MUSCAT, 21 June 2010 – BankMuscat and Omantel, banking and telecom majors of the Sultanate, have joined hands again to launch a national initiative of unprecedented scope in commemoration of the 40th Renaissance anniversary of the reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. Bringing together the nation as one family and targeting at children who are the building blocks of the Sultanate, the ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign primarily revolves around an art contest aimed at instilling time-tested Omani values in the younger generation.
Recalling the remarkable progress and development achieved by the Sultanate under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the ‘Celebrate Together’ art contest offers a unique opportunity to give expression to the perspective of a modern nation through the eyes of children. The theme of the contest will focus on the Sultanate’s achievements in the economic, social, health and educational fields and the role of the Omani citizen as the main objective of all such achievements.
A unique opportunity to express love, admiration and appreciation to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, who has been responsible for the progress and development of Oman, the ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign is expected to generate nation-wide excitement and add sparkle to the 40th Renaissance anniversary celebrations in Oman. Instilling patriotic values in the younger generation, the contest will enthuse children to soar on the wings of imagination and create art works of lasting beauty and appeal. Parents will be encouraged to motivate children from all regions of Oman to participate in the contest which is expected to generate more than 40,000 paintings embodying the 40th year of His Majesty’s rule in Oman.
AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive of BankMuscat, said: “BankMuscat is gratified to initiate a national campaign celebrating the 40th Renaissance anniversary under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. This is an occasion for everyone, especially children, to unite and convey their gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for the fruits of development enjoyed by the nation. Collective efforts are required to sustain these achievements for future generations. Being the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate, BankMuscat always leads by example, notably with initiatives uniting people as a family.”
Ali Issa added: “Every citizen, including the younger generation, has the responsibility to preserve the fruits of development painstakingly achieved by the collective contributions of previous generations under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign is a serious effort to inculcate genuine Omani values in the younger generation and thereby sustain the progress and development of Oman. We are confident that the initiative will instill strong patriotic values in children.”
Dr. Amer bin Awadh Al Rawas, Chief Executive Officer of Omantel, said: “The ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign highlights co-operation and participation by Omantel and BankMuscat in noble causes benefiting Omani society. Such initiatives by private sector establishments play an important role in complementing the development march of Oman. Omantel and BankMuscat are fully geared to ensure the success of all activities planned under this massive campaign.”
Al Rawas added: “The ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign has been conceived as a befitting celebration of the Sultanate’s 40th Renaissance anniversary. The initiative follows on from the successful ‘Together for a Happier Eid’ national campaign launched by Omantel and BankMuscat in 2009. By far the ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign is one of the biggest national initiatives to be launched in Oman targeting the younger generation to understand and take up their role in the country’s future growth and development.”
A series of events have been lined up as part of the ‘Celebrate Together’ initiative. Painting kits will be distributed to children through BankMuscat branches and Omantel sales centres spread throughout the Sultanate, besides leading malls and hypermarkets. Art workshops will also be organised to teach children the basics of drawing and painting. Country-wide exhibitions will be held to display paintings from respective regions.
The judging committee comprising academicians, teachers and artists will shortlist 100 paintings which will contest for top honours. The public will be involved in the final voting process to select the best 40 paintings and drawings. A dedicated website for the competition will contain all information related to the event. The public can post comments about the competition on the website as well as participate in the voting process to decide the winners.
The 40 winners of the competition will be honoured at the concluding ceremony in which the winning paintings will be announced. Attractive cash prizes will be presented to the winners.
Tapping into the largest country-wide branch network and customer base of Omantel and BankMuscat, the ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign is expected to have a headstart by effectively reaching out to all sections of society.