Tour guides and traders in Oman’s Jabal Akhdhar mountain range hope visitors will be back in 2021 after the coronavirus pandemic devastated their tourism-driven businesses this year.
The ancient town of Al Sogara, built into the side of the mountain range, is a popular attraction and used to be a good source of income for local tour guides until the area was closed off in April because of the pandemic.
“I used to earn about $3,000 a month taking tourists to Al Sogara village. The last time I took tourists in the village was April 29 and since then my income has totally stopped because of the coronavirus. I really hope tourists will come back in 2021,” said Yahya Al Riyami, 32.
Jabal Akhdhar was reopened last week as Oman announced that visitors from 103 countries would not need visas to enter the country in a bid to bring tourists back. Local reports quoted the undersecretary of tourism, Maitha Al Mahrooki, as saying the country had lost 500,000 million rials ($1.25 billion) in tourism revenue this year.
The Jabal Akhdhar range in the Al Dakhliya region is also home to Jabal Shams, which at nearly 3,000 metres is one of the tallest peaks in the Arabian Peninsula. More than half of the 120,000 visitors who visited the area last year headed to the top of Jabal Shams for the panoramic views, according ministry of tourism. This year, less than 4,000 tourists made it up there because of the coronavirus restrictions.
“Our tallest mountain is now almost empty. Only wild goats go up there now. I used to organise hiking tours to Jabal Shams. Tourists, especially Europeans, loved the all-round view of the towns below," Mohammed Al Shraiki, 27, a hiking organiser in the village of Al Ayn, said. "Thanks to the coronavirus, I am now struggling to make ends meet because I have not seen a tourist in eight months. We need them back in 2021 to survive."
But it is not only tour guides whose business has been pushed into the red by the pandemic; restaurants owners, too, are feeling the bite.
“My restaurant caters typical Omani dishes and tourists love it," said Adil Al Subhi, 48, a restaurant owner in the village of Hail Yaman.
"My village is located halfway to the top of Jabal Shams and is seen as a resting spot by many visitors to Jabal Akhdhar. Now very few of them turn up for our lunches and dinners. In the whole of 2020, we have had only 20 per cent of the usual dining traffic in our restaurant compared to 2019.”
Regular visitors to Jabal Akhdhar this year say its towns have lost their spirit and the few tourists who have turned since last week looked lost.
“You usually see many activities there. Rock climbing, bungee jumping, trekking, wadi swimming, camping and hiking. But this year the spirit of the massive mountain is completely lost without tourists moving around. As a regular visitor there, I thought it was very sad when I visited there last month without the usual action. It is also a shame to see local traders struggle to make money,” said James Talbot, 42, a British civil engineer working in Oman.
Mr Talbot hoped that the start of coronavirus vaccinations would encourage the return of tourists.
“We hope and pray for the vaccination to start as soon as possible. We are nearly at the end of a terrible year and we would like to see people being vaccinated by next month so they can start coming up here to revive local businesses,” he said.
Oman’s health ministry said on Thursday that the country has ordered 2.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that has been already approved by other Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Oman will start vaccinations at the end of December for citizens and residents over the age of 16. People above 65 and those with underlying medical issues will be inoculated for free while others will have to pay, although the government has not yet decided on the amount.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
More on animal trafficking
The five pillars of Islam
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Read more about the coronavirus
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
