties. Sports (Junior Hockey): Seeb and Qurayat started the Junior Hockey League with winning results in Al Amerat.

Oman Tourism Outlook: Oman says it’s cautiously confident about international tourism in 2026, with India emerging as a key growth source despite West Asia tensions. Independence Day Culture Relay: India’s 80th Independence Day was marked by “Suryapath Tiranga,” a symbolic east-to-west tricolour relay linking 54 Indian missions from Fiji to San Francisco, with flag hoistings including Oman. Heritage & Learning: Oman Across Ages Museum in Manah has topped 909,000 visitors since opening through end-2025, alongside hundreds of events and education programmes. Khareef Consumer Awareness: Dhofar’s consumer protection teams ran holiday campaigns in Salalah, including a Mobile Food Safety Laboratory with sign-language support and VR-based learning. Community Funding Idea: Dhofar Municipality urged companies to move from one-off sponsorships to longer-term corporate waqf models for sustained social investment. Sports & Youth: Seeb and Qurayat kicked off Oman’s Junior Hockey League with early wins. Oman–India Business Ties: India and Oman’s CEPA trade pact entered into force in June 2026, boosting market access and supply-chain cooperation. Global Diplomacy Note: Switzerland appointed Dr Thomas Oertle as ambassador-designate to Ghana, Benin and Togo, after serving as Head of Mission in Muscat.

Oman Culture & Lifestyle: Traditional Games Season 2026: The Omani Traditional Games Season kicked off in Salalah at Al Dahariz Beach, running alongside Khareef Dhofar, with VR experiences, mini exhibitions, and a Dhofar Clubs Championship to get kids and visitors playing Oman’s heritage games. Khareef Festival in Taqah: A 15-day Taqah Festival opened at Al Fardhah, adding markets, folk performances, theatre, and family contests, with a clear push to turn visitor numbers into longer stays and more local spending. Community Sports & Youth: Hyenas Running Club: In Muscat, running is shifting from solo workouts to weekly community gatherings, building motivation, friendship, and belonging for both beginners and experienced runners. India Utsav in Oman: LuLu India Utsav 2026: A vibrant India-themed week is underway across Oman, celebrating India’s 80th Independence Day through food, culture, and community ties—launched by India’s ambassador at LuLu Hypermarket. International Spotlight with Oman links: Swiss Ambassador Appointment: Dr Thomas Oertle, previously Switzerland’s Head of Mission in Muscat, has been appointed ambassador-designate to Ghana, Benin and Togo. Global Context: Hormuz Tensions: Iran and the U.S. continue trading sharp warnings over the Strait of Hormuz, keeping regional travel and maritime concerns in the background.

Traditional Omani Games: The 2026 Traditional Omani Games Season kicked off in Salalah at Al Dahariz Beach, running alongside Khareef Dhofar and bringing visitors closer to local heritage through sports, mini exhibitions, and even VR experiences for children. Khareef Festival Culture: Taqah Festival 2026 opened with a 15-day programme of markets, folk arts, theatre, family contests, and activities designed to help local producers benefit from longer stays and more spending during peak tourism. Youth & Community Development: Oman’s youth-focused momentum continues with sports and community initiatives, including a Muscat programme for Omani Women’s Associations that wrapped up, reflecting growing lifestyle and wellbeing culture. International Cultural Exchange: Holcim UAE and Oman selected Shevyn Marshall to represent the country at the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, spotlighting youth leadership themes like gender-based violence safety and future work. Education & Mobility: A Fulbright scholar story highlights how academic exchange keeps building bridges—this time with a retired University of Arizona professor heading to Kyrgyzstan for his sixth Fulbright. Diplomacy & Oman Links: Switzerland appointed Dr Thomas Oertle as ambassador-designate to Ghana, Benin and Togo after serving as Switzerland’s Head of Mission in Muscat, underscoring Oman’s role in international cooperation networks.

