Khareef season begins in Oman

MUSCAT: Khareef season has officially started in the governorate of Dhofar. The annual tourist season, which starts from June 21 and continues until September 21, receives flocks of visitors from inside and outside the Sultanate.
With the start of the tourist season, the City of Salalah is the destination of choice for visitors from the Sultanate and other GCC countries to enjoy the beauty of its mountains, beaches and wonderful surroundings.
Salalah is one of the most important tourist resorts in the region during the months of July and August, with it being awarded the title of the Capital of the Arab Resorts of 2019.
A total of 826,376 people visited Salalah Tourism Season last year compared to 644,931 visitors in 2017, an increase of 28.1% according to the results of a survey conducted by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the Royal Oman Police (ROP) of the visitors to Salalah.
Visitor spending last year also rose by 14.5 per cent to OMR75 million compared to OMR66 million in 2017.
The National Centre for Statistics has already begun implementing the fieldwork for this year’s survey of visitors during the tourist season. The joint effort is expected to continue until September 21 in order to provide a reliable survey of the tourism sector in Dhofar Governorate.
Most of the coastal wilayats in the Governorate of Dhofar and its surrounding mountains, from the wilayat of Dhalkut in the west to the wilayat of Mirbat in the east, have a great climate during this period, with light rain, fog and green mountains.
Dhofar is blessed with white beaches, soft sands, a range of mountains, valleys, flat plains, desert extending to the Empty Quarter, water springs, natural fountains and various caves.
Shopping malls and shops in the city are also witnessing remarkable development. Salalah markets are full of traditional products and industries this season, especially the sale of frankincense, incense, silver and pottery industries, Omani sweets, meat, fresh milk and agricultural products.
The Salalah Agricultural Plain is also characterized by various tropical products, the most famous of which are coconut, banana, papaya and sugarcane, along with beautiful bamboo, natural reserves, rich livestock and marine resources.
There are also some beautiful tourist attractions that tourists are keen to visit, such as the plains and mountain ranges, as well as the main water springs scattered throughout the governorate, mainly Razat, Garziz, Hamran, Sahlnout, Athum and Darbat. The area of Al Mughsail beach attracts many tourists to see the Cave of Al Marnif and natural fountains. The Anti-Gravity Point in the Niyabat of Tawe Attir in the wilayat of Mirbat see their cars going up the hill in neutral gear (without any acceleration). The Anti-Gravity Point is located at the beginning of Aqabat Hasheer, off the main road to Mirbat City. The Governorate of Dhofar has many caves with natural elements, such as Ateen Cave near Ein Garziz, ten kilometres from the City of Salalah.
The concerned government and private agencies are prepared for the reception of tourist groups through the provision of facilities and services that meet the needs of tourists and the requirements of those coming to the governorate.