Oman Across Ages Museum recorded approximately 940,000 visitors from its opening on March 13, 2023, until the end of January 2026.
According to official
statistics issued by the museum, Omani visitors numbered 770,000, representing
82 per cent of the total figure, reported ONA.
These statistics do
not include the thousands of visitors who attend events held in the museum’s
halls, such as seminars, lectures, and activities celebrating official and
social occasions.
Al Yakdhan Al Harthy,
Director General of Oman Across Ages Museum, stated in an interview with Oman
News Agency that 90 per cent of Omani visitors belong to the family category
from various governorates.
He noted that the
museum has thus achieved one of its primary objectives as an interactive
institution seeking to strengthen the relationship between Omani youth and the
cultural heritage of their country while introducing its history.
He indicated that the
number of visitors during 2025 exceeded 204,000, including 134,669 Omani
visitors, 31,922 foreign tourists, 3,317 GCC tourists, and 25,114 visitors from
residents of the various governorates.
Additionally, 77,828
students from schools across of Oman visited the museum during the same year.
The number of visitors
exceeded 44,000 during the months of November and December, while more than
62,500 visitors were recorded during the summer months from May to August.
The Director General
explained that a visitor spends an average of two hours inside the museum
halls, though the duration of a visit may exceed four hours.
He added that anyone
wishing to read the entire content of the exhibition halls would require
between three and four continuous days.
He further clarified
that the museum's geographical location contributed to the increase in visitor
numbers, given the presence of historical and archaeological sites and tourism
potential in the surrounding area, including the Aflaj, the archaeological remains
of Bat, and Bahla Fort.
This is in addition to
Nizwa serving as a pivotal point for visitors to Dhofar Governorate arriving by
land, and a station for visitors to Al Jabal Al Akhdar (the Green Mountain),
Jebel Shams, and mountain villages.
He added that the
opening of the museum and subsequent tourism projects contributed to an
increase and doubling of the number of hotel rooms in A’Dakhiliyah Governorate,
with the visitor's tourism experience being integrated between old
neighborhoods, traditional markets, Aflaj, archaeological sites, cafes, and
traditional cuisine.
Oman Across Ages
Museum is scheduled to celebrate the third anniversary of its official opening
on 13 March, with this year’s celebration dedicated to the museum’s employees.
He noted that the
number of tourists coming from outside of Oman has more than tripled, with the
provision of access to the museum via helicopter through Al Sharqiya Aviation.
Furthermore, the
museum serves as an important station for introducing the history of Oman and
an annual starting point for one of the stages of the Tour of Oman.
He also touched upon
the cultural initiatives implemented by the museum in cooperation with the
Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, including lectures, cultural activities, and
the review of archaeological excavation results, alongside the "Qaydh Season"
event held in cooperation with Oman Nakheel Company and the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
He explained that
during 2025, the museum implemented 66 museum education programs in which
26,700 people participated, including school students, children and their
families, persons with disabilities, and youth.
These programmes
addressed topics of heritage, identity, technology, environment,
sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
He further clarified
that the museum has obtained membership in the International Council of Museums
(ICOM), which contributed to increasing the number of foreign tourists and
raising its economic value, noting that Omani museums generate 40 per cent of
the tourism income for Oman.
He also pointed to the
museum's participation in preparing an emergency plan for the protection of
museums within the national risk reduction system, in cooperation with the
Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority and several government entities, which
will be subject to field simulation exercises.
Regarding the museum's institutional
relations, the Director General stated that there is ongoing cooperation with
Omani scientific and museum institutions, including the University of Nizwa and
the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech), in addition to a
cooperation agreement with Qatar Museums.