Tuesday 30 / April / 2024
Muscat: Khareef Dhofar season 2023 astronomically will start on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. It will last until September 21, 2023.
Khareef season affects the coastal wilayats of Dhofar Governorate, specifically from the Wilayat of Dhalkut in the west to the Wilayat of Mirbat in the east, as a result of the monsoons and the flow of clouds coming from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean is set to begin. It will continue until the 21st of September.
The Khareef season is characterised by its cloudy and rainy weather and moderate temperatures, which decrease more in the high mountainous areas that are shrouded in fog associated with light rain, which makes Dhofar Governorate a destination for visitors and tourists from Oman and around the globe.
The mountainous areas and plains are covered in green as a result of the continuous light rains and intermittent drizzling on the plains and mountains.
Water flow increases in the water springs affected by the season and spread throughout the governorate, which are among the beautiful tourist attractions, the most prominent of which are the Ain Razat, Ain Hamran, Ain Gerziz, Ain Sahlnut and Ain Tobruk, in addition to the springs whose waterfalls fall when the amount of rain increases during the season, especially in August, the most famous of which are the waterfalls of Darbat, Athom and Kour and Jojeb, in addition to the Al-Houta waterfall in the Wilayat of Rakhyut.
The events and activities of the Dhofar Khareef season, organised by the Dhofar Municipality, will be held this year in several locations, including the 'Aten Square' in the Sahel Aten along with the the return to the past activities in the Hafah area, and various activities in some natural and tourist sites.
The Governorate of Dhofar is famous for many natural tourist attractions due to the diversity of its terrain and its marine, agricultural, mountainous and desert environments, in addition to the archaeological and historical sites included in the World Heritage List, most notably the Al-Baleed and Samhuram archaeological parks, the Frankincense Land Museum and the historical forts in the wilayats of Rakhyut, Taqa, Mirbat and Sadah.
Shopping centers and shops in Salalah witness an active commercial activity during this season, with tourists and visitors flocking to traditional products and industries, especially shops selling frankincense, incense, silver and pottery, Omani Halwa, and restaurants serving traditional Omani food.
The Salalah Plain is also distinguished by various agricultural products of a tropical nature, the most famous of which are coconuts, bananas, fava beans and sugar cane, in addition to natural reserves, and rich animal and marine wealth.
The number of visitors to the Khareef Dhofar season in 2022 was about 813,000 visitors and tourists, while the total visitor spending in the season amounted to OMR 86 million, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
