MUSCAT: Oman Sail recently celebrated its 16th anniversary with an event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat. The celebration was held under the patronage of Dr Hashil bin Obaid al Mahrouqi, CEO of Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), Dr Khamis bin Sulaiman al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, along with strategic partners, sponsors, and Oman Sail staff, who shared the success of Oman Sail over the past 16 years.
Founded as a national initiative aimed at reviving Oman’s maritime heritage and promoting the Sultanate of Oman globally through the sport of sailing, Oman Sail has consistently championed the Sultanate in the global sailing arena, boosted investment opportunities and the Omani economy, and focused on empowering Omani youth.
These efforts have resulted in a series of impressive achievements, including winning international trophies, individual medals at youth and senior level, and hosting and organising continental and international events all across Oman to promote the nation’s capabilities as a major global sporting venue.
Dr Khamis bin Salim al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, who expressed his delight at the accomplishments said: "Oman Sail has achieved numerous international successes and hosted major continental and international events, enhancing Oman's position as a global sports venue and organiser. It has also promoted Oman’s readiness to attract business and investments, and our activities and programs continue to make significant contributions to achieving 11 out of 12 national priorities outlined in Oman Vision 2040.”
Since its inception, Oman Sail has focused on translating a clear vision for success through several core pillars: sailing sports, tourism, commercial activities, health, and the environment. Each one emphasises developing team competencies and empowering people of all ages and abilities by encouraging them to practice sailing and develop personal skills and boost their employability. As a result, Oman has become a preferred destination for many global sailing regattas and attracts some of the world’s most prominent sailors to compete and train each year.
Dr Al Jabri pointed out that these achievements and successes are clear proof of the efforts and high competency of the team. Each event has a positive impact on the community and makes a significant contribution to the country's sustainable development goals.
Dr Al Jabri also highlighted Oman Sail’s commitment to partnering with the private sector and sharing the benefits from these events. A successful partnership enables Omani companies to expand their services to a broader international audience and capitalise on the networking and investment opportunities these events provide. To date, these opportunities have included operating various infrastructure types, such as hotels, resorts, and ports, stimulating the aviation sector by increasing the number of arrivals to Oman, raising hotel occupancy rates, and boosting the transportation sector. Additionally, events provide numerous SMEs the chance to showcase their products.
Throughout its journey, Oman Sail has also achieved exceptional successes which have contributed to the advancement of economic and social development. By harnessing sports to nurture young talents, supporting social, economic, and sports development efforts in Oman, Oman Sail has promoted the marine leisure tourism industry, and established Oman’s reputation on the international stage as a destination for sports tourism and inbound investment.
Dr Al Jabri explained that Oman Sail implements a range of programs aimed at developing youth through sailing, enabling them to become champions by proudly representing Oman with distinction in regional and international competition.
Some of the key achievements are:
Sports Industry Awards: In 2022, Oman Sail won the gold award for 'Best Sports Event Organiser in the Middle East' and the silver award for 'Best Sports Event' at the Middle East Sports Industry Awards. This was followed in 2023 when Oman Sail’s 'SailFree' programme for people with disabilities, supported by BP Oman and the Oman Paralympic Committee, won the gold award for 'Best Social Responsibility Initiative.'
SailFree Programme: The 'SailFree' sailing programme is the first of its kind in the region and has achieved remarkable success since its launch in 2019. This includes introducing over 500 people with disabilities to sailing and contributing to their diverse leadership and life skills development. Subsequently, a group of sailors was selected to represent the national team in international and continental competitions.
SailFree aims to contribute to achieving the national priorities outlined in Oman Vision 2040, focusing on education, learning, and scientific research leading to a knowledgeable society with competitive national capabilities, improving health and well-being, and enhancing national identity among participants.
Olympic ambitions: Since its establishment, Oman Sail has aimed to qualify for the Olympic Games, and ultimately be able to raise the Omani flag with immense pride by winning a medal. Oman Sail’s sailors Musab bin Mohammed al Hadi and Waleed bin Issa al Kindi won the silver medal in the 49er event at the 2023 Asian Games in China, marking the first silver medal at the Asian Games in Oman’s history and continuing Oman Sail’s recent successes, which also includes winning five medals (two gold, two silver, and one bronze) at the Arab Games in Algeria in July 2023. The ambition to qualify for the Olympic Games remains and Oman Sail will now focus its efforts on qualification for the LA28 Games.
Community Programmes: Oman Sail has successfully attracted significant national interest in sailing by organising annual events to introduce the sport to the community. Oman Sail has also trained large numbers of school students in sailing and significant emphasis has been placed on empowering women by providing equal training opportunities and establishing a national women’s team to represent Oman in international competitions, the first of its kind in the region.
The organisation also hosts an annual sailing festival in governorates across Oman, aiming to familiarise the community with Omani maritime heritage and encourage the community to discover the sport for its health benefits and to connect with a strong part of the national identity.
Environmental sustainability: Oman Sail also takes great pride in its environmental conservation efforts at all continental and international events. This includes using environmentally friendly materials for team uniforms and all race signage, both on land and sea. Additionally, organised beach clean-up campaigns on the sidelines of these events and other campaigns in various governorates as a community initiative supports this strategic direction, a priority of Oman Vision 2040. These efforts have raised community awareness about the importance of environmental conservation, helping to make it a part of their lifestyle and enhance Oman’s regional and international role in this field.
Guinness World Records: Oman Sail has achieved two notable Guinness World Records for the nation. In 2021, a new record was set for the largest beach clean-up campaign, which involved representatives from 73 different nations at the Youth Sailing World Championships in Mussanah. In 2023, another record was achieved when volunteers collected over 32,316 plastic bottles to form the phrase 'Project Earthlings has launched from Oman!' to create the largest sentence formed from empty plastic bottles. These achievements are a key part of the United Nations’ #CleanSeas campaign, of which Oman is a signatory, to reduce plastic use and promote community awareness about environmental conservation.
Visit of His Highness Sayyid Theyazin: In February 2021, His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports, and Youth, visited Oman Sail headquarters to learn about the institution's scope of work and its national contributions across various levels. During the visit, he met with the Olympic team, young sailors, and the 'SailFree' team for people with disabilities.
Sports Investment Laboratory
Oman Sail has played a pivotal role in developing a unified central strategy for hosting global sports events for Oman to achieve economic and social returns and stimulate vital local sectors. This work is based on spending efficiency and coordination with a variety of government and private sector entities, such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, and sports federations. This strategy was implemented by applying the outputs of the "Sports Investment Laboratory" devised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth, and supported by the Implementation Support and Follow-up Unit for Oman Vision 2024 and the National Program for Export Development (Nazdaher).
Establishment of the Oman Events Centre: Based on the outputs of the Sports Investment Laboratory, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth launched a joint cooperation program in collaboration with Oman Sail to establish the Oman Events Centre.
The Oman Events Centre's work focuses on four pillars: studying regional and international championships, preparing competition files, developing an annual calendar, and local marketing by promoting, organising, and supporting the private sector.
It aims to study global sports events that serve the sports and tourism sectors that can be hosted in Oman from 2024 to 2030, in coordination with private entities working in the sports field, evaluating the sports, economic, and social benefits of hosting them, and studying the organisational requirements and necessary conditions for successful championships in coordination with international sports bodies overseeing the sports event.
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