Dante Alighieri opens first official Italian language centre in Muscat

Roundup Tuesday 15/November/2022 18:14 PM
By: Times News Services
Dante Alighieri opens first official Italian language centre in Muscat

Global Education Services (GES Quality Education) a leading Omani private education group in the Sultanate of Oman, will be the partner of Società Dante Alighieri (La Dante’s), Italy’s official institution for the teaching of the Italian language. They announced today to establish the first official Italian language Centre in the Sultanate of Oman. The initiative comes under the auspices of the Embassy of Italy and the Italian-Omani Friendship Association (TOIFA).

The memorandum of understanding will combine GES’s education sector experience with La Dante’s commitment to making the Italian language more accessible in Oman. The opening will also continue to extend valuable bilateral relations, helping to stimulate knowledge and support the growth of educational, cultural, and scientific exchanges between international educational institutions, between the two nations.

The Centre is planned for location at the heart of Al Mouj Muscat Development Project with the agreement between GES Quality Education and La Dante facilitated. Her Excellency Federica Favi, Italian Ambassador to Oman, highlighted how “this marks a turning point in our cultural relations with Oman, making Italian language closer for the Omani public and a further tool for economic diversification. Learning Italian will open new opportunities to young Omanis in many fields to learn more about our country, our education and our technology, and to get certified professional skills that can be spent in growing sectors like tourism or engineering.”

GES Quality Education is Oman’s premier private education group, committed to driving forward education development through technology, knowledge and innovation, in line with Oman’s vision 2040. Sheikh Julanda Salim Al Hashmi is the Vice President of Global Education Services said: “We have a focus on developing and retaining Omani skills through educational opportunities and recognise the long-term advantages that introducing the Italian Language Centre will bring. La Dante is the ideal partner to promote the Italian language and an appreciation of its culture. We accorded this opportunity a full care and we are particularly delighted to sign a memorandum of understanding with La Dante to establish an enduring relationship with Italy”.

Alessandro Masi, the Secretary General of Società Dante Alighieri, said: "Promoting the Italian culture and language abroad is our main mission. We deliver Italian courses both in presence and by our eLearning digital platform Dante.global according to our high-level quality teaching approach. Oman is a key country in our vision and cooperation with GES is strategic in accomplishing our goals".

Salma Ali Al Hashmi, Board Member of the Omani-Italian Friendship Association, comments: “This is another significant step in enhancing cultural relations between our nations. With GES Quality Education and La Dante Omanis will enjoy access to high quality teaching and certification of Italian in Muscat. “There are 40 Italian companies operating in the Sultanate and we have a long history of beneficial collaboration, with new opportunities emerging in sport, commerce and youth exchange. We are delighted to have provided support to bring this exciting new language Centre to Oman.”

La Dante was established in Italy in 1889 with a network in more than 80 countries around the world. The Omani authorities welcomed and approved the opening of an Italian language center before the pandemic, and now it became a reality, which will finally give the opportunity to Omanis to get an official certification of Italian language proficiency directly in Muscat.