When the Oman Golf Association took over as promoter of the Oman Open in 2019 they needed a new trophy, read about how the trophy came to be.
In 2019 the Oman Golf Association ran a competition aimed at Omani design students to design a new trophy for the Oman Open.
We wanted a trophy that celebrated the traditions, culture and heritage of Oman and that also fitted with our sustainability goals.
The winning design was created by Iman Al Mughairi. She designed the trophy to reflect the unique elements of the Omani landscape; the mountains, the sea, the desert and the sun.
“When you play golf, the landscape becomes part of your experience.” Iman Al Mughairi.
Golf Oman then approached a few different artists, sculptors and fabricators to bring Iman’s design to life. During the first meeting with artist and designer Sami Salim Saif Al Siyabi it was clear that he immediately understood our concept and his enthusiasm for the project was exactly what we were looking for.
We could have easily found a company who could manufacture the trophy exactly as per the design, but we wanted to stay true to the philosophy of the Oman Open in that it is ‘all about Oman’. We wanted the production of the trophy to be as unique and authentic as the design itself.
Sami started drawing when he was 10 years, inspired by his uncle, and then started other forms of art like sculpture, textiles, interior design. He is mostly self-taught but also attended lots of workshops to learn different techniques. Sami now teaches his own workshops and wants to inspire Omani children to pursue art.
The trophy has been made with locally sourced materials and where possible Sami has repurposed them. Sami looked at local elements such as the Khanjar (sword), cave paintings and textiles for inspiration.
The main structure is made of teak that Sami found around Oman. Wood is a very important material in Omani culture and is used for doors, windows and support beams of houses and traditional boats. Oman is famous for wood carving in the Arab World.
Around the base of trophy is an intricately carved floral pattern that was inspired by the belt of the Khanjar. A traditional Omani door has been added; this represents Omani hospitality.
Sami has covered half the trophy in Omani silver embossed with a repeated pattern from the body of a Khanjar. He has also used silver to mimic the waves of the Arabian Sea which sit alongside sand collected by hand from the golden sand dunes of Bidiya, 233 kilometers from Muscat in the Eastern Region of the Sultanate.
A sun has been shaped out of copper and prominently sits in the middle of the trophy.
The trophy took Sami over 80 hours to complete.
“You can make anything look beautiful if you are a true artist, it is in your heart and who you are.” Sami Salim Saif Al Siyabi.