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Exploring the Wonders of Oman: Unforgettable Tours

Introduction: 

Oman, a hidden gem on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, is a country that boasts a rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality. Oman tours offer a gateway to discover the wonders of this enchanting destination, from ancient forts and vibrant markets to vast deserts and pristine coastlines. In this article, we embark on a journey through Oman's diverse landscapes and delve into the remarkable experiences that await travelers who choose to explore this captivating country.

Cultural Tours: 

Unveiling the Heritage: Oman is a treasure trove of history and culture, with a legacy that stretches back thousands of years. Cultural tours in Oman offer an opportunity to immerse yourself in the country's fascinating heritage.

Start your journey in the capital city of Muscat, where you can explore the grandeur of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Admire the intricate architecture, the largest hand-woven carpet in the world, and the stunning chandelier crafted with thousands of Swarovski crystals. Visit the Royal Opera House Muscat, a world-class venue showcasing Oman's rich artistic talent.

Venture to the historic city of Nizwa, known for its traditional souks and imposing Nizwa Fort. Delve into the bustling atmosphere of the Friday Market, where locals gather to sell a variety of goods, including pottery, livestock, and fruits. Experience the authentic Omani culture and witness the traditional craftsmanship in action.

For a glimpse into the past, explore the ancient city of Bahla and its impressive Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marvel at the fort's imposing walls and intricate architecture, which reflect the expertise of Omani craftsmen. Discover the unique mud-brick houses and the traditional falaj irrigation system, a testament to Oman's rich cultural heritage.

Desert Safaris: 

Journey into the Sands: Oman's deserts offer a mystical landscape of endless dunes, golden sunsets, and Bedouin traditions. Desert safaris provide an exhilarating experience, allowing you to explore the beauty of Oman's vast sandy landscapes.

Head to the Wahiba Sands, a majestic desert region located in central Oman. Embark on a thrilling 4x4 dune bashing adventure, navigating through the towering sand dunes that change color with the shifting sunlight. Experience the adrenaline rush as you ride over the undulating terrain, capturing panoramic views of the surrounding desert.

Immerse yourself in the Bedouin way of life by spending a night in a traditional desert camp. Witness a mesmerizing sunset over the dunes, savor a delicious Bedouin-style dinner, and indulge in stargazing, as the desert sky illuminates with countless twinkling stars. Wake up to the tranquil desert sunrise and engage in activities such as camel riding and sandboarding.

Another must-visit desert destination is the Rub' al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter. This vast expanse of desert is one of the largest sand deserts in the world, spanning Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Explore its captivating landscape, which features towering sand mountains and undisturbed stretches of sand as far as the eye can see.

Coastal Adventures: 

Discovering the Azure Waters: Oman's coastline is a playground for water enthusiasts, offering a range of coastal adventures that showcase the country's natural beauty and abundant marine life.

Embark on a sea tour in Muscat, where you can sail on a traditional dhow and marvel at the city's stunning coastline. Cruise along the azure waters, pass by iconic landmarks such as the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, and admire the rugged cliffs and golden beaches that define Muscat's shoreline.

For snorkeling and diving enthusiasts, the Daymaniyat Islands provide an opportunity to explore pristine coral reefs and encounter vibrant marine species. Dive into crystal-clear waters teeming with colorful fish, turtles, and other mesmerizing marine creatures. Swim among the coral gardens and be mesmerized by the underwater world that surrounds you.

Head south to Salalah and discover the stunning beaches and hidden coves that dot the coastline. Take a dip in the turquoise waters of Al Mughsail Beach, known for its dramatic blow holes that shoot water high into the air. Explore the coral reefs, go kayaking, or simply relax on the pristine beaches, soaking in the tranquility of this coastal paradise.

Conclusion: 

Oman tours offer a captivating journey through a country that seamlessly blends history, culture, and natural beauty. From exploring ancient forts and vibrant souks to venturing into the mystical deserts and indulging in coastal adventures, Oman offers an array of experiences that cater to every traveler's interests. Discover the warmth of Omani hospitality, embrace the rich heritage, and create lasting memories in this extraordinary destination.

References:

"Cultural Tours in Oman" - Ministry of Heritage and Culture Oman. Retrieved from: http://www.mhc.gov.om/

"Desert Safari Oman" - Lonely Planet. Retrieved from: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/oman/activities/desert-safaris/a/pa-act/361173

"Sea Tours and Water Activities" - Oman Tourism. Retrieved from: https://experienceoman.om/experiences/sea-tours

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My Best Travel Experiences of 2019: Flights and Hotels

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My Best Travel Experiences of 2019: Flights and Hotels

Time to wrap up 2019 with an overview of my travel highlights of the year. In this post I review my best flight and hotel experiences of the year. In a second post, I talk about my favourite destinations of 2019.

Flights

2019 was another great aviation year for me with:

107 flights (152,446 miles) (6.1x around the earth, 370 hours up in the air)

3 First Class flights with British Airways and Qatar Airways

24 Business Class flights with Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Cathay Dragon, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Oman Air and Turkish Airlines

5 Premium Economy flights with Austrian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa and Norwegian

Best First Class Flight: Qatar Airways

In June, I redeemed 50,000 British Airways avios + €112 for Qatar Airways First Class from Doha to Frankfurt on the A380. Check my Instagram TV for the full trip report. Consistent service & great value. Still my favourite airline whatever cabin I fly.

Best Error Fare: British Airways First Class

As my focus in travel shifted towards new destinations, I didn’t book as many error fares as in the past. Also the number of published error fares has been on the decline the past years. Still I managed to fly some great error fares in 2019.

Norwegian B789 Premium Economy from Singapore to London OW (€78)

LOT Polish Airlines B788 Business Class Copenhagen to Singapore RT (€653)

British Airways B747 First Class Cape Town to Barcelona RT (€774)

The Norwegian flight from Singapore to London Gatwick was the very last one before Norwegian suspended their service to Singapore. 14 hours in Premium Economy for €78 was a heck of a deal. I also received €100 in Norwegain CashPoints as compensation for my broken seat on the flight. The LOT Polish Airlines Business Class error fare earned me 16,206 status miles with Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles enough to renew my Star Alliance Gold status for another two years. But the title for “Best Error Fare of the Year” goes to the British Airways First Class Cape Town to Barcelona for €774 roundtrip earning me 40,420 avios and 560 tier points renewing my OneWorld Sapphire status. Check my British Airways First Class IG Stories: Part 1, Part 2.

Best Miles Redemption: Turkish Airlines Regional Business Class

In May, I redeemed 15,000 miles + €157 for a roundtrip Brussels to Izmir via Istanbul in Turkish Airlines Business Class. This deal was part of a promotion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles loyalty program. Apart from the low number of miles required for this award, I also got to fly the new Turkish Airlines regional business class. Definitely the best Business Class you can get on European flights!

