A month of merriment began in the Omani capital on Monday when the Muscat Festival was officially launched. The city’s streets wore a festive look and the air filled with the smell of fragrance and spirit of enthusiasm. This is the fifth edition of the festival, which has earned a name for meticulous planning and brilliant organization.
Throughout the event the sultanate is full of activities that enrich the mind and pleases the eyes, attracting visitors from within the country and abroad.
The Muscat Festival was born out of a determination to offer the people the very best and it has been a saga of success past four years. Muscat Municipality, the organizer of the festival, has always put in its best efforts while outlining the goals and objectives of the gala — and thanks to the good planning and collective work, it has always been a 100 percent success.
Every year the municipality offers the visitors a rich, comprehensive and exciting program that meets the tastes of all, the young and old alike. Little wonder then that we always see tremendous response from the visitors whose number is on the increase year after year.
Muscat Municipality has made use of its experience and expertise in the organization of the festival. City officials lend their ears to comments and suggestions in the media made by visitors and participants, and adds new events every year to make the fair more exciting.
The visitors are the focus of the festival, and it is for whom the events are planned and organized. Preparations for the festival start months in advance; various publicity campaigns are being conducted through local and global mass media. All this is paying off as people from various walks of life and from various corners of the world flock to Muscat to enjoy the festive atmosphere that pervades the entire sultanate throughout its duration.
The festival has become a prestigious event, competing with many regional events of similar nature. The festival boosts tourism in a big way. The visitors come in droves through land, air and sea entry points.The opening of a new, spacious building at Wajaja last week will make traffic movement smooth and provide more facilities to visitors.
The visitors will enjoy the rich events and the spectacular tourist spots in the sultanate. The festival thus plays an important role in boosting tourism and spreading a positive image of the country’s warmth and generosity.
The organizers are now fully geared to meet the expectations of visitors. They have prepared a well-planned program that includes entertainment, cultural, art and acrobatic shows and sporting contests. All this is marked by a blend of tradition and modernity. The festival showcases the rich heritage and great culture of Oman, and how we have kept alive the rich traditions and glorious achievements of our forefathers.
The city, like a bride on her wedding day, put on a festive dress on Monday, and for the next one month, the sultanate will be enjoying enchanting moments.
(Essa bin Mohammed Al-Zedjali is editor in chief of The Times of Oman.)