Tuesday 04 / August / 2026
Muscat: The Omani Traditional Games Season 2026 , organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, will begin on August 13th at Al-Dahariz Beach in Salalah. The event coincides with the Khareef Dhofar Festival 2026. It will run for three days.
The event aims to promote cultural and sporting awareness by introducing visitors to Oman's heritage, represented by traditional games and sports. It also seeks to revitalize local communities through interactive activities that contribute to preserving these games, their concepts, and their methods of practice. Furthermore, it aims to support the tourism sector by offering a unique event within the Khareef Dhofar Festival, thus contributing to attracting tourists to the region.
Sultan bin Saeed Al Sinani, Head of the Traditional Sports Department at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, said that that the Omani Traditional Games Season event comes within the framework of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to preserve cultural and civilizational components and enhance intergenerational communication by preserving traditional games that reflect the depth of history and form a pillar of national identity. The Sultanate of Oman continues to exert diligent efforts to ensure the continuity of this heritage and its transmission to future generations.
"This event contributes to supporting the concept of sports tourism by offering an integrated experience that combines cultural heritage and sporting activities, thus enhancing visitor attraction and stimulating tourism. It also reinforces the concepts of environmental sustainability through the practice of traditional games that harmonize with the local environment."
Al Sinani pointed out that this idea involves implementing an event at the level of clubs in the Dhofar Governorate, coinciding with the Khareef Dhofar Season 2026, with the aim of providing an interactive experience showcasing various types of Omani traditional games, along with daily accompanying activities for the public that aim to enrich the experience and strengthen national identity.
He explained that this year's event will feature the participation of clubs from Dhofar, Al-Nasr, Salalah, Mirbat, Taqah, and Al-Ittihad, all from the Dhofar Governorate. The tournament will consist of three games included in the traditional games book. Each team will have eight players, a coach, and a manager. The tournament will be played in a group stage format, with the teams divided into two groups of three clubs each, or in a league format for all six clubs, with each club playing either three or two games.
He further explained that the event includes several sections: an interactive field area for practicing and experiencing traditional games suitable for the ages of the participants; a mini-exhibition featuring photographs, paintings, and explanatory notes about traditional games; a refereeing workshop offering training in judging traditional Omani sports; and various accompanying sections designed for families and visitors to create a comprehensive recreational and educational environment.
