NEW HERITAGE UNDERSECRETARY BRINGS PASSION, NEW IDEAS

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000518 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR INR/B, NEA/ARPI, AND NEA/PPD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SUBJECT: NEW HERITAGE UNDERSECRETARY BRINGS PASSION, NEW IDEAS ¶1. Summary: Oman's newly appointed Undersecretary for Heritage at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture is a dynamic, American- educated leader with a strong entrepreneurial bent and a refreshingly informal approach. His eagerness to promote change - especially by integrating international-standard approaches to the management and exploitation of Oman's historic sites - presents the Embassy with an excellent opportunity for engagement. End summary. -------------- MAKING OMAN "REMARKABLE" -------------- ¶2. Sultan bin Hamdun bin Saif al-Harthi was appointed Undersecretary for Heritage at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture on March 20. During a March 29 introductory call, al- Harthi told the DCM and PAO about ambitious plans to breathe new life into his ministry. With Muscat as the "2006 Arab Cultural Capital of the World," he admitted his task would not be easy, but he relished the challenge and was passionate about his new approach. "I told them (when offered the job) not to expect a normal undersecretary." He said that one of his goals is to "make heritage sexy," seeking not only to protect Oman's natural history and heritage, but to make it more accessible to the public. Al-Harthy said he was keen on linking Omani heritage sites more closely with travel and tourism, looking to U.S. models to develop commercial opportunities in connection with the many museums, historic sites, and other assets under his direction. ¶3. Al-Harthy understands the challenges in establishing Omani heritage sites as international travel destinations, and sees partnerships with the U.S. as furthering the goal of "making Oman remarkable." He expressed strong interest in working with the Embassy to develop professional expertise within the Ministry and in creating partner relationships with U.S. organizations. He was particularly interested in exchange programs, including the Humphrey Fellowships, Voluntary Visitors; and in the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. -------------- Shaped by U.S. Experience -------------- ¶4. Bio Note: In his late thirties/early forties, al-Harthy underscored the profound impact his nine years as an undergraduate and graduate student in the U.S. had on his personal and professional development. He is lively and informal, articulate and cultured, drawing comfortably on a range of references from MTV to astronomy. An architect by training, he holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in design and planning from the University of Arizona (Tucson). He arrived in the U.S. slated for a pre-med program and initially studied at the University of Missouri (Kansas City) before switching to architecture at Tucson; his studies were fully funded by the Government of Oman. ¶5. Bio Note continued: Al-Harthy spoke positively of the deep influence that American culture - from the Peace Corps teachers he encountered as a young student to his ongoing relationships with academic friends and contacts in the U.S. - has had on his life and thinking. After returning to Oman, he considered opening his own design firm, but instead (as required of those benefiting from state-sponsored education abroad) took a government position, most recently serving as Secretary General of the Tender Board (2002-2006) and earlier as Director of Town Planning and Survey at the Ministry of Housing, Electricity, and Water. He is involved in projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and youth development in the country, including SANAD, the government program that gives seed-capital to young businesspeople. He is also a founding member of the Oman branch of the Young Arab Leaders program. GRAPPO