Oman Marks Omani Personalities with Global Impact Included in UNESCO Programmes
Muscat, 10 Feb 2026 (ONA) --- The Sultanate of Oman today celebrates the globally influential Omani personalities included in UNESCO programmes and the efforts made by relevant cultural institutions in collecting and documenting Omani literature and works authored by prominent Omani figures whose stars have shone over hundreds of years.
This celebration also reflects the fruit of continuous national efforts in documenting Omani cultural heritage and highlighting it in international forums, enhancing the Sultanate of Oman's presence in the Organization's programmes and initiatives, and the commitment of Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science to continue working to highlight Omani cultural elements and symbols in international forums and cement Oman's cultural and civilizational standing globally.
In this context, Sayyid Said Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture, stated that the Sultanate of Oman has documented over 30 Omani personalities to date, encompassing biographies and in-depth studies of their intellectual and cultural output. Of these, 9 personalities have been included in UNESCO's programme for commemorating the centennial or semicentennial of important historical events and globally influential personalities.
He added that this achievement is the fruit of dedicated institutional work involving conducting specialized research and studies in cultural fields and organizing in-depth scientific seminars addressing Omani personalities with a lasting impact throughout history, in addition to fruitful cooperation between concerned institutions that contributed to expanding the reach of these works locally, regionally, and internationally.
He affirmed that cementing the global presence of these personalities through various UNESCO programmes enhances intellectual and moral solidarity among humankind, in harmony with UNESCO's founding charter. It also opens broader horizons for exchanging knowledge and cultural dialogue with different peoples of the world and confirms that our common humanity is broader than areas of difference, he furthered.
For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Abdullah Al Abri, Secretary-General of Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, on the occasion of celebrating the Omani personalities registered with UNESCO, said: "The Sultanate of Oman has successfully included a constellation of its luminaries, whose impact transcended the limits of place and time, in UNESCO's programme for commemorating the semicentennial or centennial of important historical events and globally influential personalities; in appreciation of their intellectual, scientific, and cultural contributions to serving humanity. This celebration embodies an authentic Omani approach that believes culture and knowledge are bridges for communication between peoples, and that civilizational heritage is a shared responsibility to preserve and highlight for generations."
In the same context, the College of Sharia Sciences in Muscat organized a symposium titled "Highlights from the Intellectual and Linguistic Output of Omani Linguistic Personalities Included in UNESCO," with the participation of a number of specialists and researchers in the historical, literary, and intellectual context.
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