International Association for the Study of Arabia (IASA)
NEWS AND RESEARCH BY COUNTRY OMAN We are very grateful to Mr Sultan Al-Bakri, DG of Archaeology of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of Oman, and Dennys Frenez for information and updates from Oman as below. Photographs are courtesy of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. Country News 2020 has marked profound changes in the Sultanate of Oman following the nomination of H.M. Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as the new Sultan after the loss of Oman's renaissance father, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. The reorganisation of the country began by Sultan Haitham immediately after the mourning period also touched the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, of which he had been the Minister from 2002; this has now become the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. At the same time, the new Ministry has also absorbed the role, functions, and projects of the former Office of the Adviser to H.M. the Sultan for Cultural Affairs. H.E. Salim bin Mohammed Almahruqi, the former Undersecretary for Heritage Affairs, has been appointed as the first Minister of Heritage and Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman. H.E. Almahruqi will not only guide Oman towards its consolidation as a major worldwide tourist destination but will also continue the country's long tradition in archaeological research and heritage preservation (See Research section). Heritage and Tourism will also harmonise in a series of new initiatives concerning museums, open-air parks, visitor centres, and heritage tracks throughout the country, as well as scholarly and enthusiast-oriented publications (See Museums & Publications sections). The Sultanate’s renowned attention
to understanding, preserving, and disseminating its tangible and intangible heritage also led to its nomination as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee 20192023.
Research In 2020, the Sultanate of Oman confirmed and further strengthened its support for both cultural tourism and purely research-oriented field projects. The collaboration with a great number of projects and scholars, both local and foreign, has characterised the mission of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture over the past forty years, making Oman one of the fastest forward-moving countries worldwide in terms of understanding, preservation, and promotion of its archaeological and historical heritage. The new Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has confirmed this attitude towards the support of heritage sciences, with the country hosting more than twenty international research projects in collaboration with institutions from all over the world, Australia (La Trobe University, and the University of Sydney), the Czech Republic (Masaryk University, and the Czech Academy of Sciences), France (University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, University of Lyon, the National Centre for Scientific Research, the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, the Institut des déserts et des steppes, and Eveha International), Germany (Heidelberg University, University of Tübingen, and the Goethe University Frankfurt), Italy (University of Bologna, University of Milan, University of Pisa, Sapienza University of Rome, and the University of Naples Orientale), Japan (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature), the Netherlands (Leiden University), Poland (University of Warsaw), the USA (American University of Beirut, New York University Abu Dhabi, Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University, Temple University, and the University of Wisconsin), and the UK (Durham University, Exeter University, and Oxford University). Such institutions always collaborate with the Department of Exploration and Archaeological Studies of the Ministry and often also team up with the Departments of Archaeology and Earth Science of the Sultan Qaboos University. In addition to archaeological excavations and studies, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism supports the conservation and restoration of specific sites and monuments based on constant monitoring by the Department of Exploration and Archaeological Studies in collaboration with the regional sections of the Ministry and the World Heritage Sites Department. In 2020, the Ministry has continued the
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