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A Special International
Report Prepared by
The Washington Times
Advertising Department - Published on December 21, 1999
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(1) Oman
LNG LLC
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With help from UNESCO, the Omani government changed the Al Felaij Castle, which was once a military fortification and a rural guest-house used by the Sultans for hunting, into a modern open-air theater for the cultural and performing arts. It is a place that welcomes cultural exchange, allowing international arts to be appreciated by both the locals and the visitors. UNESCO supported this cultural project because of Oman’s deep-rooted history of civilization and contemporary significance, the country’s strategic location and role in both ancient and modern history and the unique philosophy of the Sultanate that places art before oil and continuously proves that Arab culture can make a distinctive contribution in the international arena. Just days before its opening, the Tourism Under-Secretary Mohsin bin Khamis al Balushi told the media that this theater is “designed to attract foreign tourists with a passion for culture and the arts.” He encouraged the private sector to organize international or local cultural shows that would help pull in foreign tourists, but noted that there is no current plan for the private sector to manage the theater because it has limited commercial potential. On Oct. 2, 1999, the Al Felaij Castle Theatre was officially opened by His Highness Sayyid Thuwaini bin Shihab Al Said, the personal representative of His Majesty in Barka – just 40 minutes outside the capital Muscat. The 230-year-old castle is rectangular in shape and stands 11 meters high with two towers. This theater is equipped with state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting paraphernalia. It has a 500-seat capacity with a royal box and a VIP section and an opera stage with a revolving and mobile tower.
Al Fleij Theatre will carry much of the country’s artistic, tourism and cultural ambitions. For one, it will close gaps between Arab and Western artists in today’s world where information flows freely across continents. Second, it will allow Omani musicians to further demonstrate the ascetic and scientific aspects of their art. |
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(1) The
backbone to Oman’s structural growth is Sultan Qaboos (4) A
message from H.E. Ambassador Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al-Dhahab (8) National
economy is moving toward growth (13) Al-Felaij Castle Theatre awakens cultural enlightenment (14) Y2K problem is not much of a threat (15) Historical Frankincense of Oman (16) LNG emerges as a major contributor to the national economy (17) OMAN AT A GLANCE (18) Omani women enjoy liberation as they hold to traditions (19) The Grand Hyatt Muscat: A youthful hotel possessing old heritage and millennium flare | |
To further boost the promising tourism industry, a theater renovated
from an old castle has been added to the plethora of attractions Oman
has to offer.
Numerous
Omani ministers and foreign dignitaries, as well as journalists from
various countries, attended the opening night program under a starlit
sky. Performances included opera by winners of UNESCO’s International
Singing Competition held in Budapest last year, Omani folklore by the
Generation Band from the city of Sur, classical music by the Royal Oman
Symphony Orchestra and the Queen of Sheba ballet performed by the Hungarian
Donetsk Group. The ballet performance differed from those in the West;
because Oman’s culture is reserved, all the dancers wore outfits covering
their legs. Military music, which was started in the 12th century as
a way to electrify troops and improve their overall training, is an
important part of the protocol for all events in Oman. At the opening,
all the military bands, dressed sharply in full uniform, came together
to play the National Anthem as a photo of the Sultan flashed onto a
screen behind them. Extra trimmings to the evening included a showing
of colorfully dressed camels and an air-full of aromatic frankincense
(called “Luban” here).