Muscat: The Winter 2024 activities in North Al Sharqiyah are now in their third week, attracting an unprecedented number of visitors to Bidiya Public Park. These events, which started on January 20, 2024, and will continue until February 10, are being supervised by the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate in collaboration with several public and private sector institutions, as well as members of the local community.
The organizing committee of the events has recently released the latest visitor statistics for the past 18 days. The total number of visitors has exceeded 320,000, including both local and international attendees. The highest number of visitors in a single day was recorded at 31,000, who explored the various event sites.
Engineer Nasser bin Mohammed Al Hasani, Director General of North Al Sharqiyah Municipality and Chairman of the Events Organizing Committee, announced that the North Al Sharqiyah 2024 winter events experienced a significant turnout from visitors. Initially, it was projected that the number of visitors throughout the events would reach approximately 200,000. However, after just three weeks, the number of visitors surpassed expectations, reaching over 320,000 visitors. This surge in attendance was primarily due to the high number of visitors on the designated family day, which included women and children, as well as the days hosting the state competition. To date, six out of the seven states of the governorate have participated in the events.
.jpg)
Badr bin Ahmed Al Habsi, Chairman of the Technical Committee for Events, highlighted the various programs, events, and activities that took place during the past days of the events. These included the Heritage Village, the open theater, and several event sites. One of the standout events of the North Al Sharqiyah Winter Program was the Heritage Village activities, which showcased the Omani Women's Association, the agricultural sector, and desert life. Additionally, a consumer exhibition for small and medium enterprises, sponsored by the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority, was held.
Al Habsi emphasized that the final day of the events would feature a multitude of artistic, sporting, and cultural events. Of particular note is the launch of the first Cinema and Desert Festival, organized by the Omani Cinema Society. This festival will see the participation of numerous institutions from both the public and private sectors, as well as 18 countries presenting 66 cultural and narrative films, both international and local.
Furthermore, the state competition in the wilayat of Dimma and Al-Taiyin includes not only a bicycle race and motorcycle shows, but also the participation of the wilayat of Ibra. Alongside these events, the heritage and entertainment village activities and the consumer exhibition for small and medium enterprises and craftsmen have attracted a significant number of attendees in recent days.
It is important to highlight that the North Al Sharqiyah Winter 2024 events play a crucial role in promoting tourism in the governorate's states. These events also support the local economy and provide a family-friendly outlet through cultural, recreational, sporting, social, and artistic events and activities. Visitors from both inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman are drawn to these events. Additionally, these events contribute to the promotion of winter events in other governorates, such as the recently concluded Al-Tahayim winter season in the South Al-Sharqiyah Governorate.
