Friday 20 / September / 2024
Muscat: Here is what is happening across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman.
Two mosques of Al-Safat in Wadi Bani Khalid, South Al Batinah Governorate are major tourist attractions
The two mosques of Al-Safat or Al-Salawat mosques in Wadi Bani Kharus in the Wilayat of Al-Awabi in the South Al Batinah Governorate are a tourist destination for many visitors to the Wilayat.
Harith bin Saif Al-Kharusi, an archaeologist, said: "The two mosques are separated by a distance of ten meters, between them is a staircase that reaches to the underground canal of Falaj Stal, where the depth of the channel is 5.41 meters below ground level. There is a staircase that leads to the underground canal, its roof lined with stone boulders, and the walls of the stairs were lined with large stones."
"The first Al-Safat Mosque is the northern mosque. It is a cube in shape, built on a rock, and a mud and stone platform has been laid to level the ground, since the land on which it is built is uneven. The mihrab is 2.2 meters high, consists of five parts and has four windows, and it has no external or internal edifice. It has also been maintained in different eras, " Al-Kharusi added.
" The outer wall of the first Al-Safat Mosque was covered with a more cohesive layer of mud mixed with straw to make the building more resistant to erosion, especially when it rains, and its foundations have been laid with a separating layer of local rocks known as (Salafa) and it is known in some Arab sources as (Slate stone), which is a metamorphic stone. It is made of clay stone and is characterised by its being in the form of sheets and its high resistance to moisture."
As for the second Al-Safat Mosque, Harith Al-Kharusi explained that the mosque is located in the southeast of the first Al-Safat Mosque, as it was built on the ground and was not built on the rock. Its external shape is close to the first Al-Safat Mosque.
It is worth noting that the Wilayat of Al Awabi in the South Al Batinah Governorate is characterised by many monuments, heritage monuments and famous aflaj, which are tourist attractions for many visitors to the villages of the Wilayat.
Sudent company at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Nizwa, Al Dakhiliyah Governorate produces treatment for white mold blight
A student company at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Nizwa has been able to produce a treatment to combat white mold or scale bugs in Jabal Akhdar.
Zahra bint Ibrahim Al Hadrami, CEO of Pure Green Oman, said: "We have produced a safe, natural and effective product extracted from natural waste materials and vegetable oils, which eliminates the pest and is a product that solves the problems that may cause food insecurity."
"The white mold pest completely destroys citrus and almond trees, in addition to pomegranate trees. Symptoms of white mold include pallor of plant leaves and wilting of stems, with the formation of a white cottony layer on the affected plant parts," Al Hadrami added.
Al-Hadhrami confirmed that the product was registered with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources , and samples were submitted for laboratory tests. It also obtained quality proof from the Omani Agricultural Association and granted intellectual property rights.
The CEO explained that the company has various participations, whether in dialogue sessions or exhibitions, including the session held at the Nizwa Cultural Center entitled "Youth is at the heart of our interest."
Maram bint Abdullah Al-Sulaimani, Vice President of Pure Oman, said:" The product serves a large segment of society, including farmers and people interested in the agricultural field."
On the company’s future plan, Amani bint Salim Al Tobi, Director of Human Resources for Pure Oman, said that by next year, the product will be developed using nanotechnology in cooperation with the Oman Agricultural Society, the development of a new product for the treatment of palm dubas, and efforts to sign contracts for the sale and distribution of the product in the Arab Gulf countries.
Office of the Governor of South Al Batinah reviews vegetable and fruit market project in Khazaen Economic City
The office of the Governor of South Al Batinah reviewed the vegetable and fruit market project in Khazaen Economic City and the investment opportunities available in the market, which is expected to open in mid-2024.
Engineer Salim bin Sulaiman Al-Dhahli, CEO of Khazaen Economic City, said :" Khazaen Central Market for vegetables and fruits is part of the Food City, which includes investments in the food sector. The construction phase in the market has begun and operations are expected to start in the middle of 2024, according to announcement of Khazaen Central Market Company for Vegetables and Fruits, the developer and main operator of the market."
Al-Dhahli added that 40 percent of the investments in Khazaen Economic City are foreign investments, explaining that the city combines logistical, industrial, commercial, residential and mixed-use activities.
"More than 87 investment agreements have been signed in the Economic City, where the occupancy rate in the city's first phase has exceeded 85 percent," Al-Dhahli added.
The meeting was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Saif bin Humair Al Malik Al Shehhi, Governor of South Al Batinah, Eng. Salim bin Sulaiman Al Dhahli, CEO of Khazaen Economic City, Director General of Administrative and Financial Affairs, Saif bin Hamad Al Naabi, Assistant Director General of the Governorate Municipality Bader Al Saidi, and a number of officials in the public and private sectors.