Other great redemption in 2019 worth a mention:

Turkish Airlines Business: Brussels to Muscat 35K Miles & More miles + €195

Oman Air Business: Muscat to Doha 6K Etihad Guest miles + €85

Ethiopian Airlines Business: Brussels to Mekelle RT 70K M&M miles + €134

Turkish Airlines Business: Brussels to Bahrain 29K KrisFlyer miles + €130

Hotels

Pic: El Patio Courtyard House Tunis (Apr 2019) In 2019, I stayed 107 nights at hotels:

Hilton: 46 nights

Hilton: 26

DoubleTree by Hilton: 12

Hilton Garden Inn: 7

Hampton by Hilton: 1

IHG: 13 nights

Holiday Inn: 8

Holiday Inn Express: 3

InterContinental: 2

Park Inn: 5 nights

Hyatt: 5 nights

Marriott: 2 nights

Airbnb: 3 nights

Other: 33 nights

TOTAL: 107 nights

Despite having Spire Elite Ambassador status at IHG Rewards Club, my business shifted to Hilton due to a lack of top tier elite recognition at IHG. I still don’t get it why no complimentary breakfast is offered to the highest elite members at IHG while it is a standard perk at Hilton Honors as soon as you hit Gold status. I status matched my IHG Spire Elite to Hilton Honors Diamond and stayed 30 times at Hilton this year to renew my Diamond status for 2020.

Best Error Rate: Hilton Phuket Arcadia

In February, I stayed 3 nights at a Superior Deluxe Suite at Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. The 138 sq. m. suite featured panoramic ocean views, balcony with jacuzzi and more… Thanks to an error, it was possible to book this suite for €135 per night during Chinese New Year, the same price as a regular room. Check my Instagram Stories for a full tour of the suite & hotel grounds.

Best Hotel Redemption: Hyatt Regency Bali

In January, I stayed 5 nights in a Regency Suite at the new Hyatt Regency Bali. I bought the required 40K World of Hyatt points for ˜€600 instead of paying €2693 cash for the stay. An excellent deal which included complimentary breakfast and club lounge access. Full trip report on my Instagram Stories.

Best City Hotel: Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort

After having stayed at a few dozen hotels in Bangkok in the past 10 years, Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort is one of my absolute favourites. It offers a true sanctuary along the riverside of this bustling city with it huge pool, sundecks and outdoor jacuzzi. Using HotelsCombined you can usually book the hotel between €120 and €140 per night.

Best Elite Recognition: DoubleTree Resort Zanzibar – Nungwi

I november I stayed as Hilton Honors Diamond member at DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Zanzibar – Nungwi. I was upgraded to an Ocean view room with direct beach access, complimentary minibar, complimentary breakfast & dinner (!), 6PM late-checkout and 15-min free foot massage at the SPA. The staff was super friendly and service minded. The rooms weren’t fancy or newly renovated, but the service compensated for it. Full Zanzibar trip report on my Instagram Stories.

Conclusion

Despite not being my main focus anymore, loyalty programs and their points & miles combined with error fares and error rates uplifted my travel experiences once again in 2019. What were your flight and hotel highlights of 2019? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below. Have an awesome travel year 2020!

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Normalising relations with Israel will not benefit Gulf states | GCC

The November 11 Israeli raid on Gaza that resulted within the deaths of seven Palestinians, a senior Hamas commander and an Israeli officer was a spectacular failure. The botched covert operation triggered embarrassment not only for Israel, but in addition for Egypt and the UN, who’ve been trying to dealer a long-term truce between Hamas and Israel. The picture of Qatar, which has been offering essential help to Gaza to stabilise the scenario and provides solution to peace efforts, has additionally been broken on account of the debacle.

At first look, the timing of the raid might have appeared odd, because it got here within the wake of concerted efforts to normalise relations between Israel and the Gulf states. Nonetheless, it didn’t shock anybody aware of Israel’s unreliability and unpredictability – it proved but once more leopard can’t change its spots.

Fast steps in direction of normalisation 

In current weeks, Israeli administration has been on a grand campaign for normalisation.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s shock journey to Oman on October 25 marked the primary go to by an Israeli chief to the sultanate, which doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Israel, in over 20 years. In the meantime, Bahrain and Israel are believed to be holding secret talks in preparation for establishing diplomatic relations.

On October 25, Qatari authorities broke with Arab sporting protocol and allowed Israeli flags to be displayed on the 48th World Creative Gymnastics Championships in Doha. On October 28, Miri Regev, Israel’s hardline Minister for Tradition and Sports activities, attended a judo match in Abu Dhabi, at which the Israeli nationwide anthem was performed. Two days later, Israel’s Communications Minister Ayoub Kara gave a speech in Dubai.

Makes an attempt at normalisation between Israel and the Gulf states aren’t new. Many Arab states have lengthy believed the highway to American validation runs by Israel. This was the principle driver behind Qatar’s choice to allow the opening of an Israeli commerce workplace in Doha within the 1990s. 

What’s new this time round is the momentum behind the flurry of diplomatic exercise, which indicators the ratcheting up of American pressures for normalisation between the Gulf States and Israel. The daring and uncompromising assist for Israel displayed by President Donald Trump, coupled together with his clear curiosity in mobilising a grand coalition to oppose Iran, have left little room for hesitation for Gulf states in relation to accepting a degree of relationship with Israel. That area shrunk additional when Saudi Arabia, with the assist of Abu Dhabi, imposed a blockade on Qatar in June 2017, fragmenting the unity of the GCC. Riyadh put additional strain on different Gulf states to normalise their relations with Israel this yr when it shaped a diplomatic alliance with Washington and Tel Aviv to guard its beleaguered Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) within the aftermath of the Khashoggi affair. 

Normalisation on the expense of the Palestinians 

It’s evident that any progress in Gulf-Israel relations can solely occur on the expense of the Palestinians. 

Israel’s normalisation drive goals to abort as soon as and for all of the Saudi-brokered Arab Peace Initiative – the ten-sentence proposal endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 calling for the normalisation of relations between the Arab world and Israel in trade for a full withdrawal by Israel from the occupied territories (together with East Jerusalem) and a “simply settlement” of the Palestinian refugee drawback.

Israel has already discovered some success on this technique. It satisfied Riyadh to indicate assist for a peace deal that might fully bypass the difficulty of occupied Palestinian lands – one thing that till just lately stood as the principle barrier in entrance of Arab-Israeli normalisation. Saudi Arabia’s de facto chief MBS declared in April that the Palestinians ought to “settle for Trump’s proposals or shut up” – implying the continuing occupation is not seen by Riyadh as an impassable impediment to normalisation.

Oman’s intentions 

The truth that Oman- a Gulf nation that takes satisfaction in its capability to go in opposition to the Saudi tide when obligatory – is driving the Gulf-Israeli normalisation efforts, nonetheless, signifies that the Palestinian management is probably not fully bypassed within the ongoing normalisation course of. 

Oman is unlikely to have submitted to Israeli and American strain for unconditional normalisation. The Sultanate, which is thought for its willingness to supply a platform for constructive mediation in regional disputes, in all probability hoped to attain extra than simply normalising its relations with Tel Aviv when it agreed to host Netanyahu in Muscat. In truth, Oman’s International Minister Yusuf bin Alawi travelled to Ramallah to fulfill Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas solely a day after Netanyahu’s go to, indicating that Oman’s choice to formally welcome Netanyahu was not supposed to be on the expense of the Palestinians.

Nonetheless, earlier than trying to function a bridge between Israel and the Palestinian management, Oman ought to study Netanyahu and his authorities’s excessive right-wing politics critically and think about Israel’s well-established report of unreliability and unpredictability. 

