25 November 2009
The second and third places in the first-of-its-kind competition that attracted more than 200 contestants went to expatriate artists.
Saud Al Hunaini virtually received a standing ovation when he was declared the winner at a ceremony presided over by Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al Said, Advisor to the Omani Sultan, in the presence of several other dignitaries, including ministers, top government and private sector officials and ambassadors. He received RO3,000 and a certificate.
Hunaini’s winning portrait will be presented to Sultan Qaboos in the next few days. Indian artists Heena Kothary and T C Suresh, who won the second and third prizes, were rewarded with RO2,000 and RO1,000, respectively. Fahad Abdullah Al Zadjali, Adham Ismail Hamdan Al Farsi and Nizar Khalid Al Mishrif, the other three of the six short-listed finalists, were given certificates of appreciation.
Sayyid Shihab, in remarks to reporters, congratulated the artists and praised the high quality of the entries, adding that the government would continue to extend “unlimited support” to the Omani youth to nurture their artistic skills.
The ‘Qaboos Oman’ competition, held to mark Oman’s 39th National Day, was hosted by BankMuscat in association with the Oman Society for Fine Arts (OSFA).
“In a befitting tribute to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the outcome of this exercise has enriched the Omani arts and culture,” Shaikh AbdulMalik bin Abdullah Al Khalili, Chairman of the bank, said.
The artists participated in the competition at three branches of the OSFA in Muscat, Salalah and Buraimi. Six paintings were short-listed and judged by an expert panel constituted by the society alongside an SMS voting campaign for the top prizes.
