Muscat – A documentary – Wild Oman: The Wonder of Arabia – premiered on Sunday evening at the Royal Opera House Muscat, under the auspices of H H Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham bin Tarik al Said.

At a press conference held at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) ahead of the show, the people behind the project shared their experiences while documenting the film.

“Our team had the opportunity to capture some rare and unique footage, which makes this documentary so special… This project is the result of the combined efforts of government and corporate entities who have supported us,” said producer Maisa al Hooti, the founder of Oman in Focus, which has been exploring and documenting Oman’s treasures for over half a decade.

The documentary is the third project under Oman in Focus, for which the team travelled from Musandam all the way to Dhofar, filming some of the world’s rarest and most endangered species, ranging from the majestic Arabian humpback whales to the elusive Arabian leopard.

All the animals were filmed in their natural habitat over the course of a year by experienced and well-acclaimed local and international documentary film makers.

The documentary, directed and written by Stefania Muller, is a two-part blue-chip programme that ensures viewers to embark on an epic journey through the remarkable biodiversity of Oman. Arabian oryx, Egyptian vulture, and several turtle species shot in their natural habitat also find their rightful place in the documentary.

The documentary will be featured on various global channels including Arte France and ZDF, a German public-service television broadcaster, the makers said.

“The aim of this documentary is to both promote Oman internationally as well as encourage further conservation efforts locally,” Maisa said.

“My aim is to use Oman in Focus to show the world just how beautiful is my home country. The sultanate has so much to offer in terms of its natural environment, and it is our responsibility to cherish it and keep it safe for future generations.”

In reply to a Muscat Daily query on how to minimise intrusion and harm from tourism, Anel Rademeyer, location producer of the film, drew the instance of Ras al Jinz, which despite being a controlled area, faces intrusion.

“Even though the staff at the reserve do their best to control, you still get one or two tourists who go out of their way. Unfortunately, it cannot always be controlled one hundred per cent but Oman is doing its best to control tourist impact at Ras al Jinz and Al Wusta Wildlife reserve.”

Sharing one painful experience during the shooting of the film, Anel said the team discovered a lot of cuts on whale sharks caused by the hulls of boats in Oman’s waters.

“That is happening because there are no set rules or guidelines from the Ministry of Tourism or the Environment Authority,” she lamented.

However, she added, “It’s a process for a country to learn as how to control this. So with time, I am sure there will be the necessary regulations in place for whale shark watching too.”

(Text by Syed Fasiuddin)