Classes to remember earlier than edging nearer to normalisation

There are a number of classes that Oman and different Gulf states ought to keep in mind earlier than edging any nearer to normalisation with Israel:

Firstly, Arab leaders want to know what Netanyahu and his ministers are attempting to attain with their visits to their nations. Israel needs its statehood to be recognised internationally and Israeli officers’ visits to Arab states massively assist these efforts. For the reason that 1991 Madrid Convention, Israel has managed to slowly widen its worldwide community and acquire recognition amongst states in Asia, Africa and elsewhere on the idea that it has already engaged the Palestinians in a peace course of. By pretending to be looking forward to peace and normalisation, it gained the popularity of a number of necessary states, together with India and the Vatican, regardless that the peace course of was stillborn. It has since perpetrated three wars on Gaza however didn’t lose a lot recognition, as most states discover it laborious to sever established bilateral relations. 

Secondly, Netanyahu isn’t any Yitzhak Rabin. He didn’t hesitate to slap the Omanis within the face by attacking Gaza solely days after they rolled out the purple carpet to welcome him in Muscat. And the November 11 assassination raid adopted per week during which Israel accepted the constructing of 20,000 new houses within the West Financial institution settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and ordered a massively disproportionate retaliation in Gaza, bringing the variety of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2018 to over 200. These actions ship a message to any nascent allies within the Gulf that they need to work with Israel in keeping with its phrases and situations and that exchanging official visits shouldn’t be misunderstood as a softening in posture in direction of the Palestinians. On this sense, Arab states want to know that any unconditional trade of visits with Israel will inevitably strengthen the hand of dominant right-wing forces within the nation and embolden them to do extra. 

Thirdly, being a populist chief, Netanyahu is totally aware of the truth that, within the age of social media, world public opinion is quickly shifting in opposition to Israel. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) motion had relative success within the US and largely gained the battle of public opinion in Europe, making him really feel threatened. On this atmosphere, normalisation with Arab states would give much-needed leverage to the Israeli PM and permit him to push ahead his diplomatic efforts aimed toward securing elite approval. The connection between his administration and most Arab states would most certainly be framed within the context of competitors over public opinion. This implies, if Oman and others proceed their rapprochement with Israel, Netanyahu will make sure that the world is watching – the Gulf states might want to brace themselves for unflattering leaks and media consideration orchestrated by Israel.

Regardless of all this, some Gulf states, determined for Western approval after being rocked by the fallout of the Khashoggi affair, are more likely to go a lot additional than the present spate of ministerial visits and sports activities diplomacy, with out inserting any situation for progress on the Palestinian entrance. Normalisation with Israel will at all times be a tough promote and the Arab Avenue won’t ever purchase into it. It’s a harmful sport to play for the Gulf’s unelected rulers, particularly so quickly after the, albeit unsuccessful, Arab Spring which demonstrated what folks energy can do within the area. There’s a lot to study from the experiences of Egypt and Jordan – their leaders might have signed peace treaties with Israel, but many years later, Egyptian and Jordanian folks’s notion of Israel stays the identical. Finally, if normalisation just isn’t a part of a much bigger image of peace and stability, it is not going to profit anybody and might solely discredit those that take the primary steps in direction of dialogue with Israel.

The views expressed on this article are the writer’s personal and don’t essentially mirror Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.  

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via Today Bharat On August 28, Peddulu was reunited with his family in Jagtial district of Telangana. As the airplane took off the tarmac at Dubai international airport and the seat-belt sign went off, 35-year-old Jangili Peddulu heaved a sigh of relief. He was ecstatic, thankful to his fate, even as a montage of troubling images from the last five years flashed before his eyes. At last, he was going to meet his family in a few hours. Five days earlier, on August 21, he was stopped by immigration officials at the same airport and prevented from flying out of the country, for he had only an emergency certificate or temporary passport and not the UAE administration’s exit permit to leave. Without wasting time, as soon as the airplane took off, he requested his co-passenger at the window seat for a few aerial photographs and video of “the impossible city”, a city where an individual like him, as he believed, could have become someone through sheer hard work. He is not sure if he could ever return even if he wished to. On August 28, Peddulu was reunited with his family in Jagtial district of Telangana. Now in the comforts of his residence, by the side of his wife, aging father, and schoolgoing children, Peddulu advises friends and acquaintances to never do what he had done. “I want to ask everyone to travel to the Gulf only after securing valid employment and travel documents, and never trust an agent,” Thanks to an ongoing amnesty scheme that was rolled out by the UAE administration in the wake of rising coronavirus cases, allowing all foreign nationals with VISA expired before March 1 to leave the country without a penalty or prosecution. The short-term amnesty that began on May 18 and was to end on August 18 has now been further extended till November 17. “Since May, I have been trying to come back home. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic struck Dubai, thousands of people like me had been out of work. It was a complete shutdown,” says Peddulu. He says during this period he had to borrow Rs 25,000 from home and another Rs 60,000 from a friend to clear personal dues before returning home. In Bur Dubai, Jytha Narayana, a social worker who also hails from Jagtial district of Telangana, has been running from pillar to post to help irregular migrants like Peddulu safely return home. Irregular migrants, in human rights parlance, refer to those who have been overstaying in a country. Speaking to indianexpress.com over the telephone, he says he is working currently with at least 40 migrants who had “accidentally” crossed over to Dubai from Muscat and are waiting to return home by making use of the amnesty. Most people do not have a single document to prove even their nationality, he says. “When we go to the Indian Consulate in Dubai, we should at least have documents to prove their Indian nationality. We need to get a clearance certificate from the police station concerned stating there are no active criminal cases against the applicant. In Peddulu’s case, it took three full months before he could get an emergency outpass,” says Narayana. A majority of such migrants wishing to return home are from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he says. Swadesh Parkipandla, a resident of Jagtial and the president of Pravasi Mithra Labour Union, said in the case of such irregular migrants, a certificate is required from the district collector of the applicant’s native district in India to prove his/her nationality. In a similar case recently, the wife of another man stranded in Dubai after having crossed over from Oman four years ago appealed to the Jagtial district administration to coordinate with the Centre and the Indian Consulate in Dubai to facilitate his safe return. On August 8, along with the volunteers of the Union, Mulkala Jyothi pleaded that her husband Sathyam be brought back home. Sathyam has been working in Dubai as an irregular migrant worker and wished to return home in wake of the pandemic. According to Parkipandla, there are hundreds of irregular migrants, like Sathyam, wishing to return home. Hyderabad-Mumbai-Muscat and then Dubai Peddulu’s trysts with the Gulf started in 2010 when he first travelled to Saudi Arabia in search of a job but had to return a month. As a tractor driver in Jagtial, he was earning around Rs 6000 a month. But dreams of a better standard of living for his family once again prompted him to travel to Dubai in 2011. This time, he stayed in Bur Dubai along with several others from Telangana, did painting, welding, gardening, and everything that came his way. As a houseboy he was earning a monthly income of around Rs 60,000, six times higher than what he used to earn back home, and managed to send home nearly half of that. Later, according to him, it was when he wanted to visit his family back home that he realised that his VISA had long expired. By then, after running away from his original sponsor he had been overstaying in the country for 18 months. He was sent to jail for three days and then deported with a hefty penalty. For him, return to the village was merely physical as his mind stayed back in Dubai. The jobs back at home were no match to Dubai, in terms of the remuneration. At the same time, having been deported there was no way he could go back. Even after returning, Peddulu was in touch with people in Dubai. As time passed, his desperation was felt by some who offered to help. In 2015, he managed a visit-visa stamp for Muscat on his passport. The Oman capital was hardly the destination. “I was in touch with friends in Dubai who put me in touch with a local agent in Jagtial who, in turn, connected me to a few men from Kerala in Muscat,” he said. “It was a total package of travel from Jagtial to Dubai. I paid around Rs 1.10 lakh without enquiring about the entire details.” When he reached Muscat, the Keralites took his original passport and gave him another passport with a Muslim identity. Along with 10 others, Peddulu says he was put up in a room for the next 15 days. As it was the month of Ramzan, they mostly stayed indoors. In groups of two or three, they were shifted to Dubai in vegetable vans. “We took the highway. At the border, when the armed guards checked the vehicle and spoke to the driver in Arabic we knew anything could have happened.” It was a relief once the vehicle reached Dubai. He had already lived in Dubai for three years. He worked as a “houseboy” in several houses, worked odd-jobs making a decent living for his family back home till the pandemic struck the city. Risking life for better livelihood According to Mandha Bheem Reddy, a senior migrant rights activist and the president of Emigrants Welfare Forum, while many are cheated by organised criminals, many migrant workers have died at the Oman-UAE border when the military on either side opened fire at them. In May 2012, Durgam Bheemaiah of Velagatoor in Jagtial district was allegedly shot dead by Oman’s border security forces while he was crossing the border from Muscat to Dubai. He had gone to the Gulf in search of livelihood and ran away from his sponsor in Dubai to Oman. “He was an irregular migrant in Oman, and he was unable to pay the heavy penalty. So he chose the desert way to come back to India via Dubai,” says Bheem Reddy, adding that for over eight years the family has been awaiting an ex gratia amount from the government, but in vain. “Whether these migrants are taking this path knowingly or unknowingly, it is certain that the motive is to earn a better living for their families,” says Bheem Reddy pointing out that nearly 90 per cent of those who opt this route are senior migrants who have already lived and worked in Dubai for several years. In many cases, workers run away from their sponsors in search of better remuneration, become overstayers in that country, and face a “life ban” for violating local laws while returning to their home country. “The government will take their biometrics and deport them permanently. It is usually these immigration deportees who crossover from Oman to Dubai to rejoin their once gainful employment or even work as part-time as houseboys, car washers, etc which are quite lucrative.” Forgery, Impersonation and illegal use of passport On his return to Mumbai, Peddulu was briefly detained and questioned by the immigration officials at Mumbai International Airport based on a lookout circular issued against him. Days after he had traveled to Muscat in 2015, the Dabolim Airport Police Station in Goa arrested a 31-year-old man named Syed Baseer Ahmed, a native of Tamil Nadu, on charges of forgery, impersonation and utilising the genuine passport issued to Peddulu, by replacing the photograph. According to a summons notice from the Goa police dated September 14, 2015, Peddulu is a witness in the case. According to another notice, dated 26 July, 2016, the Regional Passport Officer-Hyderabad, had sought a written explanation from Peddulu regarding his passport found being used by another person. Failure to explain could result in action against him under the Passport Act, 1967. “At the airport, he was served a notice under Section 41 CrPC directing him to cooperate in the investigation and released on a personal bond. He is suspected of having sold his passport. In this case, it was another Indian who returned or else it could have been anyone. That is a threat to national security,” said Bheem Reddy. Migrants rights activists have been voicing out against organised human trafficking of workers who end up in a foreign country as ‘irregular migrants’ without any access to health or justice. They urged the government to thoroughly investigate such cases so as to prevent it.

