Thursday 10 / July / 2025
Muscat: Young couples in Oman are once again ready to tie the knot at traditional ceremonies among friends, family and well-wishers in marriage halls, which have once again reopened after staying shut since the start of the pandemic.
Also read: Supreme Committee keen to cover all aspects of pandemic
Marriage halls, exhibition centres and other large-scale venues were among those allowed to open under the recent decisions of the Supreme Committee to deal with COVID-19. These venues can now operate at 30 per cent capacity, or can accommodate up to 300 people, whichever is lesser.
After seeing many of his friends get married over Zoom during the pandemic, Omani national Hamed Al Nabhani is planning to call all of them to his wedding, which is set for this August.
“It was very difficult to not be there with our friends on their special day,” he said. “We’ve known them since childhood, and to see them get married from a distance makes for a very bittersweet moment. I am so relieved marriage halls are allowed to function again, I can now invite my close friends to my wedding, and we can celebrate being together once again.”
“Of course, we will make it a point to see that everyone follows the COVID-19 precautions,” he said. “The decision to close so many economic facilities for so long has taken its toll on all of us, but we understand this is important.” Faisal Al Shukaily, another Omani, said he had postponed getting married because of the current conditions, but can now make plans for his wedding.
“We will do it later this year, maybe after September,” he said. “By then, the number of cases would have subsided even more, I hope. To hear the decisions of the Supreme Committee and the reopening of so many places will come as a relief and blessing to so many.
“My nephews and niece have already made plans with me for the weekend: they want me to take them to the park,” he added. “I am not going to say ‘no’ to them this time, they have been at home for far too long, and this small outing is a source of great happiness for them.”
Faisal is hoping to get fitter by the time his wedding rolls around: it is a good thing, then, that gyms and other sports facilities have also been allowed to open.
A gym manager in Muscat said he had spent all of Wednesday afternoon calling his customers to let them know of the latest decisions. Under Supreme Committee guidelines, gyms must operate at 50 per cent capacity.
“We have a booking sheet for our customers who have to reserve their slots in advance, because we’re only taking in 10 people at a time,” he said. “Members are also only allowed to work out for up to one hour during every session, because we have to make sure everybody gets a chance to use the gym.
“I also ask all our customers to please come to the gym on time, finish your workout, and leave, while maintaining COVID protocols,” he added. “If you come late, we cannot extend your session, as we must respect other people’s timings as well.”
