Uploaded by matheona on May 23, 2010
Oman
Its a curious observation about travelling in Oman that the moment you tuck behind a sand dune and begin erecting your tent, however discreetly, someone will park alongside and start camping too. Never mind that it is the only car youve seen all day; never mind that there are 2700km of beautiful, empty sandy beaches; never mind that the mountains are so lonesome in parts that only wolves and hedgehogs meander into the night; and never mind that memories of Thesiger are the only evocations of the living to issue from the dunes of the Empty Quarter the one-car-per-day will find yours and camp alongside.
What makes this observation a particularly topical one is that its only relatively recently that a network of roads and graded tracks, such as the coast road from Filim to Shwaymiyah, or the adventurous mountain track to the ancient tombs at Gaylah, has made it possible to penetrate Omans pristine landscapes, as well as its more visited ones. Muscat has been a port hub for many years, and today is the arrival point for everything from goods to cruise ships. In the Sharqiya Region you'll discover some of Oman's main attractions, like the beautiful beaches of Sur, turtle nesting sites in Ras Al-Jinz and the desert dunes of Sharqiya (Wahiba) Sands.Those who are sufficiently intrepid to get off the beaten track will find that they can have the desert to themselves quite easily without mounting a major expedition. Now that the secret of Omans great untouched beauty is out, however, it surely cant be long before groups of visitors are a common sight and it will no longer be necessary to seek the company of strangers at the end of a days exploration.
In the meantime, what should you say to the happy camper who parks in your space? As every hospitable Omani youll meet on your travels will tell you, theres only one answer: Ahlan wa salan! Welcome!In building a modern state, Sultan Qaboos chief strategy has been to create a highly trained local workforce through intensive investment in education. Schooling is free, even at tertiary level, and provision is made (until recently by helicopter) for children of even the remotest villages.With limited oil revenues, Oman cannot sustain costly expatriate labour, so a policy of Omanisation in every aspect of the workforce is rigorously pursued. In contrast to the rest of the region, it is refreshing to find locals often of both sexes working in all sections of society, from petrol pump attendants to senior consultants.Two central planks of the economy are self-sufficiency in food production, realised through intensive agriculture along the Batinah coast, and diversification of the economy. These schemes include the export of natural gas from a successful plant near Sur; an enormous port project in Salalah, the first phase of which is now complete; and the Sohar port project. The latter has already helped turn Sohar into a city reminiscent of its illustrious past with a university and large hospital complex. The decision to disperse new economic initiatives across the regions has helped keep local communities buoyant and helped slow the exodus of villagers migrating to the capital.A third central plank of the economy is tourism, which is growing rapidly. A large resort complex, Bandar Jissah, opened in the capital area in 2005, and in 2006 the Wave, a seafront residential and tourism development, started offering expats the opportunity to own property in Oman for the first time. In addition, one of the largest development projects on the Arabian Peninsula, called Blue City, is underway, with plans for an entire new town, canals and marinas, luxury hotels and recreational facilities, carved out of the desert around Sawadi.Much investment continues to be made in Omans infrastructure no mean feat given the challenges presented by the countrys size, remoteness and terrain. It is now possible to drive on sealed roads to most towns and villages across the country.
Money Exchanging money/Most banks will change US-dollar travellers cheques for a commission. Moneychangers keep similar hours to banks, but are often open from around 4pm to 7pm as well. They usually offer a slightly more competitive rate than the banks, and most charge only a nominal commission of 500 baisa per cash transaction.
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@HUMAIDSALIM Have a nice day to OMAN I love Oman people I was there 5y ago, great really OMAN IS THE BEST Yours matheona
matheona 1 year ago
thank you ! ^^
HUMAIDSALIM 1 year ago
@ghalib888 Thank you for watching matheona film,also thanks for your comment.Stay with matheona chennel to know the world around us and make it to be better. Yours matheona
matheona 1 year ago
Nice and a wonderful work ..
thanks..
ghalib888 1 year ago