Saturday 27 / April / 2024
MUSCAT: Oman in Focus, in partnership with Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) and Oman International Development and Investment Company (Ominvest) hosted the premiere event for the release of their latest documentary project “Wild Oman: The Wonder of Arabia” at Royal Opera House Muscat.
The event was held under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Belarab bin Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, along with a number of their highnesses, ministers and prominent guest from both public and private sector institutions.
At the onset of the event, Ms. Masia Al Hooti, founder of Oman in Focus spoke of the unique experiences that the team had during the production of the documentary. “Our team had the opportunity to capture some rare and unique footage, which makes this documentary so special. This project is the result of the combined efforts of government and corporate entities who have supported us.”
The audience were shown a shortened version of the documentary “Wild Oman: The Wonder of Arabia”, which offers an overview of the full two-hour film. The documentary explores the marvels of the Sultanate’s wildlife, which includes some of the world’s rarest and most endangered species such as the Arabian Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale, and several sea turtles, to name but a few. All the animals were filmed in their natural habitat over the course of a year by experienced and well-acclaimed local and international documentary film makers.
Khalid Muhammad Al Zubair, Chairman of Oman International Development and Investment Company (Ominvest) said in a statement “By supporting Oman in Focus, we drive a corporate citizenship strategy that focuses on preserving the environment. Oman in Focus not only encourages environmental conservation but also the development of eco-tourism in Oman, showcasing its natural beauty to the world”
Steven Lauver, President and General Manager of Oxy Oman also added “This documentary showcases many Omani features not known to the rest of the world. Oxy is very excited for the opportunity to be able to help showcase these treasures for the rest of the world to see.”
The Oman in Focus projects have been started in 2014 by Maisa Al Hooti, an Omani entrepreneur and photographer. The purpose of Oman in Focus is promoting the Sultanate to the rest of the world through photography and film, thereby contributing to growth in the tourism sector, as well as raising awareness of environmental concerns in the region. These goals align with Vision 2040 as laid out by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. This is the third edition of the Oman in Focus Projects. The first project saw a team of international photographers touring the Sultanate to capture the Faces and Landscapes of Oman. The second project was held in 2015, during which a group of international underwater photographers produced a work entitled “Oman’s Underwater Treasures in the World’s Spotlight.”
Oman in Focus would like to thank their sponsors and partners for their generous support throughout the project. The main partners for the project are Occidental Petroleum and Oman International Development and Investment Company. Governmental entities include the Diwan of Royal Court, the Office of the Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Environmental Authority, Ministry of Information, and Royal Opera House Muscat. Oman in Focus would also like to thank corporate sponsors Sohar International, Oman Air, Omran, OQ, Vale, Petroleum Development Oman, Mr. Faisal Murtadha AL Lawati, Omantel, Be’ah, Al Mouj, Mazoon Dairy, Duqm SEZAD and many others. Contributions were also made by Madayyan, Oman LNG, Omifco, Huawei, ESO, AhliBank, Barzman, Oman Oil and Lulu.