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Things to do in Tunis in 3 days – Complete guide

Once a mass tourism destination that received thousands and thousands of tourists per year, including being a popular stopover for a shit load of Mediterranean cruise ships, after the 2015 terrorist attacks in Sousse, the city (and country) saw a massive decline still visible today.

Many shops were shut down, some tourist attractions were closed and the streets of one of the most charming cities in North Africa were suddenly empty. 

After all these years, however, the country seems to be slowly recovering, as the entangled alleys of the Medina seem to finally have come back to life and, in the Roman sites of Carthage, tour groups abound.

Locals are happy to see tourists coming back and that’s why I think now is the best time to travel to Tunis. 

This guide contains things to do in Tunis in a 3 day-itinerary (including off the beaten track things),  as well as everything you need to know regarding transportation tips, best tours and more.

    Here you will find:

Intro: Why visit Tunis Best time to visit Tunis Where to stay in Tunis Tours in & from Tunis How to travel to Tunis How to move around Tunis Things to do in Tunis in 3 days

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  Intro: Why visit Tunis

A third Mediterranean, a third European and a third North African, Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, is the Maghrebi city with perhaps, the largest cultural contrasts.

From the wine-lovers, secular people of Carthage to the traditional families from the Medina and their Italian-like local restaurants, the capital of Tunisia has always been kind of in the middle of the way, so that’s why today, it is a real mix of all its surrounding cultures, to the extent that you will have a hard time trying to define it.

I spent 5 days visiting Tunis and I just loved it.

I liked it because, on the one hand, you have a great Arab Medina, not very different from the ones in Morocco, but way more welcoming, as you don’t bump into the classical hustlers that you typically find in the touristic lanes of Morocco.

I liked it because as soon as you step out of the Medina, you are suddenly in a quarter with European-like facades, boulangeries, churches and gelato stalls, and the air is quite often filled with freshly made Italian pizza.

I liked it because the city is also home to great Roman ruins that overlook the fertile, green lands that surround Tunis and the Gulf.

But above all, I liked it because I was very surprised by the complexity of the Tunisian society living in Tunis: on the one hand, traditionally Maghrebi but, on the other, here you find one of the largest Westernized, secular societies I have ever seen in the Arab world, even comparable to Beirut.

Add to this, all the things to do in Tunis like visiting impressive sites, mosques, museums and savoring their cuisine, which is a real North African-Italian blend, and you have a first-class tourist destination which you don’t want to miss.

Is Tunis worth the weekend trip? Good question. Whenever you go to such exotic destinations, travelers like to spend several days, but they’ll never think of going all the way to Tunisia to just visit its capital. If you live in North America or somewhere in Asia, I agree, but seriously, if you are in Europe, you can easily reach Tunis in 2 or 3 hours, and I think it would be a great alternative to the classic European capitals people tend to visit on long weekends. And by the way, you can get a free visa on arrival.

Tunis main Cathedral

  Best time to visit Tunis (the city)

Tunis is a Mediterranean city.

I visited it in April from Barcelona, and not surprisingly, the weather between both cities was the exact same, perhaps 1 or 2 additional ºC. 

This means that, like most south European cities, Tunis is a year-round-destination with 4 different seasons:

Winter (mid-November to February) – It will be cold, but the temperature shouldn’t go below 0 except on very especific days. Good for day-sightseeing.

Spring and autumn (March to May and mid-September to mid-November) – Perfect timing. Pleasant weather during the day, but you may need a thin coat or jacket at night. 

