Tuesday 24 / February / 2026
Muscat: During its annual media briefing held today in Muscat, the National Museum reviewed its harvest of achievements for the year 2025 and unveiled a package of cultural projects and initiatives scheduled for implementation during 2026.
In a presentation delivered during the event, Jamal Hassan Al Moosawi, Secretary General of the National Museum, highlighted the pivotal role undertaken by the museum as a heritage and cultural landmark reflecting Omani national identity. He noted that during 2025, the museum completed a series of achievements that strengthened its position as an effective bridge for cultural and museum-based communication between the Sultanate of Oman and various local, regional, and international institutions.
He stated that the National Museum received approximately 39 official visits during 2025, including several high-level delegations.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the museum, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation, organized a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which included an exhibition of historical photographs and the launch of the Russian "Musical Seasons." During the same year, the "Omani-Japanese Relations Corner" was opened, and the documentary film "Madera" was launched in cooperation with the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Tokyo.
In its efforts to enhance cultural and museum activity and exchange expertise with international institutions, the National Museum organized six international exhibitions and six local exhibitions, while hosting ten exhibitions within the Sultanate of Oman during the past year.
Notable international exhibitions included the Oman Hall at the Nairobi National Museum in the Republic of Kenya, the Oman Hall at the State Hermitage Museum in Russia, and participation in the "Al Madar" exhibition at the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale titled "And All That Is In Between" in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This was in addition to contributing collections to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the "The Splendor of Silver: Treasures from the Omani Court" exhibition at the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus.
Regarding exhibitions hosted within the Sultanate of Oman, the Secretary General highlighted several prominent events, including "New Paths: Madeline Diaz" in cooperation with the Embassy of the United States of America, the "Diva" jewelry exhibition with the Embassy of the Italian Republic, "Masterpieces of Art from the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization," and ‘Gifts of the Emirs of Bukhara and Khans of Central Asia.’ Other hosted events included the "New Russian Art Style" exhibition in cooperation with the State Hermitage Museum, "Tunisia Through the Camera Lens" with the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia, "From Stamp to Envelope: ANation's Narrative Sealed by Post" with Oman Post, and the "Features of the Recent Past in Oman" exhibition by photographer Eugene Johnson.
The Russian Seasons festivities also featured prominently, including an exhibition of historical photographs celebrating 40 years of diplomatic ties, the "Russia and the Middle East: International Relations and Cultural Influences" exhibition with the Moscow Kremlin Museums, the launch of the Russian Musical Seasons with the "Rosconcert" institution, and the inauguration of the Russian-language version of the National Museum’s website.
He further noted the museum’s participation in several international events, such as the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Expo Osaka 2025 in Japan, the International Council of Museums General Conference (ICOM Dubai 2025), and the Museums + Heritage Show in London.
By the end of December 2025, the total number of visitors and beneficiaries of the Learning Center’s activities and the museum’s various halls exceeded 131,000.
For the second consecutive year, the museum was honored as one of the best service-providing outlets in Muscat Governorate within the institutional excellence system. Digital service enhancements included the launch of the "Audio Guide" service in Arabic and English, featuring specialized options for persons with disabilities, to enrich the visitor experience through explanations of selected galleries and collections.
In the realm of digital transformation, the museum hosted the "Barmajan" hackathon organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, which was recognized as the world’s longest government digital transformation hackathon and the largest multi-site hackathon lesson. It also hosted a dialogue session titled "An Extended Civilizational Legacy Between Oman and the World" in cooperation with the Ministry of Information, involving elite international media professionals representing 31 media institutions from 20 countries. On the publication front, the museum released several books in 2025.
Concluding the briefing, the Secretary General confirmed that Omanization at the National Museum has reached 100 percent for both temporary and permanent employment contracts, including specialized and rare museum roles. Additionally, approximately 40 percent of positions have been allocated to residents of the Wilayat of Muscat. He reaffirmed the museum's commitment to its mission of safeguarding national identity, promoting cultural diplomacy, and consolidating the Sultanate of Oman’s position on the global museum map for the benefit of current and future generations.
