Sohar Festival Witnesses Huge Turnout

Sohar: The Sohar Festival, in its second edition, continues its activities amid a large turnout from its visitors since its launch on the eleventh of January, as these activities vary between cultural, heritage, scientific and entertainment, and the accompanying evenings and live performances on the festival grounds at the Sohar Entertainment Centre. The festival included a number of heritage villages that emulate history and authenticity, and what the fathers and grandfathers preserved of the heritage heritage, including the Bedouin village, which is concerned with the details of the desert with its tents and sessions and simulates Bedouin life and the presence of horses and camels that express the arts of the Bedouin village. This is in addition to the craft industries associated with this village, including the manufacture of wool and textile products, in addition to a number of customs and traditions of the people of the desert.

The marine village presented marine arts and crafts, as the village constitutes a space for festival visitors to learn about a number of marine fishing tools and equipment, and marine museums that tell the details of ship trips, diving trips, and pearl extraction, in addition to the Noukhadha Majlis and the ancient sea stories told in it, and what the states of North Al Batinah are famous for. From maritime history, as well as live performances held in the maritime village and traditional shipbuilding, with an artificial lake surrounded by models of fishing boats and traditional ships. Direct craft industries are also held in the village carried out by a number of craftsmen in the manufacture of small ships, fishing nets, etc.

As for the agricultural village in the festival, it is the icon of the festival grounds through a revival of the traditional irrigation details, the most famous of which is the “menor” and the arts accompanying it, in addition to a display of agricultural products and crops. Festival visitors also learn about the traditional methods of drying some agricultural crops using old methods, with the presence of platforms for selling Agricultural products. Live performances and traditional market activities are also held in all of these heritage villages between the three environments, and ancient trade exchange according to heritage names.

The festival’s main stage activities are varied, with a screen for visual performances, a stage and stands for the audience, in which poetry recitals are shown, in addition to a live show of the Asian Nations Cup matches, screening of films about the North Al Batinah Governorate, youth meetings and other daily activities on the main stage. In addition to a children’s theater, which holds entertainment shows, competitions and plays aimed at children. This is in addition to health, educational and awareness-raising exhibitions provided by community institutions.

The festival also witnesses the holding of a number of cultural events in accordance with the festival programme, including cultural and poetry evenings, a book fair, training and educational workshops, in addition to seminars and lectures in various fields, an exhibition of identities and collectibles, and hosting a forum for poets of the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. With the presence of the 3D visual and projection dome, which displays films about the Sultanate of Oman and the world of space, astronomy and other daily visual shows. There is also a corner for the governorates to display their products and the modern and traditional industries they are famous for.

The festival also witnesses sporting events. In addition to showing the Asian Nations Cup matches on the main stage screen, football and volleyball matches, camel races and horse races at the level of the Sultanate of Oman, and a traditional rowing race are held, which are distributed over the days of the festival according to the schedule of these events.

The festival provides job opportunities for job seekers, as the festival committee succeeded in involving (200) job seekers in the organizing work and festival activities, in addition to the participation of more than (130) productive families and small, medium and emerging enterprises in the festival, by displaying and selling their products in the corners. For shopping, the festival also succeeded in attracting 64 exhibitors from well-known stores, restaurants and modern cafes, to be a new addition to the festival.

It is worth noting that the Sohar Festival in its second edition continues until the tenth of next February, and the festival aims to achieve many direct and indirect goals, including the investment, commercial and tourism promotion of the North Al Batinah Governorate, and emphasizing the role of youth and their creative energy in the field of organization, supervision and implementation of such festivals, in addition to Explaining the importance of young talents in various cultural, artistic, heritage, innovation and information technology fields.