Summer (June to mid-September) – Extremely hot during the day, but evenings can be pleasant and the temperature is hot enough for swimming.

Read: A guide to visiting Muscat in Oman

  Where to stay in Tunis

Backpacker Hostel – Medina Youth Hostel  – Located in the heart of the Medina, this is the most backpacking-friendly hostel in Tunis. Very simple, but cheap, and where you are likely to meet the few backpackers visiting Tunis.

Mid-range hotel – Dar La Leila – Super nice, traditionally decorated lovely hotel, the top-rated hotel in Tunis, and super charming stuff.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE LATEST PRICES

  Top-end hotel – Dar El Jeld Hotel and Spa – A 5-star but traditional hotel that offers all the luxuries.

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE LATEST PRICES

  Airbnb – You can also find loads of different choices and, if you create a new account through my link, you will get up to 35€ of free credit in your next booking. 

SIGN UP THROUGH THIS LINK TO GET YOUR 35€ OF FREE CREDIT

  Best tours in Tunis and day tours from Tunis

I visited Tunis independently, but if you want to visit the mazes of the Medina with a local guide, or just want to do day trips to nearby places with an organized tour, there are many options.

I recommend you look for these tours via GetYourGuide, a website that offers a large variety of budget tours which can be booked in just 1 click.

Carthage and Sidi Bou Said – A guided tour through the Roman ruins of Carthage and the Santorini-like city of Sidi Boud Said. CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES

Bardo Museum & Medina – The classic Medina and the museum containing one of the largest collection in the world of Roman mosaics. CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES

Day trip to Kairouan & El Jem – The holiest city and, perhaps, the biggest standing Roman Amphitheatre in the world, after the Colosseum in Rome. CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES

CLICK HERE TO CHECK ALL AVAILABLE TOURS IN TUNIS

The alleys of the Medina of Tunis

  How to travel to Tunis

How to visit Tunis by air

I am pretty sure that, before the 2015 attacks, the International Airport of Tunis had frequent flights from all over Europe but today, at least from Barcelona, there were just 2 or 3 direct flights a week, operated by Tunis Air – during the month of April at least.

On the bright side, it is less than a 3-hour flight from pretty much anywhere in Western Europe and in the worst-case scenario, you will just need to do a quick layover in Paris.

How to visit Tunis by land

Tunisia only shares a border with Libya and Algeria:

Libya: The border is actually open, but you are unlikely to cross from there, as only crazy people travel to Libya and even if you were willing to, the visa costs a shit load of money.

Algeria: Algeria is becoming popular these days and the border is open. Actually, my initial plan was traveling to Algeria and then overland to Tunisia but, since my passport was full of ambiguous stamps such as Iraq or Syria, they denied my visa, so I flew to Tunis instead.

Read: a guide to visit Tbilisi

  How to move around Tunis

Going and coming from the airport

The airport of Tunis is very close to the city center and taxi would be your best bet, especially because it is very cheap, but you should be aware that Tunis airport is well-known for its taxi mafia.

They will try to charge you around 15-30 dinars, making whatever excuse about airport tax, parking,  baggage fees, etc., but it is all bullshit, and illegal.

The local price for going to downtown is 4 dinars, and it can’t go higher because all taxis should switch on their taximeter. 

Paying 4 dinars with the taxi mafia is nearly impossible so, instead, just go out of the airport (to the left), cross the street and catch the first taxi you see.

Note: There is a bus just outside of the airport but the taxi is so cheap that I doubt all the hassle is worth it.

Moving around the city

Taxi – They are so cheap, really and they all have taximeters, so they will never rip you off. Short rides cost around 1-3 dinars, which is barely 1€.

Tram – The center of Tunis is well-connected by a European-like tram and a single ticket costs a few cents. An easy, and nice way to move around. 

Moving from downtown to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said

Train – Carthage and Sidi Bou Said belong to Tunis but they are located more than 15km away. They are, however, connected by a train that runs all day long until midnight. Check What to do on day 3 section.

  Things to do in Tunis in 3 days

For just visiting the highlights, you must spend at least 3 days visiting Tunis, and this is the itinerary I recommend:

Map of the places to visit in Tunis – Itinerary

  Places to visit in Tunis on day 1 – The Medina

A UNESCO World Heritage site founded in the 7th century by the Arabs, the Medina of Tunis is not surprisingly for North Africa, a maze of alleys, tunnels and traditional life.

The Medina had been the heart of Tunis for over 1,000 years but in the 19th century, when the French built the European-like Ville Nouvelle, the main soul of Tunis shifted to downtown along with many families who moved out of the Medina. 

If you spend a fair amount of time exploring all the alleys, you will see that some parts are uncared for, and dirty, but the reason is that those houses belonged to families that decided to move to the new, trendy part of the city.

Still, there are quite a few sites to explore, and besides all the cafés, souks and mosques, these are the places I recommend you to check out.

Remember that the guys from GetYourGuide offer a great day tour around the Medina. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Things to do in the Medina of Tunis – Highlights

Visit Zaytouna Mosque – Dating back to the 8th century, the mosque was named ”olive tree” because it is said that the founder Hassan Ibn Nooman had lessons under an olive tree planted somewhere in the mosque.

The mosque looks simple, but it is gorgeous and my favorite part was that the courtyard columns are original Roman Corinthian columns recycled from Roman Carthage.

Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the prayer room, only the courtyard.

Zaytouna mosque

Check out Blacksmith’s souq – From an overwhelmingly number of souvenir souks selling all sort of crap to fabrics and everything in between, the only souq I actually liked (for being less touristic) was the blacksmith’s souq, located south of Zaytouna Mosque, at the lane located on its right side (coming from Place de la Victoire).

Basically, you will find plenty of blacksmiths handcrafting different metal objects.

A blacksmith in the Medina of Tunis

Enjoy the view from a rooftop café – Next to the main mosque, there are a couple of cafés with a rooftop that overlooks the Medina skyline. 

Tourbet El Bey – A mausoleum containing tens of tombs from all the important people that lived during Ali Pasha’s reign, in the 18th century. The Ottoman-era green dome is the highlight of the place.

Because of the tourism decline, entering is a bit tricky, as it is not officially opened, but there is one local guy that has the key. I tried entering the first time with no success but, on my way back, an old man approached me, claiming that he could open it for me, plus he gave me a guided tour inside. He only charged me 7 dinars.

Dar Ben Abdallah Palace – This is supposed to be the best house palace in the Medina but, unfortunately, it was closed when I came, so I just checked it from outside. This palace is a clear example of how rich people used to live in the Medina in the 19th century.

Tourbet El Bey

  What to do in Tunis on day 2 – Bardo Museum & Ville Nouvelle and around

On your second day, I recommend you pay a visit to the Bardo Museum and then spend the rest of your day in the European Quarter of Tunis.

How to visit the Bardo Museum in Tunis

This is the best museum to visit in Tunis.

Placed inside one of the best palaces in the country, Bardo Museum contains one of the largest collection in the world of Roman mosaics, which once adorned the presumptuous Roman villas you are likely to visit during your trip around the country.

The museum, however, is today a bit messy, as many rooms and areas are going under an eternal renovation process, like most touristic sites in the country. 

It opens from 9am to 5pm, from Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance fee 11 dinars. It is 5km from downtown, but you can reach it by tram.

