Muscat – The second edition of the Empty Quarter Festival of Dhofar will kick-start on January 25 and run until February 3.

The festival will be organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) in Al Khadf area of Al Shasr in the wilayat of Thumrait in Dhofar governorate.

“The festival will be organised in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Dhofar, Dhofar Municipality and the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED),” Khalid bin Abdullah al Abri, director general in the Directorate of Heritage and Tourism, Dhofar, said.

According to Abri, the festival aims to make Dhofar a sustainable tourist destination, in addition to highlighting the potential of winter tourism for attracting investors.

“Al Khadf oasis will be the main area for various services and events, such as mobile vehicles for entrepreneurs, Wabar heritage village having an exhibition of handicrafts, a corner for the families engaged in cottage industry, and an arena for traditional events.

“The festival will include a number of heritage, tourism and entertainment events, and will showcase bedouin heritage arts at Al Khadf oasis,” he said.

The event venue will have a theatre for entertainment shows; sites for climbing; areas for basketball and football events; options for camel and horse riding; and sandbike rental sites.

The bedouin arts will include Taghrud and folklore, while traditional games, sand race challenge, paragliding activities, and the Thumrait Open Shooting Championship will add fun to the festivity, the official said.

A 10km run has also been planned for enthusiasts and athletes, the organisers said.

A tourist convoy of four-wheel drive vehicles will be made available for visitors to explore the Empty Quarter. The caravan will set out from the festival site and will take visitors to Ramlet Jadilah – the highest sand dune in the world, located in Dhofar, around 12km from the Oman-Yemen border. The peak of the dune stands at 455m above sea level.

“The governorate seeks to place this festival in the map of regional tourism festivals by hosting the World Desert Championships and motivate tourism partners to support and sponsor the festival, which has a potential to offer good economic and marketing returns,” Abri added.