Friday 13 / September / 2024
On August 26, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) concluded the ‘Omani Culinary Arts Festival,’ the first of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman. The Festival took place from August 22 to 26 at Al Haffa Beach in the Wilayat of Salalah, coinciding with the activities of the 2024 Dhofar Khareef season.
The Festival’s diverse activities, held over five days, attracted a large number of visitors from both within and outside the Sultanate of Oman, totaling more than 50,000. The events included a variety of live cooking demonstrations by some of the most skilled Omani and GCC chefs, such as Lulwa Altaanak, Nader Al Aisari, Ahmed Al Saadi, Mohammed Issa, Faisal Sajoor, Umm Ayman, and Khulood. The festival also featured the participation of the Oman Tourism College, photographer Haitham Al Farsi, and several entrepreneurs who took part in panel discussions on innovation in Omani cuisine.
In addition, the Festival included various sections such as the Little Chef’s Corner, traditional music folklore performances, various competitions, the Farmers Corner, restaurants offering authentic Omani cuisine, and a Souvenir Corner. Over 34 local SMEs participated in the event. The Ministry also focused on enhancing local content through contracts, purchases, and supply chains.
The Festival aimed to promote and enhance culinary tourism, particularly Omani culinary arts and cuisine, at local, regional, and global levels through forums, festivals, and events specialized in culinary tourism. The Festival is part of the ‘Food Tourism and Omani Culinary Arts’ programme, which the Ministry is using to introduce Omani cuisine as a means to achieve economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The Programme also seeks to position Omani culinary arts on the cultural tourism map while activating the role of tourism in benefiting local communities, creating business opportunities for SMEs, and providing jobs related to culinary arts.
The programme aims to document the heritage and history of Omani cuisine and the traditions associated with it, ensuring its preservation and sustainability through the evolution and innovation of recipes and menus to suit the evolving tastes of tourists.
The programme emphasises maintaining the essential ingredients that distinguish these recipes while fostering innovation in products related to supply chains to enhance competitiveness. Additionally, it seeks to benefit local communities, develop entrepreneurial opportunities in manufacturing, services, and tourism products, and create unique experiences.
