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ADDING THE LAST AESTHETIC TOUCHES AND TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT IN THE LOCATIONS OF THE EVENT

Tomorrow... MUSCAT FESTIVAL START-OFF TOMORROW WITH BRAND-NEW ASPIRATIONS AND SPLENDID EVENTS

By : Ibrahim Al-Hassani
Photos By Soluiman Al-Khasibi

Tomorrow, Thursday, with the start-off of the Fourteenth Session of the Muscat Festival 2014, the splendid city of Muscat witnesses a renewable up-to-date vision of the implications of event and enrichment of the diversity, blending the authentic values of civilization and contemporary aspirations for the future. Muscat Municipality has completed the technical equipment and intensive preparations for the creation of locations, which host the Festival activities and events, both in Al-Naseem Public Park and Al-Amrat Public Garden, in addition to a number of locations along Al-Seeb beach in Al-Hail ) .

The Municipality employs all its efforts to create the spots for the delivery of the events in an atmosphere filled with comfort, entertainment and dazzling. Furthermore, aesthetic touches have been finalized and decorative lights and promotional advertisements have been installed along with the logos of the organizations and sponsors of the Festival.
As a part of the technical preparations carried out by the Municipality at key locations for the Festival, including construction and maintenance of the facilities, add-ons, development, afforestation and other service and the aesthetic items, the Municipal has maintained and prepared the integrated Heritage Village, launched last year with an area of 45,000 square meters. It includes traditional markets such as the Muttrah Market, creation of a place for craftsmen including the different nomadic, desert and sea settings, construction of buildings, facilities, towers and entrances at the pattern of the ancient Omani Quarter, characterized by the authentic vision and architectural nature, festooned with lighting, Besides, painting of the Heritage Village has been renovated with earthy colored uniform for showing signification to the unique Omani Environment, marked by its beautiful scenary and aesthetic architecture. .

The Heritage Village Project involves cultivation of date palms and trees, according to each single setting, creation of a water well and sites, embodying traditional crafts, establishment of filming locations of the TV shows broadcast from the Village, reinforcement of the floor with concrete and installation of wooden barriers. This is coupled with the creation of two immobile sites for candy processing and the expansion of Omani food-selling spots in the Heritage Village, to easily provide them for visitors, wishing to enjoy the different types of cuisines of Oman, and store gas cylinders in a remote and safe location . The Park also hosts the International Exhibition of Arts, Heritage and Creativity, along with lively crafts and markets, reflecting their different interests and culture, and exposing their traditional legacy to the public. This is a living representation of communication and cooperation with other peoples and establishment of the principle of peace, as well as the models of interaction with the cultures and civilizations of the peoples. .

The Exhibition involves 12 pavilions, each holding14 stores for craft show-off. It has been supplied with the required lighting, and tiled floor, creation of the murals that embodies the most prominent crafts and traditional arts of the participating countries. Doors and sculptures have been installed, walls painted with disparate colours, taking into account the nature of Islamic Art of the exhibition, Dazzling and safety systems provided, and items of new aesthetic touches added to the various locations in the Park. This comes with the installation of dangling decorations and colored lighting on the passages that have been surrounded with trees and palms, as well .

Lighting 

The Municipality has installed 20 lighting posts this year along with other 125 posts on the newly-constructed sub-roads that extend for 5 kilometers long, namely one post for each 40 meters. In addition, 40 posts have been installed to illuminate the external areas; with each lighting up an area of 30 meters, along with 25 bigger posts covering an area of 60 meters in diameter inside the Park, and installation of 200 smaller posts in various parts of the Park dispersed to the corridors, facilities and establishments. Approximately 10 kilometers of dangling harmonious ornamental lighting cords have also been extended along the sub-roads, the frontage of the Park, the walkways and palms .

Facilities and Maintenance 

To add up, the existing oratories for men and women have been developed, with other two praying tents reserved for men and for women set up, along with two tents for the participating States in Asala TV Show to take abreak. Maintainance has been performed for 8 public toilets (caravans) distributed throughout the Park, as well as the development of existing water closet. For administrative purposes and use by the Organization Committees of the of the Festival, 20 offices have been created and a number of tents have also been set up for the involved actors and productive families exihibitions. This is coupled with the establishement of 8 restaurants and 12 boothes for information and fast-food snacks.