Remember that the guys from GetYourGuide offer a great day tour to Bardo Museum (combined with the Medina). CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

  Things to do in Ville Nouvelle – Highlights

Ville Nouvelle is the colonial French district.

Here you find some churches, fancy hotels, boulangeries, endless Italian restaurants, gelato stalls, bars, and pretty much anything you may find in France, but with a Maghrebi touch and way more chaotic.

The district is huge, composed of several streets from all sizes, and I recommend you begin your day walking around randomly to check all the Marseille-like facades, and end your day in Habib Bourguiba. 

Habib Bourguiba – The main avenue in Ville Nouvelle doesn’t look like a North African avenue, like not at all. Composed of tree-lined streets filled with terraces where the locals meet over an espresso, this is the best place to end up your day and check out what modern Tunis is like. 

Beer in Tunis, Jamaica Bar

Synagogue of Tunis – Amazing place. This is the only still functional synagogue I have ever seen in an Arab country. Well, apparently, there is one in Cairo as well, but I never saw it. The one in Tunis is surrounded by wire and a few armed soldiers.

You can only enter with a special permit and, if you come close to check it from outside, you will trigger the soldier’s attention but if they see you are a tourist, you will be fine. For me, this was one of the best places to visit in Tunis.

the Synagogue of Tunis

Abandoned Hotel (Hotel du Lac) – At the end of Habib Bourguiba to the left, there is a wing-shaped abandoned hotel. If you like this kind of stuff, then you can’t miss it. You can find the location on the map. 

Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul – It’s funny that Tunis is the only Arab capital whose main square is dominated by a Cathedral and not a mosque. 

Jamaica Bar – In Habib Bourguiba, Al Hana Hotel has a rooftop bar in its 10th floor, where you get the best panoramic views of the city.  

Abandoned hotel du Lac

  What to see in Tunis on day 3 – La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, and La Marsa

Welcome to fancy Tunis.

This part of the city has 4 distinctive areas worth to check out, each one being so different from each other.

How to get here from downtown

There is a train that runs all day long until almost midnight. It leaves from the end of Habib Bourguiba.

One single ticket costs 0.7 dinars, and each area has its own train station, la Goulette being the first station, which is 16km from downtown.

Alternatively, you can go by taxi, which costs 10 dinars to La Goulette.

  Things to do in La Goulette – Highlights

La Goulette is the first neighborhood you bump into when coming from downtown, an area which is definitely humbler than the rest, much more local, but here you also find the best and cheapest seafood restaurants in the city, all of them always packed with locals from all social levels who wish to enjoy fresh seafood on a budget. 

I strongly recommend La Maison de la Grillade, where I had a stuffed calamari couscous, better than any other couscous I ever had before, as in Tunisia they make it juicier than its Maghrebi neighbors.

La Goulette also has a more local beach but it is not that nice.

  Things to do in Carthage – Highlights

For many, Carthage is one of the best things to do in Tunis.

Originally founded by the Phoenicians – which came from today Lebanon – nearly 3,000 years ago, Carthage then became one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire, the 5th largest imperial city. 

Today, the main site is in total ruins, like very ruined, so you will need to have some imagination, but the few columns that remain are located on the top of Byrsa Hill, from where you get epic views of the Gulf of Tunis. 

There are several sites to visit spread all over Carthage. You can buy a multi-entry ticket for 12 dinars, and visiting all of them takes a few hours. These are the ones I visited:

The ruins of Carthage

Byrsa Hill – The heart of Carthage are the ruins located on top. To get here, you will have to walk from the train station through the fanciest mansions in Tunis. 

Roman Amphitheater – Located 15 minutes from Byrsa Hill, this used to be one of the biggest in the Roman Empire. It could accommodate up to 36,000 people.

Punic Ports – Built by the Carthaginians but then re-shaped by the Romans in a circular shape, these two ports were very important for Carthage’s development.

Sanctuary of Tophet – The Carthaginians used this place for sacrificing their children, something that even the Romans found horrific, so they build a temple and other things on top of it. 

Remember that the guys from GetYourGuide offer a great tour to all the Roman sites of Carthage. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Punic Ports

  Things to do in Sidi Bou Said – Highlights

A Santorini-like village in its purest Mediterranean form, Sidi Bou Said is the cliff-top, postcard-like town that everybody likes, both tourists and locals.

When the Muslims in Spain were defeated in the 16th century, many of them sought refuge here, so that is why some of the houses have an Andalusian style, as well as Ottoman.

There are a few art galleries and several cafés, but the best you can do is just walking around all the Instagrammable spots.

GetYourGuide offers a great tour to Sidi Bou Said. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Views from Sidi Bou Said

  Things to do in La Marsa – Highlights

La Marsa isn’t a really a place for sightseeing, but this is the most Westernized place in Tunis, the area where most expats live, as here you can find regular cafés where women won’t be stared at, bars and the best beach in the city. 

I recommend you check the weekly Couchsurfing event because they tend to organize stuff here, but you should attend it anyways because it is a great way to meet open-minded locals.

This was my list of the best things to do in Tunis in a 3-day itinerary. Have any more suggestion? Please post it in the comments section.

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Sohar: Oman’s Gateway to Growth

Sohar is currently experiencing significant investment and economic shifts making it the focus of attention to many local and international investors and businessmen  

  With its strategic location, economic resources and high-population density, the Al Batinah North Governorate has occupied an important place in Oman’s history. Located at an enviable position outside the Strait of Hormuz, the port city of Sohar has always been Oman’s maritime and commercial outlet to the Gulf and the Indian Ocean while its mineral resources have provided the basis for several important heavy industries.

The mythical birthplace of Sindbad the Sailor is currently experiencing significant investment and economic shifts making it the focus of attention to many local and international investors and businessmen. With its state-of-the-art road network, deep-sea port, a thriving free zone, newly opened airport, planned railway system, wide market access and attractive business incentives, Sohar is now Oman’s fast growing industrial, logistics and manufacturing hub.

Sohar Port and Freezone is within easy reach of the booming economies of the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent while avoiding the additional cost of passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Companies in Sohar can target India, the Middle East, China and South East Asia while enjoying direct access to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and Muscat, as well as the biggest consumer market in the region, Saudi Arabia.

The Omani government has paid special attention to the city of Sohar, and placed it in the priorities of the future plan of the Omani economy, especially its ambitious strategy for the diversification of the national economy with focus on five vital sector: manufacturing, tourism, transport and logistics, mining, and fisheries.

Logistics hub Sohar is emerging as one of the region’s prime logistical hubs, in line with the government of Oman’s Logistics Strategy 2040. Sohar Port and Freezone is a remarkable infrastructure development not just for Oman, but for the entire region. According to customs import/export statistics, around 62 per cent of Oman’s total import in 2017 entered the country via Sohar Port, and around 42 per cent of the exported volumes in 2017 were transported via Sohar. When considering value generation, Sohar Port and Freezone directly contributed $3.4bn to the economy, which is equivalent to 4.8 per cent of the total GDP of Oman.

