Muscat: The sea is part and parcel of Omanis. Traditionally it has been the companion of travellers and merchants. Many tales are documented about the people and their association with the sea. A festival that revisits all those tales and shows the deep connection of Omanis with the sea will take place at al Manial Park in Suhar.
The activities of the maritime festival in the Governorate of North al Batinah, titled Tides, will continue for one month from February 28 to March 25.
The opening ceremony will have a marine operetta telling the story about the city of Suhar and its maritime history. It mentions the ports in China, India, and other countries of the world.
Mohammed bin Sulaiman al Kindi, Governor of North al Batinah, said, "The governorate of Suhar has a rich maritime history. A simple overview of that history and what the governorate is famous for in terms of marine arts and traditional industry will be presented. The visitors will have many new things to present during the festival. The public will have many things to satiate their taste buds, whereas the festival has special programmes and events for children, families and youth. There are many opportunities for the participation of small and medium entrepreneurs to display their products without any fees in designated areas."
The idea of the festival is in line with imparting education to the children about the Sultanate of Oman's maritime history and the life their fathers and grandfathers lived.
The event will be held at two locations. Al Manial Park will have several small and medium enterprises on display. In addition, a group of craftsmen and local families will display various products made by them.
Al Manial Park will be the wild side of the festival. It will contain a marine village, a museum of marine collectables and manuscripts, and a group of storytellers, adventurers, and cruise sailors.
Folklore groups will participate daily and present performances. It would have many other artistic events.
For theatre lovers, there will be performances showcasing marine characters and their popular heritage and culture.
The new generation would know the life of its ancestors at the maritime festival.
The second venue will be the artificial island close to Al Manial Park. Spread over 300 square metres, the venue's attraction will be boats and small ships. Several events and activities are lined up for the venue ranging from an astronomical observatory to kiosks to keep the visitors engaged in some educational stuff related to the universe and the planet Earth.
Dr Abdul Rahman bin Salem al Qasimi, Director of North Al Batinah Maritime Festival, explained that the festival will feature 52 daily main events. Al Qasimi said the organising committee of the festival has been keen to help small and medium enterprises and productive families benefit from this festival. Twenty four small and medium enterprises and 94 productive families participate in the festival.
He said there will be a number of races and marine sports will be held throughout the festival.
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