Ibra: Mohammed Badr al Ghusaini, a talented Omani from the Wilayat of Ibra, North Al Sharqiyah, has mastered the skills and art of building replicas of old Omani ships of all types.
Al Ghusaini told Oman News Agency (ONA) that he transformed his childhood hobby into a crafts industry that attracted a large number of Omani youths. Some of the youths set up their own small and medium enterprises in different governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, he added.
Al Ghusaini pointed out that the courses and workshops on this type of craft were conducted in cooperation with some educational establishments, Omani Women’s Associations and sports clubs.
“This industry is easy to learn and a trainee can grasp the main concepts within one week, given the simplicity and abundance of resources and raw materials in the Omani local environment. The lucrative outcome has encouraged many youths to learn the profession,” said Al Ghusaini.
“An artisan needs to spend just RO 15-20 to build any size of ship replica—the most famous of which are locally called Al Boom, Al Ghanja, Al Sanbook, Al Badan and Al Shawki. A replica of these earns the craftsperson RO 50-200,” he explained. --ONA
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