     
Moreover, a number of multi-purpose stages have been developed and created; this includes the Main Stage, located between restaurants and confronting the Dazzling shows and Pyrotechnics platform and the Heritage Village Theater. A new stage of 30 meters wide, 20 meters long and 5 meters high has been newly established, coupled with a stage on the eastern side, and two stages amid the green landscaping for the various shows and activities, notwithstanding the development of the Park gate .

. Aerobic games have been assigned a new area of 3,750 square meters, while a space of 13,500 meters have been created for children`s games, and another space for car game. Also, different organizations and corporate sponsors of the Festival have been allocated auditoria with varying spaces. The preparations included planting palm trees, shadow trees and ornamental flowers on the passages, along with weeding the natural landscaping .

Al-Naseem Public Park

Al-Naseem Public Park is made to embrace many of the events of the Muscat Festival 2014, including the participation of about 30 countries from around the world in the Trade Consumer Exhibition, established over a wide area and involving 440 marketing stores, for visitors and exhibitors to find convenience. Various exhibits and products of the hand crafts, as well as other items, are delivered. The Exhibition features a gate which embodies the best known characteristics of the participating countries in the Exhibition.. Maintenance was delivered to 32 immobile toilets,
and mobile 63 for women, 91 for men, and 16 for visitors with special needs, as well as 17 administrative offices.. Al-Naseem Public Park has had newly-established lighting posts istalled, 25 meters high beside the already-established ones, up to 59 posts. New 28 posts have been installed for the front areas of the park,35 for the back areas, 18 for the allocated areas, for the interior illuminations and 23 for the Games area and Arena of Skill.
This adds up to 191 posts in total in the Park.
Installation of loudspeakers for queries in the Park can not be disregarded, either..

The Festival Arena in Al-Naseem Public Park is to witness Shows of the International Bands, and Carnival Circus Teams, as well as a variety of shows e.g. those of the exciting Indian, Russian, American and African Teams stunts, largely watched by various visitors. This is coupled with the City of Arts and Entertainment and the Electric Games, nestled in a Al-Naseem Public Park during the Festival. These games involve electric stunts, exciting high shows, and other games that suit different age groups. Many new and useful activities, especially for children and youth groups, and for all family members will be enjoyed in the Park, abound in restaurants and cafes that deliver their services to visitors. .

11,000 Car Parks 

 The Municipality has completed paving works and guiding lines of the additional earthy car parks in Al-Naseem Public Park. They are expanded for accommodating the largest possible number of vehicles, and particularily configured, taking into account the systems of traffic safety and easy mobility between lanes allocated for such. These parks have been allocated to receive the vehicles of the participants, delegates, members of the corporate sponsors and actors of the activities of the Festival. In addition, The Technical Committee also undertakes organization through developing guiding regulations and categorizing the parks by the committees and the participating delegates. . Al-Naseem Public Park holds more than 5,000 rear parks and about 800 front parks of the Park.
In Al-Amerat, the Municipality has extended service roads around the perimeter of the Park to facilitate the entry and exit of vehicles and paths from the sub-roads to link the roundabout of Al-Amrat with that of Al-Mahaj (Al-Kora Al-Ardia), passing the roundabout of Al-Akhdar (Al-Sadafah). This helps to reduce the condensity of traffic on the main road and facilitate the smooth flow of vehicular traffic, heading to and from the Park. 

An area of 130,000 square meters was paved and dedicated for parking vehicles on both the eastern and western sides of the Park. This is to accommodate 5,200 vehicles. Guidelines and paths of entry and exit to these parks were set up, as well. Public Sanitation Teams carry on their work during morning and evening shifts, sweeping and washing corridors, removing the debris of construction, cleaning facilities using hygienic tools, sparying insecticides and intensifying the clean-up campaigns at various locations for receiving visitors of the Festival in a clean and healthy environment.