The activities of the third cultural season of the College of Arts and Social Sciences began with the inauguration of the book fair in the open courtyard of the College. Five Omani libraries and publishing houses participated in the book fair, and the number of publications reached more than 400 Omani, Arab and foreign publications. Some libraries also offered discounts for students and academics with the aim of spreading culture and knowledge. Dr. Nabhan bin Harith al-Harassi, Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, said: “Today we are launching the third consecutive cultural season after the success achieved in previous seasons. We will start our season with a book fair in which a number of Omani libraries are participating. This will be followed by a lecture on cybersecurity and legal legislation for an evening event.” He added, on the same level, that the activities are continuing during the current academic year and will be attended by intellectuals, academics and guests from outside the country. The season will also celebrate some international events such as the International Day of the Arabic Language, the International Day of Philosophy, and others.

The College of Arts and Social Sciences, in cooperation with the Cultural Club, organized a symposium (the historical presence of women in Oman) in conjunction with the Omani Women's Day, with the participation of a number of researchers and those interested in the women’s field in Oman. The Honorable Dr. Raya bint Salem Al-Mandari - Associate Professor at the College of Education and Member of the State Council - presented a working paper entitled “Omani Women in Education during the Era of the Blessed Renaissance.” Also, Dr. Badriya Al-Shuaiba presented historical examples of the leadership roles of Omani women. Furthermore, the researcher Abdul Rahman Al-Sulaimani talked about the economic life of Omani women. The seminar was concluded by researcher Khaled Al-Rahbi, who focused on the contribution of Omani women in the field of endowment.

Archaeological survey work in the region of Qurayyat discovered a large gathering of archaeological and historical settlements, some of which date back to more than 3000 years ago. Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hamid Hussein - Head of the Archeology Department at the College of Arts and Social Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University and head of the research team - stated that the work in its current phase focused on the village of Al Mazara in the region of Quriyat and its surroundings, and that the archaeological evidence discovered and recorded so far indicates that the civilization settlement in that area It has been continuous since the Iron Age - 3000 years from now. Dr. Mohammed also explained that the current survey work comes as part of a project that surveys the historical and archaeological monuments at risk in the Sultanate of Oman, funded by Sultan Qaboos University in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The head of the Archeology Department stated that the aim of this project is to document archaeological sites in the Governorate of Muscat, and prepare a risk map for those sites, in addition to a proposed work on how to benefit from these historical and archaeological sites in sustainable development, in line with Oman’s 2040 vision.

The College of Art and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Sincere Congratulation to

Dr. Nabhan Harith Al Harrsi, The Dean of College of Arts and Social Sciences, on the occasion of his election as president of the Arab federation for libraries and information.

With sincere best wishes for success

Signing of a Cooperation Agreement with dusitD2 Naseem Resort, Jabal Akhdar, Oman