Muscat – A group of speleologists has discovered a new cave in Jabal Akhdar in the wilayat of Nizwa, Dakhliyah governorate, adding to the list of Oman’s subterranean treasures.

The cave was discovered as part of the pioneering efforts of the Omani Caves Exploration Team (OCET), which in the last five years has explored and documented more than a hundred caves in the sultanate.

OCET recently launched a bilingual book – Arabic and English – titled A Guide to the Caves of Oman at the recently concluded Muscat International Book Fair.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Dr Mohammed al Kindi, geologist and member of OCET, said, “The new cave is located in the village of Safi Sahraa in Jabal Akhdar; so we named it Khaslat Safi Sahraa.”

OCET found the cave with the help of Salim bin Ahmed al Awaimari from Safi Sahraa village.

Formed by sedimentation of limestone dating back to the Cretaceous period, the 15m-deep cave boasts of remarkable stalagmites and stalactites formations. “Going down is tricky and needs expert caving skills,” Kindi said.

The cave opening is almost circular – 2.5m in diameter – leading to two chambers.

Kindi added that Khaslat Safi Sahraa is among many caves that have been found in Dakhliyah and has potential of being a significant tourist attraction.

Besides exploring caves in the sultanate and documenting these, OCET endeavours to spread the culture of adventure among members of the community and promote tourism.

OCET is currently working on the second edition of A Guide to the Caves of Oman, updating information on the caves featured in it.