Month-long balloon carnival coming soon to Oman

Muscat: A month-long balloon carnival is coming to Salalah this month for families who will be visiting the Dhofar region during the ongoing Khareef Festival. Called the Oman Balloon Carnival, the event will run in the region of Sahnout from July 20 to August 25, 2019, and will feature several games and activities to keep children and families alike entertained.
A spokesman for the organisers said: “The event will take place from July 20 until August 25, 2019 in Sahnout. There will be electric and digital games, bouncing castles, balloon events, a food court, Hologram and VR shows, an outdoor cinema, a racetrack challenge, entertainment shows, a children and family theatre, musical shows, laser shows, and entertainment shows,” the statement added.
A total of 8,000 metres of the carnival grounds will be reserved for electric, digital, and air games with the cooperation of some of the most famous entertainment companies in the Middle East, with the relevant tourism authorities having directed that the weather should be perfect for flying. The main goal of the carnival is not to churn out a profit, but rather to promote tourism in Salalah.
Mohammed Al Kindi, one of the event organisers, told Times of Oman: “The idea came from Khalid Al Nabhani, the owner of a photography firm called Sabeen. The private sector is also working hand-in-hand with the government in order to promote tourism and events in the governorate of Dhofar. It is non-profit. The goal is to provide maximum amount of entertainment and relaxation for the visitors in order to promote Salalah. So we want to make the carnival all-inclusive by lowering the prices and to make things fair. There will be a small entry fee, and there will be fees for each of the events. So you only pay for your entertainment, rather than making everybody pay a standard amount which will cover the costs of other people’s enjoyment,” he added. According to Al Kindi, prices will be lowered as much as possible for the event, which will take place by Sahnout spring in Dhofar.