Sultanate of Oman

Oman is the third largest country in the Arabian peninsula, Oman occupies a strategic location. With a total land area of some 309,500 sq. kms, the Sultanate shares land borders with the Republic of Yemen, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while its shores overlook the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Oman lies on the Tropic of Cancer providing a gateway between the Indian Ocean, East Africa and the Arabian Gulf.
Historically Omanis were seafarers and traders who dominated regional commodity trading. In the first half of the 19th century the Omani fleet was the most famous in the Indian Ocean, and today it retains its importance with modernised ports adapted to handle the containerised shipping that has transformed the movement of consumer goods and commodities around the world.
Lying on the south east corner of the Arabian Peninsula, the country has a magnificent coastline which extends for 1,700 kms, from the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which separates Oman from Iran in the north, to the southern border with the Republic of Yemen.
Oman's climate, like its topography is diverse, with humid coastal areas and a hot, dry desert interior. Its highest mountain range, the Jebel al Akhdar, which peaks at just over 3,000 metres, enjoys a moderate climate all year round.
Although rainfall is generally light and irregular, Dhofar province in the south catches the Indian Ocean monsoon (khareef) rains that fall between May and September. These monsoon rains transform Dhofar into a lush, green paradise that attracts ever-growing numbers of Arab tourists fleeing the intense summer heat in other parts of the region.
The Sultanate of Oman consists of three govemorates, Muscat, the capital area, Dhofar in the southern part of the country and Musandam in the north, and five regions. Each region is further divided into districts or wilayats, headed by a district governor or wali.

Muscat

The Governorate of Muscat is situated on the Gulf of Oman, nestled between the Eastern Hajar mountains and the Shargiyah region to the east, the Batinah region to the west and the Dakhiliyah region to the south. It extends from Seeb, home of Oman's international airport, in the north, to the fishing port of Quriyat in the South. Muscat Governorate consists of six districts (wilayats) - Muscat, Mutrah, Seeb, Bausher, AI Amarat and Quriyat.

According to the December 2003 Census the population of this area is 631,031, of which 380,092 are Omanis.
Because of its strategic geographical position Muscat has been
an important trading port in the Gulf and Indian Ocean for centuries. In modern times it has become Oman's capital and main political, economic and administrative centre.

Today, Muscat is a clean, elegant yet vibrant city, which, while keeping pace with 21st century advances, has lost none of its traditional charms. A visitor will find no concrete and glass skyscrapers in this city, despite its rise in stature as a regional and
international economic centre. Instead, Muscat's architecture combines Arab culture and heritage with a genuine embrace of modernity.

Urban areas are meticulously planned with new buildings designed to incorporate traditional elements. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Bausher, that opened in 2001, is one of the country's most striking architectural landmarks and a perfect example of cutting edge design blending with time honoured traditions.
Seeb International Airport and the sea ports of (Mina) Port Sultan Qaboos and Mina Al Fahal provide the main links between Oman and the rest of the world, together with a modern system of multi-laned highways and telecommunications networks. Seeb Airport also provides regular access to Salalah and the smaller regional airports within Oman.
Walls enclose the old city of Muscat, while its gates display a mixture of ancient and contemporary styles. Mutrah souq on the waterfront opposite Port Sultan Qaboos is a well-preserved

traditional market that has become a popular tourist attraction, selling an alluring mix of Arabian herbs and spices, fragrances and
handicrafts, including Omani silver jewellery and artefacts, as well as clothes, shoes and household goods. Overseas visitors are frequently impressed by the range of enormous cooking pots to be found in the souq. If you are planning a meal for 50, this is the place to buy suitable pots and pans.
Muscat's many facilities include Sultan Qaboos University, various colleges and training institutes, schools, major commercial banks, the stock market, specialist hospitals (both government-run and private), sports associations, youth clubs, museums, and cultural and arts centres.
The city's international class hotels, imaginatively-designed
parks, historic and contemporary buildings, scenic beaches, enhanced by a backdrop of mountains and fertile wadis are a delight for visitors and residents alike.
In 2003, it won a UN Public Service Award in the Improvement of Public Service Category Results

Dhofar
Dhofar has a sweeping coastline on the Arabian Sea and an arid
interior flanked by mountains. The regional capital, Salalah, is situated on the coast. The Dhofar mountains form a narrow girdle, at most 23 kms wide, that extends for 400 kms. east to west, from the Hallaniyat Islands to the Yemen border. The highest peak is 2,500 metres.
Dhofar Governorate consists of 9 districts with a total population
of 214,331: Salalah, Thumrait, Taqah, Marbat, Sadah, Rakhiyout, Dhalkout, Muqshin and Shalim wa Al Hallaniyat Islands.
The monsoon rains, which make this area so fertile, fall on a 75 km stretch of mountains and an 8 km wide plain surrounding Salalah, cloaking them in lush greenery for the months of July and August. The coastal plain is thickly planted with vegetables, bananas and coconut palms and roadside stalls offer drinks of coconut juice straight from the shell.
The region has modern roads and electricity, water and telecommunications services, while the city of Salalah and other towns have been enhanced with landscaping projects and public parks and gardens.

A thriving tourist industry has been built up in recent years, thanks partly to Dhofar's exceptional summer climate, which has made it a magnet for Arab and foreign visitors escaping the searing summer heat at home.


