Muscat, October 25 (QNA) - A festival for football fans will be organized at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center in the capital Muscat from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18, 2022 as part of the Sultanate of Omans program accompanying the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Visitors to the festival will be on a date with the excitement and festive atmosphere of the World Cup, enjoying live streaming of all the matches and many exciting events and activities.

The festival will present a variety of programs, including artistic performances, interactive games, exciting competitions, in addition to prizes and incentives for visitors. The festival will also include an area dedicated to local and international restaurants and cafes serving great meals that cater to all tastes.

Undersecretary of the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and Chairman of the Steering Committee for Oman's program accompanying the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Azzan bin Qassim Al Busaidi, underlined that the World Cup is the most important sporting event ever hosted in the region, therefore Oman launched a special program to celebrate this exceptional occasion, based on the fact that Muscat is one of the approved cities to host the World Cup fans.

He added, "The program aims to provide an integrated experience for fans who choose Muscat for their accommodation during the tournament.The organization of the Football Fans Festival comes to be the main attraction of the program, as it is planned to be an unforgettable memory that brings visitors and fans closer to the atmosphere of the World Cup, while providing an ideal experience."

For his part, CEO of Omran Group, Hashel bin Obaid Al Mahrouqi, said that the Football Fans Festival was designed to be a family event full of fun and enthusiasm, suitable for all ages, whether football enthusiasts or others. Therefore, the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center was chosen to host this event, to provide all the ingredients that enable us to give visitors a unique experience.

We are confident that the Football Fan Fest will be an event that everyone will remember." As part of the festivals promotion, Omani football star Ali Al-Habsi has been chosen as the official ambassador of the festival, along with an impressive group of famous sports personalities such as sports commentator Khalil Al-Balushi, Omani tennis champion Fatima Al-Nabhani, and sports show star Mohammed Al-Nofali. Everyone will participate in the festival to interact with visitors, as well as promoting the events and activities accompanying it.

The festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors daily to enjoy the enthusiastic atmosphere and various activities.

The festival village extends over an area of more than 9,000 square metres, where all World Cup matches will be broadcast live on a number of giant screens, and visitors will also be able to enjoy a wide range of musical and artistic performances, football competitions, virtual reality challenges and other activities and competitions that will offer special daily and weekly prizes, as well as restaurants and cafes that offer distinctive local and international cuisine, as many small and medium enterprises in more than 60 different categories participate in the festival.

It is worth noting that the Sultanate of Oman's program accompanying the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 had announced the completion of Oman's preparations to welcome visitors wishing to attend the World Cup and stay in Oman with the aim of facilitating their arrival in the country and their travel to Doha to attend the matches and return on the same day, where all Hayya card holders will be, as well as their immediate family members are eligible for a free multiple-entry visa for 60 days, starting from the date of entering the Sultanate for the first time.

In addition, the program accompanying the World Cup was keen to add many advantages to fans who choose Oman as their place of residence, and Hayya card holders can choose from a variety of daily tours filled with exciting adventures to discover the breathtaking natural beauty of the Sultanate of Oman, along with its ancient history and heritage.

(QNA)