Sohar Port and Freezone which celebrates 15 years of operations this year recorded impressive growth rates in 2018 and entered into new partnership agreements. Established in 2002, Port of Sohar has a strategic importance due to its nearness to the Strait of Hormuz. It is operated by Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC) and is considered a world class port. With current investments exceeding $25bn, it is one of the world’s largest port development projects. The port handled an average of 1.2 million tonnes of cargo every week in 2018 and has also set new records in both vessel calls and cargo throughput. Dry bulk and liquid bulk throughput increased by 14 per cent as compared to 2017 and the port received 3,443 vessel calls in 2018, marking a significant increase of more than 12 per cent.

Sohar Navigate, a unique online route planner recently launched by Sohar Port and Freezone, provides information on available connections to hinterland destinations. The platform is the first of its kind in the region and will comprise of sea schedules connecting to 550 ports worldwide.

The Navigate platform which was initially launched by Port of Rotterdam, is considered the most comprehensive route planner of its kind. Capitalising on this technology, Port Sohar has modified Sohar Navigate to suit its regional and global stakeholders and provide them with outreach, as well as a user-friendly means to locate the most efficient and optimal routes for their activities.

Sohar Port and Freezone is currently home to logistic, petrochemical, metals, automotive and food clusters that feed downstream industries with iron, steel, plastics, rubber, ceramics, and chemicals, among other materials. In 2019, Sohar Port signed an agreement with RFX Industrial parks for the development of turnkey, bespoke built-to-lease logistics and light industrial units. These new logistics units will be developed over a 580,000sqm area within the Sohar Freezone and will comprise up to 290,000sqm of leasable space. It will offer various logistics size formats, including box and flex-log while also providing an easy solution of moving to larger units as tenant businesses expand. The work on Phase One of the project will begin in July 2019 and will be available for occupancy by the end of the year.

Manufacturing The goal of the Omani government is to make Sohar a business and industrial hub and help the Omani economy diversify away from oil. In order for the economy to achieve this economic diversification, the government is investing in a number of projects in the industrial area of Sohar.

It is investing more than $5bn in the steel industry in which Oman aims to be one of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s leading producers. In addition to the steel industry, there is also the industry of aluminium in Sohar industrial area. Sohar Aluminium Company was established in 2004 and is considered one of the leading projects that play a major role in the sultanate’s economic diversification strategy. A central component of Sohar Aluminium’s strategy is to promote and support the growth of downstream aluminium industries within the Sultanate.

A new factory that is being set up in Sohar to manufacture alloy wheels with an export value targeted at upwards of RO20mn is expected to generate up to 500 jobs for talented local workers across the 12 steps of its production process. Sohar Aluminium Plant, located next door to the alloy wheel manufacturing facility, will supply 45 per cent of the raw materials needed for the proposed output.

The Food Cluster at Sohar Port and Freezone has arguably been one of the most prominent projects, especially given the massive potential of the food industry, both in upstream and downstream businesses. This project will drive further integration between the port and free zone complex. The aim of this cluster is to promote the entire value chain of food processing and logistics support within the expanding multibillion-dollar regional food industry.

In a significant effort to tap into the Sultanate’s renewable energy potential, Sohar Port and Freezone recently entered into a land lease agreement with Shell Development Oman (SDO). This agreement means that businesses in the Sohar Freezone could be powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) projects instead of gas. In line with the partnership, Sohar Freezone will allocate 600-hectares of land for solar plants under development, with capacities ranging from 10MW up to 40MV. The pioneering project of 25MW will be focused on providing dedicated supply to Al Tamman Indsil Ferrochrome, and the entire development will create long lasting economic value for the nation and the companies within the free zone.

In December 2018, SV Pittie Sohar Textiles launched their textile cluster in Sohar with the inauguration of the company’s cotton yarn production unit No 1. Altogether, there will be four state-of-the-art yarn manufacturing units on this campus, covering over two million square feet area, housing the latest and most efficient automated technology in the textile industry, while also emphasising an optimal health and safety environment for its employees. With planned completion by November 2019, the units will compose of 300,000 spindles and 7,000 rotors producing over 100,000 metric tonnes of world-class compact cotton yarn. Total investment in the project is estimated at $300mn – an investment that has the potential to ignite the growth of a wider textile cluster over the long-term.

The GCC’s first glass recycling plant, a fully-automated facility with a production capacity of 650-tonnes per day, will be operational by the first half of 2020 atphase 7, Sohar Industrial Estate. Global Glass Recycling, which owns and will operate the plant, will be the first glass recycling facility within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It will be a fully automated plant with a 650-tonne per day capacity. The plant is particularly designed to meet the needs of varied glass manufacturers within the GCC region in terms of specifications, volumes and pricing.

Brazil’s mining giant Vale, the world’s No.1 iron ore and nickel producer, invested around $2bn in its pelletizing plant in Sohar with a nominal capacity of 9 million tonne of pellets per annum connected with a distribution cenre with 40 million tonnes of handling capacity. In November 2018, Vale signed a four-year contract with Emirates Steel, the largest steel producer in the United Arab Emirates, to supply iron ore pellets for the Arabian company’s steel production in Abu Dhabi.

Downstream industries  The existing oil refinery in Sohar is operated by Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) and produces 198,000 barrels per day. In addition to fuel products, the refinery also produces significant volumes of naphtha and propylene, which serve as feedstock for an adjoining aromatics and polypropylene plant. Sohar Port and Freezone signed an agreement with Sanvira Industries Limited to set up a calcined petroleum coke (CPC) plant in the freezone area. The new petroleum plant will not only add value to the industries already present at the freezone, but will subsequently create several downstream opportunities. The calcined petroleum coke plant has a total investment of RO75mn and will take up an area of 18 hectares at the freezone. The plant will have an annual capacity of 440,000 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), executed in two phases: 280,000 MTPA in phase 1 and 160,000 MTPA in phase 2. The finished product, calcined petroleum coke (CPC), will be exported to aluminium and steel industries in and around the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Liwa Plastics Industry Project Orpic confirmed that the construction work in its Liwa Plastics Industry Project has exceeded the 67 per cent barrier in all four project packages. This project is one of the largest transformational projects in the Sultanate, which will contribute to improving and increasing the diversity of the production of Orpic, developing its business model and increasing profits, as well as developing the plastic products industry in the Sultanate and providing opportunities for business and employment in the Sultanate, besides providing new opportunities for business development in the Sultanate.

The project is expected to be completed by 2020. The total value of the project is $6.7bn, with $1.5bn being allocated as an added domestic value. The engineering, procurement and construction activities of this project extend over a period of four years until its launch in 2020, which will add greater value to the local value of the Oman through the efforts of the local value added management team at Orpic, which works together with key contractors for the four project packages.

Plastic production in the Sultanate is expected to rise after the operation of the Liwa Plastic Industries Complex at a rate of more than 2 million tonnes, which raises the production of Orpic of polypropylene and polyethylene to 1.4 million tonnes.

Through its operations in its integrated complex in Sohar, which includes refineries, aromatics plant, steam cracking unit, polypropylene and polyethylene plants, Orpic will become one of the most effective companies in the refineries and petrochemical industries in the world, which will enable the company to achieve the maximum value of the Sultanate’s production of hydrocarbons.

