Visiting US student group finds Omanis warm, friendly

Staff reporter MUSCAT: Members of a group of U.S. students, who are in Oman on a leadership programme, have said they find Oman beautiful and Omanis warm and friendly.

The students, who are in the country for a week on the “Ibrahim Student Leadership and Dialogue Middle East Programme” organised by Queens College, stayed in Oman for a week and toured some of the most iconic spots of the city, including the Grand Mosque, Royal Opera House, National Museum and other places to get an insight into the traditions and culture of Oman and a perspective on the wider Middle East and Arab world.

The ‘Ibrahim’ programme recruits undergraduate students with leadership skills, a strong academic record, and a deep interest in the Middle East to apply for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of a fully paid journey to the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia and Israel as bookends, and Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan and the West Bank in between.

Students interact with a broad spectrum of national leaders, grass root activists and social and economic entrepreneurs. In Oman, they had the opportunity to meet with leaders, such as Dr P Mohamed Ali, vice chairman and manag- ing director of Galfar, Sheikh Abdullah Al Araimi, founder of the Al-Raid group, and former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Richard Baltimore. The group also enjoyed overnight trips to Nizwa and Jabal Akhdar.

Cross cultural networks

The Ibrahim and Queens College Student Leadership Programme in the Middle East empowers cross cultural, interfaith networks of American students-scholar activists, with a nuanced understanding of the complexities of this strategically vital region.