Khareef programme boosts SMEs and local tourism

SALALAH: More than 100 events, 136 free stalls for home-based businesses and a 35,000-square-metre agri-tourism destination are among the highlights of Khareef Dhofar Season 2026, as Dhofar Municipality expands the season’s offering of entertainment, heritage, family activities and opportunities for local enterprises.
The municipality said activities will continue until September 21 across Salalah and several other wilayats. Key venues include Ittin Square, Awqad Children’s Park, Al Saada and Al Gharif, while parts of the wider programme extend to Mirbat, Taqah and Sadah.
One of the most direct forms of support for small producers is the Al Fardhah Market, held as part of the Return of the Past event at Al Saada. The market provides 136 stalls free of charge to home-based businesses and artisans, reducing participation costs while giving them access to seasonal visitor demand.
Vendors offer frankincense, perfumes, traditional clothing, Omani khanjars, pottery, leather goods and other handicrafts. The municipality said one participant, Badr al Balushi, joined the market for the first time following an invitation from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority.
The market forms part of a wider heritage programme recreating five environments associated with Dhofar — marine, urban, agricultural, rural and Bedouin. Live scenes, traditional shops, crafts, wedding customs and folk arts showcase how communities lived and worked in the past.
A separate pavilion brings together Omani Women’s Associations from 10 wilayats, alongside daily cultural performances and heritage-themed restaurants and cafes.
Al Gharif represents another model of local tourism investment. The 35,000-square-metre site was developed through a partnership involving four companies led by entrepreneurs from the SME sector.

It combines a traditional farm setting with cafes, restaurants, tropical-fruit businesses and an events area covering nearly 3,000 square metres.
The site is hosting family activities and displays by home-based producers, university students and SMEs during Khareef. It also includes greenhouses and is transitioning from a combination of traditional and modern irrigation methods to a fully modern system aimed at reducing water consumption and protecting groundwater resources.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Batamira, Chief Executive Officer of Al Gharif, said the project was designed to bring together tourism, agricultural and commercial activities while creating marketing opportunities for Omani businesses.
For younger visitors, Kiddy Time at Awqad Children’s Park will run until September 5. Its Children’s University features eight colleges covering engineering, commerce, agriculture, medicine, aviation, arts, media and sport.
The colleges are linked to themed cities where children can apply what they learn through simulated professional and practical activities. The Future City, for example, introduces children to technology and robotics.
At Ittin Square, whose programme continues until August 31, visitors can experience a main theatre alongside Perfume Street and the Downtown/London area.
Perfume Street features dozens of Omani businesses selling fragrances, clothing and incense, while the theatre programme includes Egypt’s Harmony Choir, a choir from Basra in Iraq, a Saudi choir and heritage symphonies by Omani artist Mohammed Al Qahoom.
The square is also hosting Khareef Dhofar’s first stand-up comedy programme, featuring Lebanese performer John Achkar, Kuwaiti performer Bashar al Jazzaf, Saudi performer Talal Alshikhe and Sudanese performer Mohammed Ali, each appearing in a separate show.
The wider municipal calendar includes sporting competitions, international roaming shows, and sculpture and theatre festivals.
By extending activities beyond central Salalah, the programme also aims to encourage visitors to explore the beaches, mountains, springs, markets and heritage sites across other parts of Dhofar Governorate.