Getting a facelift  As the industries thrive and businesses expand, the wilayat of Sohar is being kitted out with real estate developments catering to the growing demand. Recently, Sohar Real Estate Development Company launched the Bazaar project in the Wilayat of Sohar, which comes as part of the real estate development projects worth RO13mn. The Bazaar, which is expected to open in the second half of 2021, combines the traditional old market designs with the services currently offered in commercial complexes. Bazaar, which is under direct supervision by the Directorate General for Real Estate Development, would contribute to highlighting local products, which will be positively reflected on the growth of the retail sector and related sectors, as well as stimulating the commercial activity in Sohar.

The new project includes a traditional heritage market with more than 300 shops including commercial units distributed on multiple avenues. The shops are designed for selling handicrafts, date-palm-fronds made tapestries, copper utensils and silver pieces, spices, Arabian coffee, and fabrics and traditional costumes and modern fashion. They along with cafes, restaurants and family entertainment help to highlight traditional crafts in a modern environment, in addition to stimulating the commercial and tourism activity in the Wilayat of Sohar.

A major development in the retail sector was the opening of City Centre Sohar by Majid Al Futtaim in January 2019. The RO45mn mall houses some of the most sought-after international and regional retail stores, exciting entertainment and leisure experiences, and varied dining options from cafes to family restaurants. City Centre Sohar will service a population of 570,370 residents in the burgeoning port city and industrial hub of Sohar, and the surrounding districts of Liwa and Shinas. Conveniently located on Batinah Highway, City Centre Sohar has added 35,301sqm of gross leasable area to Oman’s booming retail sector. With 129 retail outlets, a 7,348sqm Carrefour Hypermarket and its 12th outlet in Oman, a nine-screen VOX Cinemas, Magic Planet and over 1,000 available parking spaces, City Centre Sohar is a fully integrated retail, dining, and leisure destination that is a new social hub for people to meet and connect.

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The Shopaholic

Zayed was seated in his office all suited up, he was to leave for a long flight to Washington, United States, his mind was filled with major decisions he had to take. He had meetings lined up with CEOs of Boeing, General Dynamics and Bell aerospace defence companies. His new role as Director General of Defence Procurement had made his easy life cringe for time. He had to take decisions that involved billions of dollars, his first decision to buy twelve submarines from Germany in deal of twenty three billion us dollars had his name saved in contacts of every major defence contractor around the globe. The approval of his procurement by Sultan of Oman was a sign that he was given explicit authority for defence procurement. He had communicated to US Ambassador Mr Smith that he intended to route for US developed systems for air defence and surveillance which saw Ambassador Smith send urgent cables to Washington to communicate to all leading defence manufacturers to keep their schedule free for Zayed. In eyes of State Department of US if Zayed orders military hardware and software from US instead of UK it will result in major job creation which was priority of Trump administration. The US Deputy Chief of Missions to Muscat, Mr Andrew Solomon offered to personally accompany Zayed on his trip to Washington, which Zayed agreed to because he would not have to introduce his position and himself to everyone. US was banking on his tilt in order to save major bucks of Oman which it was unnecessarily spending on UK. Zayed finished his tea and was informed that Mr Solomon was already at airport to board the Royal Flight of Boeing 747-400 which was Zayed’s pick from the fleet as it had more room and he was taking a delegation of senior defence professionals with him. His convoy reached the aircraft and after he boarded, he would have some interaction on board with Mr Solomon, his Generals of Airforce and Army as to what are their requirements. The Bell corporation had flown their Senior Vice President to accompany Zayed and facilitate trade, who was also on board. Well Bell Corporation was quick to respond and had first mover advantage over their competitors in utility helicopters. After initial exchange of greetings he allowed them to take an hours time before they join the discussion. Zayed was liked by all those diplomats and corporate persons because he updated himself on defence terms, contracts, specific requirements by SAF and other details. Very Corporate like unlike other minister and head of states who relied only on advice of their officers. His informed talks on boarded with seamless use of jargons had prompted everyone concerned to appreciate his detailed study. A point which Mr Solomon updated in real time to Washington. They would make a stopover in Berlin for a day and the carry on the onward journey. The German Chancellor insisted to meed Zayed personally and thank him for choosing German Submarines over competitors, with promise to fly to Muscat to convey her regards to His Majesty, the Sultan. A guard of honour was arranged at Berlin Airport for Zayed along with Military bands playing national anthem for both the countries. It filled him with pride hearing Oman’s national anthem in Berlin. After a day’s ‘rest’ which included meeting with German Defence Minister, Chancellor , Foreign Minister and other Senior Officials, Zayed extended his trip by a day, to actually rest. After two days rest, which was seen as respect to German sentiment, for allocating one day for Germany seprately, instead of stopover, the German press applauded his political acumen and understanding. Something that made Zayed smile. Every time a media agency talked about how mature of a leader he was, his heart was filled with happiness and pride, though he remained quite humble with everyone. On the next leg of journey there was laughter and jokes on board, everyone seemed to enjoy each other’s company, they would crack jokes on different Hollywood personalities and read their tweets. The bonhomie helped reduce the jet lag. Reaching Dulles International Airport, Zayed was surprised to find that his state visit has been unilaterally upgraded to Head-of-Sate visit by White House, on instructions from President. A twenty car motorcade escort took him to White House, where Zayed met with The President, The First Lady, Secretary of Defence, Finance Secretary, Secretary of State and had a day long meeting with them all. Many secret strategic Memorandum of Understanding were signed between Oman and US. The President even made a courtesy call to the Sultan of Oman and described to him how he admired the young leadership of Zayed. A son being appreciated in front of his father is always a touchy moment for people of middle-east. Thanking the President and taking his leave Zayed retired for the day. Secretary of State was holding a dinner for him, so he agreed and attended. The next day meant serious business. The meeting with Boeing CEO was the first, Zayed was interested in Boeing P-8 Anti Submarine Warfare Aircraft and held discussions on it. A single unit costed US 250 million Dollars. It was operable with a drone with similar price. Zayed decided to involve Sultan on this and signed an Expression of Interest with Boeing which was step towards further discussions. No sale but progressive discussion that may lead to sale at a future date. The other meeting was next day with CEO of General Dynamics. Zayed was interested in buying multi role aircraft but he was insisting on removal of snooping systems from F-16. A snooping system allowed US to locate a F-16 every time it took off. That was a no-no for Zayed. After a day long meeting He was able to finalise a deal for purchase of 50 F-16s for a sum of 550 million US dollars. Quite reasonable. It made a big headlines around the globe, after 12 submarines from Germany, Oman’s prince buys 50 F-16s from US. The later part of the evening he gave interview to various media outlets including CNN & Fox News. The third day was interesting as he met with CEO and other executives of Bell Corporation. Zayed had made up his mind on purchasing of Bell UH-1Y Venom (also called Super Huey) a twin-engine, medium-sized utility helicopter. In Negotiations He signed a deal for 22 Bell helicopters for a price of 440 Million US dollars. Making his total purchase in US to hooping One Billion USD. Which was quite less than Germany but was quite a shift from Oman’s UK centric purchases. This will also help secure US support for Oman and Sultan.   One of the news headlines he laughed on his fourth day in US read, ‘Prince of Oman a Shopaholic” It took him some time to stop his laughter. His stay was fruitful. Zayed saw to it that Oman had best security apparatus and defence in the region and not rely on any other third power.  His vision was strong Oman.

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