In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful,

His Highness Sayyid Kamil bin Fahad Al Said,

The distinguished Secretary General in the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Opera House (the patron of our event)

Prince Amyn Aga Khan,

Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

Welcome to all of you in Muscat, the Sultanate of Oman.

We warmly welcome you among us with the beautiful language of music that you bring with you.

In cooperation with our venerable civil society institutions, the Sultanate of Oman is delighted to share the richness of its culture, heritage and traditions with our guests. Together we are invested in sharing Oman’s cultural assets with the world.

Hosting the second edition of the Aga Khan Music Awards is very much in alignment with the Sultanate’s desire to build bridges of communication and cooperation among countries and cultures by activating cultural communication on both governmental and societal levels.

The musical heritage of the Sultanate of Oman goes back to the prehistoric period through the oldest musical instrument discovered at the archaeological site of Ras Al Hadd, which can be viewed in the National Museum in the Intangible Heritage Hall, this hall which stands as an indication of the importance that the Sultanate of Oman says to the musical experience.

In the second half of the 19th century, Sultan Barghash bin Said Al Busaidi established maqam music in Zanzibar.

The modern renaissance of Oman began in 1970, and Sultan Qaboos bin Said, may God rest his soul, uninterruptedly contributed to the development of music. The Omani government took care of the institutions concerned with music, starting with the Renaissance of Oman, which culminated in the witness edifice of the Royal Opera House Muscat in 2011.

The First Royal Ensemble for Folk Arts and Music was established in 1976.

And the establishment of the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra in 1985 under the direct supervision of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, may God rest his soul. And let us not forget the Oman Center for Traditional Music and the Omani Oud Hobbyists Association.

Music is a universal language spoken and understood by all peoples with ease, which facilitates dialogue among civilisations. Through the language of music, we are working to highlight the role of the Sultanate of Oman and what is specific to its rich wellspring of knowledge and civilisation.

Congratulations to the laureates, and in particular the Omani musician and scholar Musallam Al-Kathiry for receiving a special award for Excellence in Service to Omani Musical Heritage in recognition of his contributions to the preservation and promotion of our musical heritage. We wish continued success to the Aga Khan Development Network and the Aga Khan Music Programme, the organisers of this Award, which occupies such a unique cultural role that is close to the hearts of Arabs and people of culture.

Let’s enjoy music in whatever form we find it, and may all our moments be full of wonder, love and beauty.

Peace be upon you and may God have mercy on you.