Omani Official Commends Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences' Participation in Science Festival

Muscat -- Dr. Maysa Al-Azri, Chair of the Scientific Committee for the “Oman Science Festival 2026,” praised today, Tuesday, the “quality” participation of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and its affiliated centers at the festival, which has been held in Muscat since November 2 and runs for ten days.

Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Dr. Al-Azri, who serves as Director General of the Directorate of Scientific Innovation and Artificial Intelligence at the Omani Ministry of Education, stated that “the Kuwaiti participation enhanced the scientific and cultural aspects of the festival and left a positive impact on its main and accompanying events,” expressing her pride in the Omani-Kuwaiti scientific partnership.

She added that “the Kuwaiti Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, through its pavilion featuring booths from several of its affiliated centers, attracted significant visitor interest due to its organizers’ adoption of practical and interactive methods for delivering scientific knowledge.”

In this regard, she highlighted the attention received by the scientific workshops and lectures presented by the foundation as part of the festival’s accompanying activities, affirming the success of Kuwait’s inaugural participation in the Sultanate’s most important scientific event.

She expressed hope that this success would translate into broader partnerships in the near future across various scientific and cultural programs and activities between the two brotherly countries, emphasizing the Sultanate’s commitment to attracting Gulf participation in major events and conferences it organizes.

Regarding the festival’s history, Dr. Al-Azri noted that the first edition launched in 2017 under a scientific framework that highlighted the educational approach known as STEM, which integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, using interactive concepts with the public.

In this context, she affirmed that the festival’s objective is to convey scientific, knowledge-based, and innovative concepts to the broadest segment of society, while also guiding students toward specializations linked to the skills required for future job market positions.

She explained that all members of society are involved in awareness-raising and promoting scientific culture; therefore, the festival attracted various government, private, and civil and military institutions to offer interactive activities and programs that differ from conventional formats.

She pointed out that the second edition in 2019 was held on a larger scale in terms of area, programs, number of participants, and duration, focusing on the connection between the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” and daily life. A theater was also designated for scientific competitions and simple visual presentations conducted interactively with visitors of all ages.

Dr. Al-Azri stated that the festival’s editions in 2022 and 2024 witnessed expansion and a qualitative leap in the number of participants, event organizers, and visitors, with the exhibition area reaching 12,000 square meters. She clarified that the third edition focused on returning to normalcy after the (corona) pandemic, while the fourth emphasized resource sustainability.

Regarding international participation, the Omani official emphasized the commitment to attracting participants from outside the Sultanate, thereby elevating the festival from a local to a regional and then global level. Notable scientific participations included those from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and countries in East Asia.

As for the number of visitors to the current edition, themed “Our Science Compass,” Dr. Al-Azri predicted that the figure would exceed 200,000 visitors. She expressed hope that the festival would continue its success and serve as the ideal platform for innovation, passion, and experimentation, thereby positioning the Sultanate among the top 20 countries in the Innovation Index, in line with the “Oman Vision 2040.”

The fifth edition of the Oman Science Festival, organized by the Omani Ministry of Education over a 10-day period, kicked off on November 2 in Muscat. It is the most prominent scientific event hosted by the Sultanate, aiming to enhance scientific culture, raise awareness of science, technology, and innovation, and create an interactive environment that encourages exploration and experimentation. The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences is participating with a dedicated pavilion featuring exhibits from the Science Center, the Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity, the Kuwait National Space Research Center, and the Scientific Progress Publishing and Distribution Company. (End) M.J.B./A.M.S.