Dhofar Culture & Tourism: The Omani Traditional Games Season 2026 kicked off in Salalah at Al Dahariz Beach, running for three days alongside Khareef, with traditional sports, a mini exhibition, and even VR for kids to try the games. Khareef Festival Economy: The Taqah Festival 2026 opened in Taqah for 15 days, aiming to turn visitor traffic into longer stays and more local spending through markets, folk performances, theatre, contests, and family activities. Community Sports & Heritage: In Taqah, an “Air Sports Village” week-long programme began, featuring paragliding, kite flying, and drone demos, with organisers saying it’s meant to make air sports part of local culture while boosting tourism. Education & Youth: The Supreme Court declined to interfere with CBSE’s special assessment scheme for Gulf Class 12 students whose exams were cancelled due to West Asia war conditions, while CBSE assured fresh exams at the earliest feasible time. Oman-India Cultural Link: Oman and India marked 80 years of Indian independence, with coverage highlighting how the partnership spans diplomacy, trade, defence, maritime security, energy, investment, technology, education, and culture. Oman Lifestyle: A feature on running communities in Muscat shows how the sport is shifting from solo fitness to weekly social gatherings and belonging.

Traditional Omani Games: Salalah kicked off the 2026 Traditional Omani Games Season at Al Dahariz Beach, running for three days alongside Khareef Dhofar, with clubs championships, a mini exhibition, and even VR for kids to try classic games. Identity & Heritage: In Salalah, the “My Identity: Oman – Identity and Civilization” event and exhibition opened at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Compound, featuring pavilions on Omani values, rights in society, merchants’ ethics, and an Omani architecture “village” running until 19 August. Youth Learning: Muscat continued the Ministry of Education’s “Exploration Camp” for grades 9–11, partnering with OQ Exploration and Production to train students in energy, sustainability, AI, and entrepreneurship through hands-on tracks until 20 August. Sports for Women: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth wrapped up a Muscat programme for Omani Women’s Associations, bringing 65 participants together for sports, workshops, and lifestyle-focused activities. Education Access: Oman-linked CBSE students in Gulf countries saw the Supreme Court reject challenges to a special assessment scheme after West Asia exam cancellations, with fresh exams promised when feasible. Culture Abroad: Oman’s basketball development also scored a win as elite players completed an overseas training camp in Alexandria, Egypt, as part of OBA’s athlete preparation pathway.

Oman Vision 2040 Planning: Oman’s National Foresight Office has unveiled a new operating model to feed early warnings and policy stress tests into decision-making, using multiple scenarios to keep plans resilient against economic, tech, climate and geopolitical shocks. Dhofar Culture & Identity: In Salalah, the “My Identity: Oman – Identity and Civilization” event and exhibition opened at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Compound, featuring pavilions on Omani values, rights in society, merchants’ ethics and Omani architecture, running until 19 August. Youth Learning in Muscat: The Ministry of Education’s “Exploration Camp” continues in Muscat for 110 students (grades 9–11), focusing on energy, sustainability, AI and entrepreneurship, with projects aimed at real-world challenges. Women in Sports: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth concluded a sports programme for Omani Women’s Associations in Muscat, bringing together 65 participants for activities, workshops and health-focused sessions. Dhofar Air Sports: “Air Sports Village” kicked off in Taqah, Dhofar, with paragliding, kite flying and drone demos, plus VR simulation activities, running until 17 August. Education Access for Gulf Students: Oman-linked CBSE petitions over the West Asia assessment scheme were rejected by India’s Supreme Court, though the court recorded CBSE’s assurance of fresh exams for affected students. Regional Travel Watch: UAE–India flight advisories highlight tighter airport security around Independence Day, with travellers urged to arrive early as Gulf tensions continue to affect routes.

