MUSCAT: Empowering young Omanis must go beyond providing opportunities to giving them a greater role in decisions affecting their lives and future, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth His Excellency Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi said on Monday.

In a statement marking Omani Youth Day, Al Busaidi said young people were central to national development and should contribute to shaping priorities and developing solutions.

The occasion, observed annually on October 26, carries the theme “Determination” this year, reflecting young Omanis’ ability to turn challenges into opportunities and ambitions into achievements, he said, according to Oman News Agency.

The ministry is working to improve youth programmes, strengthen cooperation across sectors and develop partnerships that respond to young people’s needs and aspirations, he said.

Those efforts aim to translate skills development into tangible results and enable young people to play a greater role in setting priorities.

Al Busaidi said supporting young Omanis required coordinated efforts by government institutions and the private sector to create an environment in which their talents and ideas could develop.

He highlighted OQ Group’s support, worth RO20 million, for the establishment of a Youth Centre in Muscat as an example of that cooperation.

The centre would provide an environment for young people to build skills, develop their talents and turn ideas and initiatives into projects that create value, he said.

The minister said the determination celebrated on Youth Day extended beyond individual ambition to a national approach built on shared responsibilities and coordinated action.

Investing in young people’s potential was an investment in Oman’s future, he added, with institutional support and partnerships helping expand opportunities and sustain development.