MUSCAT : The event, hosted at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, is organised by the UNESCO Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen in Doha, in cooperation with the UNESCO Chair for World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Management in the Arab Region at the German University of Technology in Muscat.

During the conference, His Excellency Eng. Ibrahim bin Saeed bin Khalf Al Kharousi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Heritage, presented the Sultanate of Oman’s experience in integrating cultural heritage into tourism development. He highlighted Oman’s success in engaging local communities as key partners in the management, operation, and preservation of heritage sites, in line with UNESCO guidelines and with a focus on enhancing cultural and social sustainability.

His Excellency also outlined prominent partnership models implemented in Oman, including a program for the operation and management of 28 historical landmarks through collaboration with the private sector. The initiative involves small and medium-sized enterprises, local and international companies, and an endowment foundation. He noted that this model has contributed to creating direct and indirect employment opportunities, revitalizing old neighbourhoods and traditional markets, and encouraging owners of historic houses to preserve and convert their properties into cultural and tourism projects.

He affirmed that the Omani experience demonstrates that heritage serves as a continuous development resource, offering economic, cultural, and social benefits to individuals and communities while strengthening national identity among younger generations. He stressed that people remain the central focus and ultimate goal of heritage protection and development efforts.

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