Reposted from Muscat Daily

Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is proactively working to curtail illicit trade and trafficking of cultural property, which includes prevention of unauthorized excavations, production of counterfeit artefacts, and smuggling of heritage items. “The ministry is collaborating with international and regional   organizations in this regard,” said Rahma bint Saeed al Zawaidi, who heads the Cultural Heritage Register and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property Department at the ministry. Rahma emphasized the crucial role of coordination between the ministry and the Royal Oman Police, ensuring that heritage and archaeological pieces are not exported without a permit issued by the ministry after thorough inspection. 

In 2019, the ministry established the Cultural Heritage Register and Combating Illicit Trafficking Department, making it the central unit to coordinate preventative measures, besides monitoring risks associated with cultural property preservation, managing risks, and ensuring that warning regulations are implemented at various archaeological sites throughout the sultanate. Rahma also mentioned the ministry’s initiative to encourage citizens to submit any found antiquities to the ministry.  The legal framework in Oman stipulates stringent penalties for illegal possession of cultural heritage – ranging from one month to three months and a fine between RO500 and RO10,000.

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