Monday 08 / December / 2025
Doha-- The Sultanate of Oman participated in the proceedings of the "Heritage Opportunities" conference in its second edition, hosted by the Qatari capital, Doha.
The conference was organized by the UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen in Doha, in cooperation with the UNESCO Chair on World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region at the German University of Technology in Muscat.
During the conference, Eng. Ibrahim Said Al Kharousi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Heritage, presented the Omani experience in employing cultural heritage for tourism purposes. He pointed to the success of the Sultanate of Oman in involving local communities as a main partner in management, operation, conservation, and preservation, in accordance with UNESCO guidelines and in a manner that enhances cultural and social sustainability.
He also highlighted the most prominent partnership models in the Sultanate of Oman, including the program for operating and managing 28 historical sites through the private sector, which involved small and medium enterprises, local and international companies, in addition to an endowment institution. He explained that this model has contributed to generating direct and indirect job opportunities, revitalizing old neighborhoods and traditional markets, and encouraging owners of historical houses to preserve their properties and convert them into tourism and cultural projects.
Eng. Al Kharousi affirmed that the Omani experience has proven that heritage constitutes a continuous development opportunity that benefits individuals and communities economically, culturally, and socially, and strengthens the national identity among new generations.
