MUSCAT — A two-day GCC History and Archaeology Association Forum, being organised by the Heritage and Culture Ministry, began yesterday at the InterContinental Hotel under the auspices of Dr Isam bin Ali al Rowas, Deputy Chairman of Public Authority for Craft Industries.
Dr Al Rowas said in a statement that the forum is attended by scholars, specialists and researchers on Arabian Peninsula.
This is the second time that the Sultanate is hosting the forum, the first one in 2001 by Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). He noted that the Sultanate is playing an important role in the cultural, historical and archaeological aspect, as heritage is part of the government’s interest because it embodies the country’s cultural and civilisational identity.
For this reason the government supports such events and forums, adding that the best example in this regard is His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s honouring of the association in 2001 when the Sultanate hosted the forum for the first time.
He added that the Sultanate tries through this forum to give the scholars an opportunity to get together and visit the Sultanate since the Sultanate played an important role during the past 400 years and it is there in all European, Ottoman and Arab documents.
Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Sarrai, Chairman of the GCC History and Archaeology Association, said in his speech that the participants see for themselves the rich past and present as the Sultanate encourages its history and events to be studied by historians and archaeologists.
The forum aims at preserving the national identity of the GCC countries, enhance social coherence, exchange expertise in various fields of interest, underlying the scientific, cultural and civilisational image of the GCC countries which are as old as history.
The forum also represents a Gulf scientific assembly for scholars, intellectuals and researchers in history and archaeology.
During the opening ceremony, Mohammed bin al Zubair, His Majesty the Sultan’s Adviser for Economic Planning Affairs, was honoured for his contribution in preserving Oman’s heritage. — ONA
