SALALAH: Officials in Dhofar are examining possible locations for organised family camps after a proposal to revive one of the governorate's traditional Khareef practices, according to a member of the Dhofar Municipal Council.
Amaal bint Ahmed al Ibrahim, chairperson of the council's Social Affairs Committee, told the Observer that she had presented the proposal to officials in Dhofar Governorate, who indicated that work was under way to identify suitable alternative locations. She said no site had been chosen, no implementation timetable announced and the initiative remained under study.
The proposal concerns temporary seasonal camps traditionally established by extended Dhofari families during the Khareef, the annual monsoon season that turns the governorate green and draws large numbers of visitors to southern Oman.
For many years, family camping was a familiar feature of Khareef life in open areas of Dhofar, particularly around Atin, near Salalah. The camps were not commercial tourism operations. Relatives shared costs, divided responsibilities and used the sites for several weeks of family gatherings, traditional games, shared meals and social occasions involving children, parents and grandparents.
Al Ibrahim said the practice reinforced social cohesion and passed on customs such as cooperation, hospitality and respect for elders through daily life rather than formal instruction.
The proposal does not necessarily envisage a return to Atin itself. Al Ibrahim said officials were examining alternatives and locations that could accommodate organised family camps without conflicting with tourism development, environmental protection or public access.
She stressed that the initiative was not a call for unrestricted camping. Under the concept being discussed, family camps would operate only in designated locations under written rules covering sanitation, waste management, fire safety, environmental protection and access to public land. They would also need to be clearly distinguished from commercial tourism activities.
That distinction matters because it would determine which authority regulates the sites, who bears the cost of servicing them and whether the camps compete with licensed seasonal operators.
The discussion comes as Atin is being reshaped as one of Dhofar's main tourism and recreation destinations, hosting seasonal events alongside planned permanent facilities. Land in the area is therefore subject to competing demands, including commercial leisure, public infrastructure and seasonal community use.
Al Ibrahim said cultural identity should not be lost in that transformation.
“Our objective is not simply to recreate the past. We want to preserve a social tradition in a modern, organised and environmentally responsible way,” she said.
She added that organised camps could support community activities and limited seasonal opportunities for family enterprises without displacing their primary social purpose.
No official announcement has been issued by Dhofar Governorate on the proposed locations or whether a pilot project will be introduced. Costs, land allocation, permitted numbers and enforcement arrangements have not been set out publicly.
Whether the idea proceeds or not, the proposal has reopened a broader discussion over how Dhofar can preserve community traditions while continuing to modernise its tourism infrastructure.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
