In a ceremony held on May 12, 2026 at its headquarters, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) honored His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Sultan of Oman, by awarding him the “Arab Cultural Excellence Medal – Supreme Class”, in recognition of his distinguished efforts in advancing Arab culture, preserving Arab cultural heritage, and fostering human capacity development.

The ceremony was attended by high-level diplomatic and official figures, including heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Tunisia, directors of specialized Arab organizations, representatives of the Tunisian government, university presidents and deans, as well as prominent intellectual and cultural figures from Tunisia.

In his remarks on this occasion, the Director-General of ALECSO, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, stated that awarding the “Arab Cultural Excellence Medal”, for the first time in ALECSO’s history, to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said represents a sincere Arab tribute to a leader who has made culture a national project, knowledge a civilizational vision, and Omani and Arab identity a universal message to the entire world. He emphasized that this initiative reflects the pride that the Arab cultural community takes in the valuable role played by the Sultanate of Oman in advancing joint Arab cultural action, as well as its steadfast commitment to promoting dialogue and rapprochement among peoples and supporting the causes of culture, heritage, and thought across the Arab world.

For his part, Dr. Humaid Al-Nofali, Director of Culture at ALECSO, highlighted His Majesty’s notable efforts in promoting and advancing Arab culture in the Sultanate of Oman.

The ceremony also featured remarks by H.E. Dr. Hilal bin Abdullah Alsanani, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Republic of Tunisia, who expressed his sincere appreciation for ALECSO’s distinguished efforts in the fields of education, culture, and science, as well as its commitment to honoring leading figures in thought and culture.  He added that ALECSO’s awarding of the Arab Cultural Excellence Medal – Supreme Class to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said stands as a clear testament to the Sultan’s exceptional contributions to supporting and advancing Arab culture.