The First Regional Forum on Culture and Arts Education kicked off on September 1, 2025 in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman. 

The event, which ran for two days at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for Culture and Recreation, was organized by ALECSO, in partnership with the Omani Ministry of Education, represented by the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. 

The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohsen Al-Ghassani, Mayor of Dhofar, and was attended by H.E the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Sultanate of Oman, a delegation from Qatar, representatives from the Arab Theater Authority, a number of specialized experts, and representatives from Oman’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Humaid Al-Nofali, Director of Culture at ALECSO, emphasized the Organization’s active engagement in the global drive to transform education, particularly in line with the “Roadmap for Arts Education”. This effort is part of the implementation of ALECSO’s Action Plan (2023–2028), especially the Education Department’s programs designed to develop arts education and foster imagination and creativity.  

Dr. Al-Nofali noted that this policy direction aligns with the updated Comprehensive Plan for Arab Culture, approved at the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers held in Dubai, UAE, in 2021,  which highlights the role of culture in achieving sustainable development, promoting cultural diversity, and connecting younger generations to their Arab cultural and civilizational identity. It also aligns with the national strategies of Arab countries as well as with international frameworks, particularly the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the outcomes of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit, and the commitments outlined in the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts Education (Abu Dhabi, 2024).

Dr. Al-Nofali underlined that culture and arts are powerful tools for achieving sustainable development goals, by nurturing creative skills and developing aesthetic sensibilities among young people.