The Youth Centre has reported more than 50,000 beneficiaries of its spaces since its opening in October, according to data shared by Chief Executive Officer Zaid al Salmani.
"The centre has an average of 400 visitors per day — even more; this an indicator of the importance of having a space dedicated to the youth,” shared Al Salmani.
A first of its kind, the Youth Centre was launched in last October under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham bin Tarik al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth to support and hone the skills and talents of young people in line with Vision 2040.
The Centre, located in Muscat Grand Mall, offers a variety of training programs aimed at young people in Oman.
According to Al Salmani, the Center has concluded over 78 training programs in various fields around the Sultanate of Oman, with over 20,000 beneficiaries as of March this year.
Additionally, the Centre in Muscat offers a space and various facilities for young people to use free of charge. This includes a photography studio, an audio recording studio, an art space, a table tennis hall, a 3D printing lab, a drone lab, and a music hall with musical instruments.
In addition to a reference library with over 600 titles, including braille and audiobooks for the visually impaired.
According to Al Salmani, visitors can put in requests for titles not available in the library. Additionally, the Centre provides laptops and tablets for users to check out.
Visitors also have the option of renting out office spaces, and multimedia meeting rooms free of charge.
The Center also serves as an incubator for local SMEs. “The Centre, in cooperation with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, serves as an incubator of twenty small and medium enterprises operating in the creative industry,” shared Al Salmani, adding, "The creative industry is one of the industries that won't be replaced by automation, due to its need for human creativity." According to Al Salmani, each SME receives a specialised training and marketing plan, in addition to the chance of participating in local and global exhibitions.
The concept of the Center was first introduced in October of 2021, under the directive of HH Sayyid Theyazin to serve as an “ incubator for developing the capabilities of youth, discovering their talents and nurturing their creativity”.
According to Al Salmani, the Centre is expected to expand its branches to all governorates in the near future.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
