Click images to view larger versions

Going coastal

Mark Evans’ just released book details a journey along Oman’s coast

Adventure and celebrations combined for a good cause at the launch ceremony of the book Fifty Five Days - A Coastal Navigation of Oman. Written by Mark Evans and photographed by John Smith, the book is a vivid account of an epic 1,700km journey in a 17-foot kayak along the alluring and unspoilt coastline of Oman.

There were two main aims to the venture – to raise awareness about Oman as an adventure tourism destination, and to highlight the good work being done by the National Association for Cancer Awareness (NACA) charity. All the proceeds from the sale of the book, which has been published by Apex Press and Publishing, will be donated to NACA.

At the book launch, it was time to share experiences from the incredible journey, where Evans was largely by himself, with a wider audience so that they could better understand what the voyage had entailed.

A Tribute to Oman

Special annual publication released for National Day

On the occasion of the 36th National Day, the sultanate’s premier publishing house, Apex Press and Publishing, released Tribute, its annual homage to the nation, highlighting the strides that Oman has made in various fields. At a glittering ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on November 19, publisher Saleh Zakwani unveiled the book to a distinguished gathering comprising ambassadors, dignitaries from the government and leaders from across the corporate world. Says Zakwani, “In the 36 years gone by, the country has grown tremendously, as have we.”

Focusing on the themes of nation building, culture and traditions, people, nature and sports, Tribute charts the booming economy and the incredible growth across diverse sectors in the year gone by, as well as the sultanate’s human potential – from the emergence of Omani women as forces to reckon with, to the survival of nomadic tribes and the dynamism of Oman’s generation next.

It shows how Oman has seamlessly blended the traditional and the modern to evolve and to further its own unique identity in the world at large.