National Museum of Oman develops app for Russian tourists

The National Museum of Oman is working on a digital platform in Russian, which will give Russian tourists access to the cultural heritage of the sultanate and help them get to know the country better before travelling. This was stated by Jamal Al Moosawi, Secretary-General of Oman's National Museum, in an interview with TV BRICS.

He said that a Russian-language version of the website of the National Museum of Oman was launched this year. He said this is the first cultural institution in the Arab world to implement such an initiative.

"An interactive mobile application in Russian is being developed, thanks to which Russians will be able not only to get acquainted with the National Museum's collections, our programmes and initiatives, but also to learn about Oman's cultural heritage and assess the country's prospects as a tourism destination. We have already started working on this tool. I think we will launch the first version of the app at the end of this year," shared Al Moossawi.

The museum's Secretary-General also noted the growing interest of Russians in Oman: last year alone, more than 44,000 Russian travellers visited the country, while about 11,000 Omanis visited Russia. He stressed that the recent signing of an agreement on mutual cancellation of visa regime between the countries will contribute to the growth of tourist flow.

In parallel, a large-scale cultural programme is being developed: in addition to the "Russian Seasons" project held in Oman in 2025, joint initiatives with the State Hermitage Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Moscow Kremlin Museums are being implemented. Al Moossawi said that the Neo-Russian Style exhibition is opening in Muscat in June, and in November, for the first time in the Arab world, an exhibition of Russian avant-garde will be presented in the sultanate. In turn, Oman is working with the Tretyakov Gallery to organise an exhibition of contemporary Omani art in Moscow – it will be the country's first foreign exposition devoted to the subject.

Special attention, Al Moossawi said, is paid to the creative development of young people. He noted that Sultan Qaboos University hosted more than 60 Russian students last year, and more than 200 Omanis visited Russia to get acquainted with culture.

He added that the National Museum is also actively developing internal initiatives: the first children's theatre in the country's history will soon open in Muscat, with Russian specialists taking part in its creation. A programme is also being developed to develop musical talents with the involvement of teachers from Russia.

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