Muscat – A group of 150 youth has come together to pave a new road in Jabal al Luban in Nakhl, South Batinah, in an effort to attract tourists and promote tourism in their wilayat.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, adventurer Sulaiman Hamood al Nabi, one of the volunteers, informed that the mountainous dirt road of 4.4km, overlooking several picturesque sites in South Batinah, connects the Al Oqaiba area to Ain al Thawarah.

The youth toil on the road every Friday from 6am to 10.30am. Work started in the beginning of January 2022 and so far 3km of the road is complete. “We expect to complete our project in a month’s time,” Nabi informed.

“Ain al Thawarah, or Nakhl hot springs, is a very popular tourist attraction in Oman. It is near Nakhl Fort, down a winding road cutting through palm trees that stretch as far as the eye can see. There is a small pool to enjoy the therapeutic properties of the spring waters.”

The initiative to pave the road stemmed from the idea of creating a hiking trail. The road also aims to encourage people to walk. The highest point of the road is at an elevation of 500m above sea level.
“It’s physically very challenging work. The volunteers have to clear out huge rocks from the way and bucket-loads of dirt. We use donkeys and basic hand tools and need a lot of determination,” Nabi said.

Once paving is complete, the second stage of work will involve beautifying the road.
150 youth rally efforts to pave road to Nakhl hot springs