Education & Youth: Oman’s Ministry of Education keeps momentum with its Exploration Camp in Muscat, training 110 students (grades 9–11) on energy, sustainability, AI and entrepreneurship until 20 August. Dhofar Culture & Community: In Salalah, the “My Identity: Oman – Identity and Civilization” event and exhibition opened at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Compound, running to 19 August, with pavilions on rights, values, merchants’ ethics and Omani architecture. Adventure & Tourism: Dhofar’s Taqah kicked off the week-long “Air Sports Village” (until 17 August), featuring paragliding, kite flying and drone demos, aiming to make air sports part of local culture. Women & Sports: In Muscat, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth concluded a sports programme for Omani Women’s Associations, bringing 65 participants together to promote active lifestyles. Scouting & Skills: Dhofar also hosts a Senior Scout Camp (until 17 August) for about 300 scouts, blending values, AI sessions, e-commerce skills and community-focused activities.

Youth & Culture: Oman marks World Youth Day with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth backing youth initiatives, volunteering and safe spaces for dialogue, supporting dozens of projects and thousands of young people. Education & Skills: Oman’s Ministry of Education issues clear rules for students continuing studies abroad, stressing recognized institutions, prior approval, and avoiding unlicensed intermediaries. Sports & Readiness: The Oman Olympic Committee runs an Elite Athletes Forum for Asian Games hopefuls, covering rights, safeguarding, anti-doping, health, psychology and competition stress. Community & Heritage on Screen: Omani filmmaker Haitham al Farsi wins Best Film for “Sufrat Ramadan fi Sur” at Spain’s Food Film List, spotlighting Ramadan dining traditions in Sur and its cultural ties to maritime history. Dhofar Life & Youth Outdoors: Salalah hosts a Senior Scout Camp in Dhofar under “Our Future Lies in Our Values,” mixing skills workshops (including AI and e-commerce) with volunteerism, road safety and nature-focused activities. Jobs Snapshot: NCSI reports 7.1% job-seeker rate among higher-education diploma holders in June 2026, with higher rates among females and youth aged 15–24.

Omani Film & Food Culture: “Sufrat Ramadan fi Sur” by Omani filmmaker Haitham Al Farsi won Best Film in Spain’s 2026 Food Film List “Urban-Rural Connectivity” category, spotlighting Ramadan dining traditions in Sur and the wilayat’s culinary links to maritime heritage. Youth & Community Life: Oman will join the global observance of International Youth Day on 12 August, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth highlighting youth as a key driver of development and future progress. Sports & Athlete Wellbeing: The Oman Olympic Committee held an Elite Athletes Forum ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, covering sports readiness, safeguarding, anti-doping, compliance, and psychological support for athletes. Education & Mobility: Oman’s Ministry of Education issued rules for students planning to study abroad, stressing enrollment only in recognized institutions and prior ministry approval to protect students’ rights. Human Rights in Dhofar: The Oman Human Rights Commission ran a Khareef-season awareness and education programme in Dhofar, reaching 340+ people with publications, posters, and workshops for children and communities. Tourism & Heritage: Alila Hotels appointed Nebi Ozan Ozdemir as cluster general manager for Alila Hinu Bay and Alila Jabal Akhdar, aiming to connect Oman’s coastal and mountain experiences under one leadership vision.

Oman in global spotlight: Omani filmmaker Haitham Al Farsi won Best Film at Spain’s 2026 Food Film List for “Sufrat Ramadan fi Sur,” spotlighting Sur’s Ramadan table, dishes, and maritime heritage. Youth & sport: Oman will observe International Youth Day on Wednesday, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth urging youth as drivers of development; meanwhile the Oman Olympic Committee held an Elite Athletes’ Forum for Aichi-Nagoya 2026, covering sports, health, psychology, rights, anti-doping and legal readiness. Culture & learning: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth announced Oman’s 28th Literary Forum in Suhar (Oct 25–29, 2026), featuring poetry, short stories, and arts competitions. Human rights in Dhofar: Oman Human Rights Commission ran a Khareef-season awareness and education programme in Dhofar, reaching 340+ people with posters, publications, and workshops for children and schools. Lifestyle & travel finance: Dhofar Islamic expanded Sharia-compliant travel finance and credit cards with instalment options for trips, Hajj and Umrah. Hospitality leadership: Alila Hotels appointed Nebi Ozan Ozdemir as Cluster General Manager for Alila Hinu Bay and Alila Jabal Akhdar, unifying leadership across Oman’s sea and mountain resorts.