Numerous projects to expand the available services and develop leisure facilities, tourist sites and areas of historical and cultural interest are underway, along with an ongoing road building and improvement scheme. Today Dhofar's visitors are drawn not only by its natural attractions, but also by its extensive cultural, artistic and leisure programmes among the most popular being the Salalah Khareef Festival.
In ancient times Dhofar was the heart of Oman's frankincense trade. Ancient civilisations traded in frankincense, which was burned in religious ceremonies and as highly prized as gold, until 7,000 years ago. Caravans of camels set out from Dhofar carrying their precious load to the trading capitals of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. Consignments of frankincense were loaded onto vessels travelling across the Mediterranean, bound for markets in ancient Rome and other cities across Europe.
Frankincense trees, Bosu-ellia sacra, still grow up to five metres tall on the lower slopes and craggy plains of Jebel Dhofar.
The trees grow just out of range of the monsoon rains but thrive in the cool winds that sweep across Dhofar during the rainy season.


Omani frankincense is regarded as the highest quality frankincense in the world and is still much in demand. It is still widely used in Oman where it is burned in homes across the country for its rich, exotic fragrance. It is also used in the production of fragrances.

Batinah
The Batinah plain, an approx. 25 kms wide coastal strip between the Hajar mountains and the Gulf of Oman, was traditionally a fishing and farming region. These days it is one of the Sultanate's most industrialised. urbanised and highly populated areas. The Census held in December 2003 revealed that this area has a population of 652,667 in its 12 districts: Sohar, Rustaq, Shinas, Liwa, Saham, Khabourah, Suwaiq, Nahkl, Wadi al Maawil, Awabi, Musana and Barka. Sohar, the first Omani city to embrace Islam and mentioned in folklore as the departure point for Sinbad the Sailor's travels, is currently being developed as an industrial city and port. The ambitious, multi-billion Rial Sohar port project will bring much increased employment to the region and is in line with Oman's objectives of diversification of the economy and Omanisation of the workforce.
Dakhiliya
This mountainous region is regarded as a region for trade between the coast and the interior. It links Muscat and the coastal plain with the interior through the Sumail Gap. It has 8 districts with a population of 265,083: Nizwa, Sumail, Bahta, Adam, A] Hamra, Manah, Izki and Bidbid. Nizwa, the city known as "the pearl of Islam" attracts many tourists to its restored 17th century fort and its souq, with carved wooden doors opening onto a range of shops and courtyards. Nizwa is particularly popular with visitors to its silver souq, which contains many fine examples of traditional Omani jewellery, and to the Friday cattle souq.

The oasis of Bahla owes its prosperity to the Bann Nabhan, the dominant tribe in the area from the 12th to the end of the 15th century.
The ruins of the immense fort, with its walls and towers of unbaked brick and its stone foundations, is a remarkable example of this type of fortification and attests to the power of the Banu Nabhan. The Fort, listed in 1987 on the World Heritage in Danger List, was removed from that List at the beginning of 2004 as it is now considered out of danger, thanks to all the conservation work undertaken since then.

Sharqiyah
With I1 districts - Sur, Ibra, Bidiyah, AI Qabil, Mudhaibi, Dima wa At Tayeen, Al Kamil wa At Wafi. Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, Jaalan Bani bu Hassan, Wadi Bani Khalid and Masirah Island and a total population of 312,708 the Sharqiyah is the third most densely populated region in Oman.
Translated as "eastem" the Shargiyah is flanked by the gravel plains and valleys of the Hajar mountains. Further to the south-east is the Ja'alan, a vast sandy plain stretching to the Arabian coast at Sur and At Ashkarah.
Sur, an ancient port and seafaring town played a major role in the development of trade between Oman, East Africa and India. It was one of the major shipbuilding centres of the region for centuries and remains an active shipbuilding centre, with dhows constructed directly on the beach.
Sharqiyah is an area of contrasts, from the fertile wadis and dramtic gorges in the Eastern Hajar, to the beautiful and unspoiled coatline of Tiwi, Sur and Ras Al Hadd in the cast down to Barr Al Hickman and Masirah Island in the south. The coast abounds with wildlife; dolphins and turtles are a common sight. A necklace of coral reefs stretches alone the coastline where the sea, rich with fish, provides a livelihood for the coastal people.
Meanwhile, the vast Wahiba[Eastern Sands, traditional home of the Bedouin, has one of the largest areas of lithified sand dunes in the world.

Wusta


Much of the central Wusta region consists of desert, running from the breathtaking sandy coastline with its wide bays, rocky caves and inlets to the interior, where most of Oman's oil, gas and mineral reserves are to be found. This area is a great favourite with conservationists. Dolphins and turtles are often seen close to the shore and the lagoons are resting spots for many thousands of migratory birds. At Qarat A] Kibrit erosion of salt has carved caves and open pits. Dark limestone has been brought to the surface by underground salt forcing its way upwards. The Arabian Oryx was re-introduced to a national park area on the Jiddat al Harasis and in 1994 UNESCO included the project on its World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is an area within the central desert and coastal hills biogeographical regions of Oman. Seasonal fogs and dews support a unique desert ecosystem whose diverse flora includes several endemic plants.
This region has 4districts -Hanna, Mahout, Dugm and A] Jazir-with a population of 23,058.

Musandam
The Musandam Peninsula covers an area of around 3.000 sq. kms, and is separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. The smallest and most northerly region of the Sultanate its rocky headland juts out into the Strait of Hormuz, giving it strategic domination over one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The navigable waters through the Strait are on the Omani side.


Some 28,263 people live in Musandam with the greatest concentration in Khasab, the regional capital. This governorate has 4 districts: Khasab, Bukha, Daba Al Baiya and Madha.
The magnificent Hajar mountain range dominates the Musandam landscape. The range extends about 640 kms from Ras Al Hadd in the south up to Khasab, and ends with the Ru'us Al Jabal (Heads of the Mountains) plunging dramatically and dizzily into the sea. The 1,800 metre mountains rise steeply above the region's rocky coastal inlets, and the resulting dramatic scenery has led to comparisons with Norway's fjords.


The Musandam area provides huge potential for tourism and several development schemes are underway to help exploit the region's many charms to its best advantage.