SALALAH, July 1 - Itin festival ground, which is the venue for the annual extravaganza called Salalah Tourism Festival (STF), is getting ready as final touches are being given to the preparation. The preparation is undergoing under the supervision of a committee, which is responsible for the overall affairs of the STF. A source in Dhofar Municipality said that the festival authorities are working hard to open the festival on July 10. It is a tough deadline though due to additional responsibility of restoring the booths, halls and pathways which got damaged during the adverse weather conditions that hit Salalah in the last week of May.
“Most of the structures are ready. Just final touches are to be given. People are working there constantly to get the place ready as early as possible,” he said. The STF, according to the source, would have many new attractions along with shows and exhibitions showcasing the heritage and culture of Oman with special focus on life and time of Dhofar. There would be international troupes also performing during the festival. The STF, known commonly as Khareef Festival, is a good platform to promote heritage and culture and activities which have educational and recreational importance to people of all age groups.
“The idea here is to offer the local community and the visitors from outside an aesthetically correct entertainment which is representative to all age groups,” said an official associated with the STF.
The festival, however, is limited not only to entertainment. It turns out to be a platform also for promotion for companies, government’s programmes and policies and all sorts of awareness different private and public agencies try to spread among the people.
The festival, being part of monsoon season, attracts a large number of tourists from the neighbouring GCC and other Middle Eastern countries. After touring the length and breadth of Salalah, the visitors get good relaxation time at the festival ground where they find all sorts of food outlets ranging from traditional to modern.
While variety of rides attracts the children, the Khaliji tents offer good shopping opportunity for women. Having products from different countries, these tents turn out to be one-stop-shop for range of products.
Over the years the Salalah Tourism Festival has earned the reputation of one of the best summer destinations in the GCC due to combo of events held amid nice weather.
It features a vast array of events, including aerobatic activities, skills games, kids’ programmes, music and folklore, birds and animals house activities. The computerised shooting centres, cartoon characters, jokers, acrobatic shows, soiree, camel and horse rides and video games etc are very popular among the children.
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