Omani Maritime Heritage Festival kicks off in Sur

Sur: The activities of the Omani Maritime Heritage Festival, organized by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of South Al Sharqiyah and a number of government agencies and the private sector, opened this evening in the Wilayat of Sur in the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah, and will continue until February 19, 2023.

The opening ceremony was sponsored by His Excellency Dr. Yahya bin Badr Al Ma’awali, Governor of South Al Sharqiyah, in the presence of a number of their Excellencies and officials.

The festival includes a number of heritage and entertainment activities, and aims to highlight the historical role of the wilayat of Sur, past and present, as a commercial and historical center and a site of memory and technical knowledge of the ship industry for centuries, in addition to promoting and introducing the maritime heritage and tourism potentials in the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah.

His Excellency the Governor of South Al Sharqiyah, the sponsor of the ceremony, said: The festival reflects the great diversity that characterizes the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah in general and the state of Tire in particular, in addition to the maritime history and the harmony it represents in the relationship between man and the sea.

He added that the tourist turnout that the festival will witness will activate the economic and commercial movement, and there will be a share for productive families and traditional craftsmen who will be present by displaying their products.

His Excellency Dr. the Governor, the sponsor of the ceremony, and the attendees listened to an explanation of the activities, which include a display of simulation of the traditional sea voyage, the mechanism of transporting and loading goods in the past, in addition to paragraphs of traditional heritage arts. Haitham bin Muhammad Al Ghassani, Director General of Tourism Promotion, stressed the importance of holding the Sur Maritime Festival to highlight The historical role of the Wilayat of Sur, past and present, and the promotion and definition of maritime heritage and tourism potentials in the Governorate of South Al Sharqiyah.

The festival includes a number of main events, most notably the activities of the Maritime Heritage Village, which includes a corner for handicrafts related to maritime heritage, folklore sessions, theatre, recreational and cultural activities and folk games, in addition to holding tourism experiences such as: windsurfing, sailing and a sea fishing competition.

The festival also includes a symposium on maritime heritage (Sur, people and the sea), traditional Omani food activities, a traditional boat race, and a review of Omani traditional sports, as well as a kite flying show.

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism seeks to hold many festivals. In order to stimulate the tourism and economic movement, and to highlight the tourism potential in the various states and governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.