The Sultanate of Oman has devoted much attention to craft industries as being an integral part of the cultural, economic, intellectual and social constituents of the Omani society and one of its idiosyncrasies. At the outset of the felicitous Renaissance, these craft industries were among the issues that received special attention from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said as he considered them one of the integral aspects of Oman that indicates its history and asserts its pioneering cultural role.

As a result of the continuous effort by the wise government regarding the activation of the role of craft industries both socially and economically in order to protect them from extinction and revive them and keep the strong connection between the present and the past, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said issued the Royal Decree No. 24/2003 on 3/3/2003 establishing the Public Authority for Craft Industries and Royal Decree No. 53/2003 on 31/8/2003 issuing its Articles of Association and endorsing its organizational structure. These were a true embodiment of the Royal attention regarding the protection and development of craft industries in the Sultanate.

Out of its responsibilities and duties, the Public Authority for Craft Industries has a number of major objectives that aim to realize the ambitions and hopes of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, its prime sponsor and supporter. These are as follows:

• Set the executive plans and programs for the approved policies in the fields of craft industries.
• Survey, document, and protect all craft industries, their raw materials and uses of each region in the Sultanate.
• Pay attention to research activities regarding current and future needs of craftspeople in all craft industries and devise other economically feasible craft industries.
• Provide direction and guidance services to the workers in the fields of craft industries regarding administrative and technical aspects as well as all other activities.
• Provide training and qualification services for the workers in the fields of craft industries; provide technical support to the societies operating in these fields; and develop the creative and technical capabilities of their affiliates in accordance with the approved objectives and policies for developing this sector.
• Pay attention to training the talented on craft industries in order to develop their intellectual, creative, technical, and leadership capabilities given that they are a seminal nucleus.
• Increase the marketing incentive of the craftpeople through creating new marketing outlets both inside and outside the Sultanate and encourage the private sector to market the products of craft industries.
• Develop studies for model projects in various craft activities.
• Develop cooperation fields and exchange experiences and expertise with the authorities and centers for craft industries in other countries.