News

Details of “Oman in Focus” Documentary Unveiled Muscat, 25 Sep (ONA) --- Details of the Omani documentary themed “Oman in Focus” were unveiled today. The documentary highlights the environment and tourism sectors in the Sultanate of Oman. Maisa Fahd Al Hooti, Executive Director of “Oman in Focus” said that the documentary is the fruit of continuous efforts exerted over two consecutive years despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. She added that the two-hour long documentary is presented in three languages, namely Arabic, English and French. Al ...

Oman to Host Prize Distribution Ceremony for Aga Khan Architecture Award 2022 Muscat, 22 Sep (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman will host the prize distribution ceremony for Agha Khan Award for Architecture 2022. The event, to be held in October 2022, marks the 45th anniversary of the award, with a turnout of 463 contesting projects shortlisted for the 15th edition of the prize. Sayyid Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Culture Undersecretary and head of the team tasked with preparing for Oman’s hosting the Aga Khan Award, said that the event affirms that Oman has become a global destination ...

Novel “Dilshad” Translated into Persian Tehran, 19 Sep (ONA) --- The Omani novel titled “Dilshad” written by the Omani novelist Bushra Khalfan, has been translated into Persian, said Asghar Ali Karmi, Iranian writer and translator. Karmi told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the novel presents visual and social details distributed between the alleys of Muscat and its old neighbourhoods, which earned the novel vast narrative horizons that enable the reader to gauge the Omani oral and traditional heritage. Karmi expected that the Persian translation of the novel would be ...

Board of Trustees of National Museum Holds its 9th Meeting Muscat, 19 Sep (ONA) --- The Board of Trustees of the National Museum today held its 9th meeting under the chairmanship of Salim Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum. During the meeting, the Board’s members reviewed the 2022 semi-annual report for departments of administrative and financial affairs, the Museum Learning and Community outreach, the Collections department and the Media and Communication department. They also approved the ...

Oman Participates in Palestine International Book Fair Ramallah, 14 Sep (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, is taking part in activities of the 12th Palestine International Book Fair, which began at the Palestinian National Library in Ramallah today under the slogan “Palestine, is the homeland and Jerusalem the capital.” As many as 350 publishing houses and 150 writers representing 16 countries are participating in the exhibition, which runs until 24 September 2022. Ahmed Saud Al Rawahi, Director of Muscat ...

Verdi Masterpiece “La Traviata” to Inaugurate ROHM New Season 22 September Muscat, 14 Sep (ONA) --- The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) will present Verdi’s beloved classical opera La Traviata to launch its new season (2022-2023). The season has a packed programme of musical performances spanning an impressive range of genres. ROHM’s new season is designed to offer audiences a varied and world class programme to enjoy until the end of May 2023. ROHM’s production of La Traviata returns to the opera house following the world premiere in 2019. A critically acclaimed ...

First Asian Wins Best Drama Actor in Emmy Awards Los Angeles, 13 Sep (ONA) --- Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae has become the first Asian star to win the Emmy award for best male actor in a Drama, the BBC News reported. The South Korean won for playing the main role of Seong Gi-hun in the hit show. The show's creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, won the best drama series director prize, also the first Asian to do so.Ted Lasso won best comedy series for the second year in a row, while outstanding drama went to Succession, also for a second year running. ---Ends/Hilal/AG ...

  Diverse Movies Vie for Emmy Awards Los Angeles, 12 Sep (ONA) --- Emmy Awards host Kenan Thompson and the ceremony’s producers are promising a feel-good event. The best drama contenders include the violently dystopian “Squid Game,” bleak workplace satire “Severance” and “Succession,” about a powerful family. Even comedy nominee “Ted Lasso,” the defending champ, took a storytelling dark turn, the Associated Press reported But after several pandemic-constrained awards seasons, today’s 74th Primetime Emmy Awards will ...

Ex-chancellor Merkel’s Memoirs to be Published in 2024 Berlin, 8 Sep (ONA) --- Angela Merkel, who served as chancellor of Germany for 16 years, will release her political memoirs in 2024. Her publisher announced today that the former chancellor, who is co-authoring the book with her long-time adviser Beate Baumann, will provide an exclusive, personal look into her political life and work. “I am pleased to reflect on central decisions and situations of my political work in my book ... and make them understandable to a broad public, also with recourse to my personal ...

Usufruct Agreement Inked To Develop Frankincense Trees Site In Wadi Dawkah Muscat, 5 Sept (ONA) --- The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism today signed a usufruct agreement to develop the Frankincense Trees Site in Wadi Dawkah, which is registered in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The agreement was signed by Eng. Ibrahim Said Al Kharusi, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Heritage and Sayyid Khalid Hamad Al Busaidi, Chairman of Amouage Company. The company will develop the site that includes 1,230 perennial frankincense trees, in addition to more than 8,000 trees ...

