Royal Oman Police tells Muscat Festival visitors to keep track of children

Muscat: Police have told parents to supervise their children while visiting the Muscat Festival amidst reports that some are neglecting their children as they know that event staff will find them and take care for them if they get lost.
“Instead of searching the park for their children, many parents continue with their picnic, reassured that their children are in safe hands,” said Abdullah Al Rawahi, a member of the Festival’s organising team at Al Naseem Park.
Al Rawahi told the Times of Oman that many parents think of the Festival’s reception offices as a “free” child care service, reassured that nothing will happen to their children even if they are lost for some time.
As a result, some children are being kept for more than three hours at the reception, before their parents finally decide to check their whereabouts. “Our rooms get packed with more than 10 children at a time. It is difficult to babysit this big number,” Al Rawahi noted.
A Royal Oman Police (ROP) official said most of the reports received at the Muscat Festival parks were regarding lost children, followed by the loss of valuables.
He said carelessness on the part of parents could result in their little ones being harmed, hence risking their safety.
“Children should not get separated from their guardians at any time,” the ROP official stressed.
According to organisers at Al Naseem Park, most children being reported lost are between the ages of three and nine.
“We receive around 60 complaints of lost children per day during weekends,” said a staff member at the Al Naseem Park.
“We first try to contact the child’s parents. If the child can’t talk, we announce through the speaker and describe the child’s appearance (age/colour of dress) so that their parents become aware,” she explained.
She added that some parents even write their contact numbers on their children’s arms to facilitate communication in case the child is found by the authorities.
While the Muscat Festival management provides children with food and toys, many of them are upset and keep crying until their parents arrive.
The ROP recently tweeted on its official account urging parents to keep an eye on their wards at the festival venues.
The Muscat Festival started on January 14 and will continue until February 13.