2023 was a successful year for events industry
As we welcome new year, it is also a time to look back at how successful the year 2023 was. Oman’s events scenario is aplomb after having hosted an impressive number of international events housing more than 1.5 million visitors comprising over 90 nationalities to its 19 international events besides helping an average of 17,000 students to graduate between January to December 2023.
The rate of visitation growth is estimated to be more than 62 per cent as Oman was home for over 149 national events and a perpetual support to more than 90 SMES, thanks to the iconic, state-of-the-art Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (OCEC) which helped it bag the coveted ‘Best Venue Middle East Awards 2023 as well as the ‘Innovative CEO of the Year 2023’ accolades home.
Speaking to the Observer, Said al Shanfari, CEO of Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre said that the year 2023 was one of the busiest years after its inception in 2016 as the demand for a venue like OCEC was all the more on the rise.
“The year 2023 was an exciting year as far as events are concerned as we have been constantly attracting both international and high-profile events to the country thanks to our state-ofthe-art facilities. Hosting events in our homeland has a multitude of benefits in terms of both tourism enrichment and contribution to the GDP of the country. We are pretty convinced that these events hosted by the OCEC directly raise
Oman’s visibility on the international stage, channelling foreign investments to our country and participating actively to our overall foreign investment strategy,” Al Shanfari said.
MAJOR EVENTS
Some of the major events to which Oman played host include World Veteran Table Tennis Championships (from January 15 to 21) which welcomed over 1,600 table tennis competitors from 69 nations into Oman, producing an estimated economic value of more than RO 3 million of direct and indirect revenue into the economy.
This is followed by the 2nd Asian Arabic Debating Championship, which welcomed more than 300 intellectuals and academics heading to the country (from January 29 to February 2) engaging in debate and cultural and ideas exchange. All these events in 2023 amounted to nearly 35 regional and international events, which welcomed delegates from all over the globe.
The OCEC has also organised its own flagship events such as the ‘Muscat Art’, which reunited thousands of visitors and allowed international and local artists to showcase their art. The 2023 season is ending on a high-note with the muchanticipated MIJEX jewellery exhibition having reunited 45 international and local brands to showcase their latest collections.
Employment opportunities for local workforce: Al Shanfari expressed his confidence in attracting more Omani youth to the event sector with its outreach events being held from time to time at the National Youth Centre in alignment with its overall strategy of empowering young Omanis. This will help them achieve their professional ambitions and guide them to a career in the business tourism sector as the OCEC is planning to welcome 40 interns in 2024, a 100 per cent rise from last year’s number, and as part of this strategy.
Marching forward, with more than 1.5 million square metres for exhibition space, an equivalent to 200 football pitches and 1,700 square metres of LED screen, an equivalent to 9 tennis courts, Al Shanfari said that OCEC would be hosting a plethora of international, regional and local events to the Oman soil aiming at fairing in terms of visibility, number of visitors and in terms of contribution to the national GDP.
“We are already geared up for its 2024 calendar, expecting to surpass 2023 figures with a high number of international and regional events coming to the country,” adds Al Shanfari.