Sur – What was once a three-hour journey along a rugged mountainous track in Tiwi is steadily being reduced to a short drive, after a citizen took it upon himself to carve a road on the mountains to connect remote villages.

Said bin Hamdan Al Muqimi, famous as Oman’s ‘Mountain Man’, has completed paving a 1.9km stretch of road in Tiwi, improving access between Thaqab and Al Ghayl villages in the wilayat of Sur, South Sharqiyah. Work on this stretch was completed on April 18 after 70 days of continuous effort.

The project is part of a wider plan to complete a 3km road connecting the two villages. Around 1.1km remains unfinished.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Al Muqimi said the initiative was driven by the need to ease movement for residents. “We decided to pave the road connecting Thaqab and Al Ghayl to make travel easier for residents,” he said.

The route cuts through steep and rocky mountains, posing logistical and technical challenges. “Working in the mountains is extremely challenging due to large rocks and the repeated breakdown of drilling equipment,” he said.

Machinery operated daily from 7am to 4pm, gradually cutting through mountains to open a safer and more direct passage. Operating costs were high. Al Muqimi said the drilling machine alone needed diesel worth about RO80 a day.

Once completed, the road is expected to transform daily life in the area. “The road will help residents and farmers transport dates and other agricultural produce more easily, and it will also make it easier to reach farms for irrigation and daily work.”

Al Muqimi added that travel time between the villages would fall sharply. “Currently, it takes nearly three hours, but once the road is completed the journey will take only about 30 minutes by car.”

Al Muqimi is no stranger to infrastructure initiatives. He previously supervised the construction of an 8km mountain road linking Wadi Bani Khalid in North Sharqiyah with Tiwi in South Sharqiyah. That project reduced the travel distance between the two locations by nearly 200km and improved access to one of Oman’s most popular tourist destinations from Muscat and other regions.

He said additional financial support would be required to complete the remaining section of the Tiwi road, particularly for concrete works and equipment. “Persistence, hard work and encouragement from the local community helped us overcome many obstacles,” he said.

Al Muqimi urged young Omanis to contribute to national development efforts and pursue initiatives that serve their communities.