Oman Culture & Heritage: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth is set to host the 28th Literary Forum in Suhar (Oct 25–29, 2026), featuring classical Arabic poetry, popular poetry, short stories, plus competitions in singing, photography, monodrama and fine arts. Human Rights in Oman: The Oman Human Rights Commission rolled out a Dhofar awareness and education programme during Khareef, reaching 340+ people with 2,500+ publications, posters, workshops and child-focused activities. Public Service & Culture of Excellence: In Salalah, the “Ejada Card” was launched as an electronic incentives platform for government employees, linking rewards to performance in line with Oman Vision 2040. Regional Lifestyle & Travel: Skyscanner highlights late-summer escape ideas for Saudi travellers, including affordable domestic and regional options like AlUla and Muscat. Regional Context (Oman-linked): Multiple reports say Oman talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz are progressing, but Iran insists any resumption depends on U.S. concessions.

Human Rights & Education: Oman Human Rights Commission rolled out a Dhofar awareness and education program during the Khareef Dhofar Festival, reaching 340+ people and distributing 2,500+ publications and posters, with workshops for students and child-focused materials. Khareef Culture & Sports: The Khareef Dhofar Tent Pegging Championship 2026 wrapped up at Al Haffa Beach, with Royal Cavalry taking the team title after three days of fast, precision riding. Youth Sports: Oman’s junior golfers returned from Kazakhstan with three medals—gold (U-12) and two bronzes (Girls U-13, U-16)—as part of a wider junior development push. Heritage Tourism: Al-Baleed Archaeological Park in Salalah was highlighted as a UNESCO-listed Land of Frankincense site, spanning Bronze Age to the Islamic era and featuring the Land of Frankincense Museum and Al-Balid Mosque. Workplace Incentives: Oman’s “Ejada Card” was launched for employees in units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus, using an electronic incentives system aligned with Oman Vision 2040. Regional Context (Oman-linked): Reports continue on a potential Oman-linked Strait of Hormuz arrangement amid Iran–US tensions, with shipping access and conditions still in flux.

Oman’s Frankincense Heritage Spotlight: Al-Baleed Archaeological Park in Dhofar is being highlighted as a living gateway to the “Land of Frankincense,” with Bronze Age roots, Islamic-era urban life, and the Land of Frankincense Museum telling the story of frankincense’s past role in trade and daily life. Khareef Dhofar Culture & Sport: The Royal Cavalry won the Khareef Dhofar Tent Pegging Championship 2026 at Al Haffa Beach after three days of fast, precision-focused rounds. Youth & Community Sports: Oman’s junior golfers returned from Kazakhstan with three medals, showing progress through international competition and a joint training camp. Research Skills for Higher Education: The Research and Innovation Authority (RIA) launched its 5th Research Skills Forum with Arab Open University, training postgraduate researchers in advanced data analysis to strengthen publication-ready outputs. Workplace Safety Watch: Oman’s private sector recorded 403 work-related injuries in 2025, with the General Federation of Oman Workers pointing to construction-related safety gaps and summer work rule breaches. Khareef Lifestyle Activation: Dhofar Foods’ “The Joy of Khareef” campaign is bringing a paragliding experience to Taqah, blending seasonal tourism with brand engagement. Regional Diplomacy Impacting Oman: Talks on managing Strait of Hormuz shipping continue, with Iran issuing new conditions while Oman says discussions remain constructive.