Muscat – Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), in collaboration with Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, has launched a four-day programme for Gulf tourism companies in North  Batinah and  Buraimi. The programme, which began on Friday, will run till Monday.

An official from OCCI informed that the initiative aims to showcase these governorate’s most significant tourist and heritage sites, including castles, forts and cultural landmarks. The goal is to attract a larger number of tourists from Gulf countries by familiarising tourism companies with these governorates’ unique offerings.

Twenty tourism companies from Gulf Cooperation Council countries are participating in the programme which aims to provide an opportunity for GCC tourism companies to explore the sultanate’s adventure tourism offerings, especially since the natural terrain and geographical and climatic diversity qualify Oman to be a significant destination for this type of tourism.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism concluded a mountain hiking event in Wadi Bani Khalid in North Sharqiyah on Saturday. The two-day event attracted over 150 hikers from many parts of the country.

The first day of the hike began at a scenic pond in Wadi Bani Khalid. Participants followed a mountainous route, passing through several villages including Al Sahf, Al Safa, Al Maysem and Hayl al Naqa. The day’s hike culminated in the village of Haloot, covering a total distance of 20km and reaching an elevation of 2,050m above sea level.

On the second day, hikers departed from Haloot village, descending a 10km dirt track before embarking on a 21km mountainous trail. The route included the village of Seema in Tiwi in the wilayat of Sur, South Sharqiyah. The final leg of the event was a 9km stretch along a paved road, which ended under Tiwi Bridge. In total, participants covered a challenging and rewarding distance of 51km over the course of the event.