Oman Across Ages Museum welcomes 940,000 visitors since opening

2026-02-22 - 15:56

Manah – Oman Across Ages Museum will be celebrating its third anniversary on March 13, with nearly 940,000 visitors recorded since its official opening in 2023 through to the end of January 2026. According to official statistics issued by the museum, Omani nationals accounted for 770,000 visitors, representing 82% of the total footfall. Al Yaqdhan bin Abdullah Al Harthi, Director General of the museum, said that 90% of Omani visitors were families from across the sultanate’s governorates. He noted that visitor numbers in 2025 exceeded 204,000, including 134,669 Omanis, 31,922 foreign tourists, 3,317 visitors from GCC countries and 25,114 residents. In addition, 77,828 students from schools across the sultanate visited the museum during the same year. More than 44,000 visitors were recorded during November and December, while the summer months (May to August) saw upwards of 62,500 visitors. Al Harthi said the museum’s opening, along with associated tourism projects, has contributed to a marked increase in hotel capacity in Dakhliyah governorate, with the number of rooms effectively doubling. This growth has enhanced the overall visitor experience, integrating tours of old quarters (haraths), traditional souqs, aflaj irrigation systems, archaeological sites, cafés and local cuisine. The museum will mark this year’s anniversary celebration dedicated to honouring its staff. He also highlighted a range of cultural initiatives implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, including lectures, cultural programmes and presentations of archaeological excavation findings. The museum also organised the Summer Season event in collaboration with Nakheel Oman Company and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources. In 2025, the museum delivered 66 museum education programmes, engaging 26,700 participants, including school students, children and their families, people with disabilities and youth. The programmes addressed themes such as heritage, identity, technology, environment, sustainability and entrepreneurship. He further noted the museum’s participation in developing an emergency response plan for the protection of museums within the national risk reduction framework, in cooperation with the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority and other government entities. The plan will be tested through field simulation exercises.