Sunday 22 / February / 2026
Manah--- Oman Across Ages Museum recorded approximately 940,000 visitors from its opening on 13 March 2023, until the end of January 2026.
According to official statistics issued by the museum, Omani visitors numbered 770,000, representing 82 percent of the total figure. 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.
Eng. Al Yakdhan Abdullah Al Harthy, Director General of Oman Across Ages Museum, stated in an interview with Oman News Agency that 90 percent 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 the Sultanate 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 the Sultanate 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 programs 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 percent of the tourism income for the Sultanate of 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.
