MUSCAT: Sayyid Saud bin Hilal al Busaidi, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, has affirmed that the annual celebration of Omani Youth Day, marked on October 26 each year, stems from pride in the determination and ambition that young people embody, and from a firm belief in their pivotal role in the national development process and in shaping the future.
This year’s celebration is held under the slogan ‘Determination’ (Al Azm), in affirmation of the resolute will that Omani youth possess and their capacity to transform challenges into opportunities and aspirations into achievements.
In a speech on the occasion of Omani Youth Day, Sayyid Saud explained that the determination we celebrate today transcends individual will to become a national approach in which efforts are integrated and visions and responsibilities are unified. He commended the role of government institutions and the private sector in fostering an enabling environment to empower national competencies.
He added: “In this context, OQ Group’s support for the establishment of the Youth Centre in Muscat, at a value of RO 20 million, stands as a model of national partnership and embodies the private sector’s role in providing a stimulating environment that enables young people to develop their skills, hone their talents, refine their ideas and transform their initiatives into projects of added value.”
He explained that, stemming from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth’s belief that youth empowerment is not limited to providing opportunities but extends to enhancing young people’s capacity to influence and participate effectively in decisions affecting their present and future, the ministry continues to develop the youth work system, upgrade its programmes and initiatives, strengthen integration across sectors, and build effective partnerships that respond to the aspirations and needs of young people. Through this, the ministry seeks to move empowerment efforts from capacity development to impact creation, and from participation to contributing to the formulation of priorities and solutions — based on the conviction that youth are partners in development and an effective national force in its sustainability and renewal.
The minister noted that on Omani Youth Day, we renew our pride in the nation’s youth and our confidence in their ability to carry forward the march of construction and achievement, affirming that investing in their energies is an investment in Oman’s future.
He stressed that the determination and perseverance they demonstrate, together with the institutional support and effective national partnerships they enjoy, constitute a foundation for further progress and prosperity. – ONA