Sixth Issue of Omani Music Magazine ReleasedMuscat, 4 Sep (ONA) --- Oman Classical Music Centre, an offshoot of the Diwan of Royal Court’s Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science, has released the 6th issue of the Omani Music Magazine.The new issue comprises an interview with Khalfan Ahmed Al Barwani, a long-serving employee of the Centre, who spoke about the professional career of Prof. Yusuf Shawqi Mustafa and his contributions to the Omani classical music collection and archiving project. In the interview, Al Barwani also touched on other issues of relevance to ...

Obama Wins Emmy Award for Narrating Documentary Washington, 4 Sep (ONA) --- Former US president Barack Obama has won the best narrator Emmy Award for his Netflix documentary series, Our Great National Parks. The Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, is behind the five-part series on national parks around the world. The Emmy joins Obama's two Grammy awards putting him halfway to becoming an Egot - someone with an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. He becomes only the second US president in history to win an Emmy, BBC news reported. The Netflix series showcases ...

Oman Participates in Amman International Book Fair 2022 Amman, 4 Sep (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, is taking part in the activities of Amman International Book Fair in Jordan, which will run till 10 September 2022. The participation comes within the framework of activating Oman’s presence in international book fairs to promote Omani books, as well as highlighting various features of Oman’s intellectual, historical and literary aspects. The participation ...

National Treasures Painted by Jakuchu on Display in Tokyo Tokyo, 31 Aug (ONA) --- Ten scroll paintings by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), part of a collection that has been designated as a national treasure, are on display at the University Art Museum, Tokyo University of Arts, in Ueno, Tokyo, the Japan News reported. Titled “Doshoku Sai-e” (“Colorful Realm of Living Beings”), this event is part of the ongoing special exhibition “Themes in Japanese Art from the Imperial Collection,” which runs until 25 September 2022. The scroll paintings include some of Jakuchu’s ...

Turkish Artist Transforms Leaves to Works of ArtIstanbul, 29 Aug (ONA) --- The Turkish artist Soner Göktürk used an innovative form of art by carving impressive calligraphy on leaves. The artist transforms leaves to works of art that brim with life and creativity.Göktürk said to Oman News Agency (ONA) that his artistic journey began when he was a university student. He said that looking at leaves invokes our senses as they fall of trees and dry up while the tree branches sprout new leaves. The artist collects fallen leaves and dries them up until they are ready to be used as ...

400 Publishing Houses in Amman Book Fair Amman, 29 Aug (ONA) --- The 21st edition of Amman International Book Fair will be launched on 1 September 2022 under two slogans: "Jerusalem Is the Capital of Palestine" and "Reading Is Life." The management of the fair, which is held by the Jordanian Publishers Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the Greater Amman Municipality chose the writer Dr. Walid Saif as the cultural personality of the exhibition. Choosing him comes in appreciation of his role in spreading targeted television drama, especially historical ...

Ancient Roman Exhibition Held in Beijing Beijing, 23 Aug (ONA) --- For those in Beijing who have a keen interest in the ancient Roman history, they now can catch a glimpse of how Rome was built by visiting the National Museum of China, the Xinhua News Agency reported. "Tota Italia: Origins of a Nation," an exhibition hosted by the museum till 9 October presents 503 pieces of precious antiques from fourth century B.C. to first century A.D. from 26 museums across Italy.As the flagship project of the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, the exhibition aims at showing the historical ...

ROHM Announces Dazzling Productions for 2022-2023 Season Muscat, 22 Aug (ONA) --- The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) unveiled the new season for 2022 – 2023, which will kick off in September 2022. The programme will be bringing more than fifty events and a grand total of ninety performances and cultural initiatives including six operas, nine Arab concerts, three ballet shows, nine concerts, two jazz stars, four world music celebrations, three spectacular shows, one permanent and two temporary exhibitions, and a rich schedule of educational and outreach events. The 2022 – ...

MoC Signed on Sponsoring Cultural, Technical InitiativesMuscat, 21 Aug (ONA) --- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth has signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with Asyad Group to support and sponsor cultural and technical initiatives.Sayyid Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Culture Undersecretary, said that the MoC forges true partnership between the public and private sectors. The MoC, he added, highlights the Sultanate of Oman’s cultural and technical heritage and assigns cultural depth to the services rendered by Asyad, Sayyid Said added, hoping that the MoC will revolutionize ...

Expo “Memory of Nation on Land of Frankincense” OpenedMuscat, 15 Aug (ONA) --- A documentary exposition titled “Memory of a Nation on the Land of Frankincense” was opened at Salalah International Airport today. The National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA) organized the exhibition in cooperation with Oman Airports.The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr. Ahmed Mohsin Al Ghassani, Head of Dhofar Municipality, Chairman of the main committee tasked with Salalah Khareef (monsoon) activities.The expo showcases salient features of Omani history and comprises a ...

