The solitude of Oman’s desert is attracting rising numbers looking to escape from everyday stress.
Many drive out to the dunes at the weekend in search of the perfect spot to get away from it all.
Among them is Aiman Shibani, whose daily routine in the city as a banker can be overwhelming.
“The silence in the desert is very healing. You hear no noise and your eyes can look at a spot where the sky touches the sands,” Mr Shibani, a banker in the National Bank of Oman in Muscat, told The National.
To sit in the silence far away from home, watching the sunset or sunrise or the wind blowing the sands, has a fantastic healing factor
Ibtisam Al Busaidi,
a psychologist based in Muscat
"You cannot do that in the city. There are concrete buildings anywhere you go and the sound of traffic even in the middle of the night."
He is far from alone in his quest for tranquillity, with the meditative quality of the vast desert’s resounding silence becoming more and more desirable.
A 240km drive from Muscat, the remote Wahiba Sands in eastern Oman is the most popular desert getaway for both Omanis and foreign residents.
“I lost my job as a cashier in a supermarket a month ago and I find places like Wahiba Sands a stress buster,” said Abdulwaheed Al Farsi, 26. "You can pick a lonely spot from the vast desert and meditate to forget your troubles."
But solitude is not the only antidote for the stress of working life.
Those trying to recover from personal losses also find the Wahiba dunes appealing.
“I lost my wife a year ago to cancer and I suffer from clinical depression but I find desert camping with friends a perfect thing to forget my miseries,” Salim Al Rushaidi, 68, a retired civil servant, told The National.
It is claimed its spectacular, orange dunes inspired British travel writer Wilfred Thesiger to write Across the Empty Quarter. Published in 1959, the book details his gruelling experience through the sands of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen.
Thesiger camped for two nights at Wahiba Sands before crossing the Empty Quarter desert in 1945.
Richard Wayne, who is in Oman for a two-week holiday, said he camped at the exact spot where Thesiger supposedly slept.
The mechanic, 36, from Portsmouth, southern England, said a Bedouin claimed that Thesiger was guided by his grandfather, “and that’s how he knows of the spot".
"I camped for two nights at the spot to try to feel what he felt when he was there,” he added.
Popular destination with tourists
So it is clear that Oman's residents are not the only ones looking to camp in the serene surroundings of the desert.
Travel agents say there is a rise in demand of desert tours in the winter months from December to March.
One official from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism estimated a 20 per cent increase in tourists since the peak of the pandemic.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, the Sultanate welcomed 3.4 million tourists in 2019. Soon after a worldwide pandemic was declared, the Gulf nation registered only 356,000 tourists crossing its borders the following year. But numbers rebounded to 2.78 million for 2021.
Naifeen Al Bahrani, owner of Desert Delights Tours based in Muscat, told The National: "Desert camping is very popular in Oman. There is a rise of about 70 per cent in winter desert tours compared to the summer months.
"People typically camp there from just one night to five days. It depends on their time availability."
In efforts to boost tourism in collaboration with local companies, the Omani government this week announced that Muscat Nights will take place during the winter season.
Ahmed Al Hamidi, chairman of Muscat Municipality, told the Sultanate of Oman Television channel that the series of event would “increase the number of tourists, both domestic and international, by having different entertainment and activities on beaches, shopping malls, theatres and town centres, including festivals in the parks".
Take care in the desert
A Ministry of Heritage and Tourism official warned campers of the need to take general precautions while touring the desert.
"They should avoid dehydration and take plenty of water," said Mohammed Al Saifi, "Campers must only use four-wheel drive to avoid getting stuck in the sand.
"Most importantly, they should not go camping in an area when rainwater may collect during showers."
For tourists and residents alike, the positive effect of desert calm cannot be denied. Psychologists acknowledge that the solitude of quiet surroundings can be a healing factor.
Ibtisam Al Busaidi, a psychologist based in Muscat, said: “To sit in the silence far away from home, watching the sunset or sunrise or even the wind blowing the sands, has a fantastic healing factor for stressed thoughts."
"I personally recommend my patients to camp in the desert for a few days to heal themselves.”
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The fake news generation
288,000 – the number of posts reported as hate speech that were deleted by Facebook globally each month in May and June this year
11% – the number of Americans who said they trusted the news they read on Snapchat as of June 2017, according to Statista. Over a quarter stated that they ‘rarely trusted’ the news they read on social media in general
31% - the number of young people in the US aged between 10 and 18 who said they had shared a news story online in the last six months that they later found out was wrong or inaccurate
63% - percentage of Arab nationals who said they get their news from social media every single day.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food