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Tribute

2007
37th RENAISSANCE DAY

  

We are lucky. Lucky to live in a country where even as development takes vast strides towards a more sustainable economic future, the charm of the vast sands of Sharqiya, the mercurial wadis and the lush lands of Dhofar remains close to the heart. This is a nation where new concepts for survival like business continuity planning in large corporates coexist with tiny villages like Aqabat al Amra, where the children have to hike down the mountain for over an hour to go to school.

As always our annual tribute to Oman in the shape of this publication seeks to portray the new as much as the old. From the industrialisation of Duqm to the forgotten corners of life in the Dhofar region, our writers and photographers have traversed the length and breadth of the country. They have brought alive, through words and images, the colourful world that is the Sultanate of Oman.

WHAT'S IN THE TRIBUTE

SECTION I: NATION BUILDING

Equipped to survive           

Contingency planning secured Nawras and BankMuscat when Cyclone Gonu hit the sultanate

Integrated township           

Duqm is being transformed from a sleepy fishing village into a modern township

Study in sustainability           

A new study will survey the fish resources in the Arabian Sea

Elbow grease           

Assiduous construction workers are employed on diverse projects round the capital

SECTION II: CULTURE AND TRADITIONS

Genius loci

The architects of two hotels in Muscat were both inspired by traditional Omani architecture

Salad days

Age-old agricultural practices are still in evidence

SECTION III: TOURISM

Adventure wonderland

The country’s mountains, deserts and sea are luring sportsmen and thrill-seekers alike

Great fortification

Ancient forts and castles offer visitors an insight into Oman’s rich cultural heritage

View finder

The sultanate has a diverse landscape to commend it to visitors

SECTION IV: FOCUS

Truth and emptiness

An essay on Dhofar, notably on the people and desert encountered during a 750km journey

Green light

Dhofar is astonishingly green and colourful, mainly due to the rains of the khareef

SECTION V: PEOPLE

Memory lane

Expatriates who lived in the sultanate in 1960s and 1970s recall their experiences

Jump leaders

A youthful band of acrobatic freestyle dancers display astonishing agility

SECTION VI: NATURE

Clever camouflage

Sandgrouse, though common in certain areas, are tricky to spot due to their superb camouflage

In the extreme

Unusual meteorological conditions have occurred over the past year

SECTION VII: SPORTS

Sleeping giants

A new dynamism is gripping Fanja Football Club, the once-mighty Desert Bees

In the wind

Kite surfers pursue their sport by chasing the wind down the coastline

 
© Apex Press and Publishing. P.O. Box 2616, Ruwi 112, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Tel. +968 24 799388 Fax: +968 24 793316