All roads to Salalah

With the autumn clouds gathering over the mountains and coasts of Dhofar, the mesmerising Khareef season is expected to be more fascinating this year.

The current season, which began on June 21 with slender drizzles, is characterised by its rainy weather due to the intensity of clouds and temperatures dropping below 30 degrees Celsius in Salalah.

“Autumn clouds activity on the mountains and coasts of Dhofar is expected to bring rainfall”, the Met Office said.

Dhofar Municipality has announced that the events and activities of the current season will be held in various locations such as parks, gardens, and natural and tourist sites.

“The distribution of events come with the aim of attracting more tourists and introducing more tourist sites and landscapes in the governorate “, the civic body said.

The Directorate General of Roads and Land Transport in Dhofar Governorate has already started making improvements to road infrastructure to ensure smooth traffic flows during the popular summer holiday.

The Governorate of Dhofar includes many natural tourist attractions due to the diversity of its terrain and its various marine, agricultural, mountainous and desert environments, in addition to archaeological and historical sites included in the World Heritage List.

Meanwhile, citizens, residents and visitors have started sharing images of past Khareef seasons on Twitter. While many expressed their delight over visiting Salalah again, some aired their concern about the high hotel tariffs.

Using the “AutumnDhofar2022” hashtag in twitter, Quais al Rashidi said that the high room tariffs in hotels and apartments is a concern and needs to be addressed.

“Since it is summer and vacation for schools, Salalah is the destination for many thanks to its beautiful tropical weather and moderate temperatures. I expect the authorities will come up with previous innovative ideas like the ‘the bubble’ during this season as well”, he said.

Ahmed a

.l Yahya in his tweet pointed out the need for more hotel rooms and services: “I expect the Omani tourist bill will not rise this year, because the number of visitors from abroad will be large, so I hope that there will be more hotel rooms and services.”

For Amal al Buraikiah the worry is high air fares. While wishing that airlines will slash the rates, she said, “A wish that may come true... May the rates in the season from Muscat to Salalah do not exceed RO 25 for a return ticket! And it will have a positive impact on stimulating tourism in the Dhofar Governorate in the Khareef season.”