The Snowman Illustrator Raymond Briggs Dies at 88 London, 10 Aug (ONA) --- Author-illustrator Raymond Briggs, best-known for his 1978 classic The Snowman, has died at the age of 88. Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children's, said: "Raymond's books are picture masterpieces that address some of the fundamental questions of what it is to be human, speaking to both adults and children with a remarkable economy of words and illustrations." Briggs' original wordless children's picture book, The Snowman, finished the runner-up for the Kate Greenaway ...

Fire Engulfs Historic Wooden Bridge in Southern China Beijing, 8 Aug (ONA) --- Chinese authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that engulfed a covered wooden bridge with 900 years of history in south-eastern China over the weekend. The entire length of the Wan’an Bridge appeared to be in flames in video and photos of the Saturday night fire in Fujian province’s Pingnan county. No one was reported injured in the blaze. The 98-meter (323-foot) bridge is the longest of its kind in China. It has been rebuilt many times over the centuries, most recently in 1932. The ...

National Museum Concludes Summer program for Students of Schools, Colleges, Universities Muscat, 7 Aug (ONA) --- The National Museum, represented by the Learning Centre, concluded activities of the summer program for students of schools, universities and colleges, which lasted during June and July 2022. The program included art workshops inspired by the artefacts of the National Museum. The program included 35 activities with an average of 20 participants for each event. It was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, the Scientific ...

Huangshan Mountain Sees Uptake in Tourist Visits Beijing, 3 Aug (ONA) --- Huangshan Mountain, a UNESCO world heritage site in east China's Anhui Province, has seen the number of tourists rise in July 2022, according to the management committee of the scenic area, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The number of tourists to the scenic spot totaled 235,935 in July, a year-on-year increase of 19.73 percent. The number rose by 136.27 percent compared with that in June this year. Local authorities have rolled out a slew of stimulus measures to attract more tourists, such as free ...

Oman Participates in Meeting of Arab Writers Union’s Permanent OfficeDamascus, 26 Jul (ONA) --- Oman Society for Writers and Literati is taking part in meetings of the permanent bureau of the Arab Writers Union (AWU) which kicked off in Damascus, Syria, with the participation of delegates from various Arab states.On the sidelines of the meeting, the Omani society signed an agreement with the AWU to enhance cooperation in cultural, intellectual and literary areas.The two-day meeting, attended by a number of researchers and 25 poets, includes various activities, including the Arab ...

Korean Diaspora Literature to be Discussed at LTIK Seminar Seoul, 25 Jul (ONA) --- A seminar that will shed light on Korea’s diaspora literature is scheduled to take place coming Friday, its organizer, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTIK), according to The Korea Herald News. The seminar, titled “2022 Korean Literature in Diaspora and Anthropogeography,” will take place at LTIK’s headquarters in southeast Seoul. Co-hosted by the International Association for Literature of Korean Residents Abroad, this seminar aims to reflect the growing interest in ...

Oman Hosts 35th FIAP Black and White Biennial Muscat, 21 Jul (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth will host the qualifiers for the 35th Black and White Biennial—organized by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP)—at the headquarters of the Photographic Society of Oman. The Biennial will see the participation of 458 FIAP photographers from 46 countries. The jury members include jurors from Turkiye, Greece and Bahrain. Registration for the competition opened from 1 April to 31 May 2022. Participating ...

World Heritage Festival in Korean Jeju Accepts Applicants for Expedition Teams Seoul, 19 Jul (ONA) --- The 2022 World Heritage Festival in Jeju Island, named “CONNECT- Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes,” which seeks to promote the importance of the Korean Jeju’s UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites through the story of the volcanic island’s birth, will return as an on-site program after a break last year. Jointly organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the festival will be held Oct. 1-16 at major World Natural ...

Book Titled "Oman in Time of Corona" PublishedMuscat, 18 Jul (ONA) --- A recently published book titled “Oman in Time of Corona” outlines the major changes that the global pandemic brought about in everyday life.Published in Jordan, the book was the outcome of a project undertaken by Oman Association of Writers and Literati. It was aimed at exploring the situation in the Sultanate of Oman in the backdrops of coronavirus (Covid-19).The team of science researchers who compiled the book archived a pivotal moment in the history of humanity as a whole. They provide the readers with the ...

Decision Restructures Board of Trustees of Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and LiteratureMuscat, 14 Jul (ONA) --- Sayyid Khalid Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, has issued a decision restructuring the Board of Trustees of the Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature.The decision stipulates that Sayyid Khalid Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the Minister of Information is the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees, while the Head of the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture ...