North Al Sharqiyah Winter 2024 activities sees unprecedented turnout of visitors

Bidiya: The North Al Sharqiyah Winter 2024 activities are entering their 3rd week amidst an unparalleled turnout from visitors to Bidiya Public Park, the venue for the events that began last January 20 and will continue until 10 February 2024, under the general supervision of the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate and in partnership with a number of public and private sectors institutions and members of the local community.

The events organizing committee recorded the latest statistics of visitors during the past 18 days, and their number reached more than 320 thousand visitors from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman, where the largest number of visitors was recorded in one day with 31 thousand visitors at various event sites.

Engineer Nasser bin Mohammed Al Hasani, Director General of North Al Sharqiyah Municipality and Chairman of the Events Organizing Committee, said: The North Al Sharqiyah 2024 winter events witnessed a large attendance of visitors, as we previously announced that the number of visitors to the events is expected to reach about 200,000 visitors throughout the period of the events, but after three weeks it exceeded 320,000 visitors a few days before the end of the events, due to the large number of visitors on the day designated for families, including women and children, as well as on the days that witnessed the holding of the state competition, during which to date we have hosted six states out of the seven states of the governorate, indicating that witnessed the holding of qualitative events that will be held for the first time, most notably the launch of the activities of the Oman Desert International Film Festival on Wednesday, which will continue for three days.

Badr bin Ahmed Al Habsi, Chairman of the Technical Committee for Events, said: The past days of events witnessed the holding of many programmes, events and activities that included the Heritage Village, the open theater and some event sites. Among the prominent events that distinguished the North Al Sharqiyah Winter Program were the Heritage Village activities that includes three pillars for the Omani Women’s Association, the agricultural sector, and desert life, in addition to holding a consumer exhibition for small and medium enterprises sponsored by the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority.

He stressed that the activities that conclude next Saturday will witness the holding of many artistic, sporting and cultural events, most notably the launch of the first Cinema and Desert Festival, organized by the Omani Cinema Society and the participation of a number of public and private sector institutions, with the participation of 18 countries participating with 66 cultural and narrative films, international and local, in addition to holding a bicycle race and motorcycle shows in the wilayat of Dimma and Al-Taiyin, and the wilayat competition continues with the participation of the wilayat of Ibra, in addition to the continuation of the heritage and entertainment village activities and the consumer exhibition for small and medium enterprises and craftsmen, which witnessed a large turnout during the past days.

It is worth noting that the North Al Sharqiyah Winter 2024 events contribute to promoting tourism in the governorate’s states, supporting the local economy and creating a family outlet by holding cultural, recreational, sporting, social and artistic events and activities that attract visitors from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to the events’ contribution to promoting winter events in the governorates. Neighborhood and vice versa, such as the activities of the Al-Tahayim winter season in the South Al-Sharqiyah Governorate, which recently concluded due to the geographical proximity of the two governorates.