Rakhyout Sarb Festival returns on Nov 4 with new opening day festivities

SALALAH, NOV 1
The season of Sarb — characterised by bright sunshine, mild breezes, and blooming landscapes — has arrived once again in Dhofar, returning with the highly anticipated annual Rakhyout Sarb Festival. Now established as one of the cornerstones of the Sarb season, the festival opens on November 4 in the Wilayat of Rakhyout. This year, Rakhyout is greeting the season with a wider array of experiences than ever before for both locals and visitors.
Every year, the Sarb Festival in Rakhyout returns bigger and better than the last, featuring an opening ceremony unlike any previous edition.
“What sets this year's festival apart is the live cultural scenes on opening day, where performers will showcase traditional arts,” said Ghosn bin Zahir al Abri, Wali of Rakhyout.
“The opening day performances will feature traditional poetry, live music, drumming, and other heritage arts,” added Yousuf bin Ahmed Hardan of the Wali’s office.
The opening ceremony and performances are not the only new features visitors can look forward to. Throughout the year, Rakhyout has undergone infrastructure developments that have cemented its status as a premier tourist destination in Dhofar.
“Projects such as the Shaat Viewpoint and the Rakhyout-Dhalkout coastal road have already been completed,” said Al Abri. “We also have plans for additional projects, including a new road connecting Shahab Asaib directly to Rakhyout, which will dramatically shorten the journey between the two towns from 45 km to just 15 km.” Both the Shaat Viewpoint and the coastal road drew massive crowds during Khareef and remain major draws during the Sarb season.
“The new projects will help spread tourism evenly across the wilayat, while the coastal road makes getting to Rakhyout much easier for festival-goers,” noted the Wali.
The fifth edition of the Rakhyout Sarb Festival will run from November 4 to 14. Main events and public activities will take place on weekends, while weekdays will feature community training programmes and skill-building workshops.
“The lineup includes sports competitions like football and running, alongside cultural contests in poetry and Quran recitation,” said Yousuf Hardan.
Beyond boosting regional tourism, the festival provides direct economic and social benefits to the local community.
“The festival will host a dedicated business fair, offering residents part-time work and a platform to showcase and sell local products,” said the Wali of Rakhyout. “Locals will also run food stalls serving quick bites as well as traditional Dhofari Madhabi meat.” With its opening just around the corner, the festival is set to take centre stage as the highlight of Dhofar's Sarb season.