12 July 2012 – A gathering hosted by the five Embassies of ASEAN member countries in the Sultanate of Oman namely: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, kicked off as the first ASEAN Day in Oman. Almost 200 individuals participated in the various activities organized at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, to promote goodwill and camaraderie among the different ASEAN nationalities.

The event was launched with the communal singing of the ASEAN Anthem, “The ASEAN Way” and a cake cutting ceremony facilitated by the five (5) ASEAN Ambassadors. The opening ceremony was followed by a variety of sporting activities such as darts, ping pong, basketball and football. Kids also enjoyed the coloring activities and other fun games organized during the said event. 

Lucky draws and the community dancing of “poco-poco”, an Indonesian line dance, made the event even more entertaining.

ASEAN Day 2012 was capped by the sharing of a feast of pot-luck meals prepared by each embassy and a resolve to continually strengthen friendships among the ASEAN communities.