by Mikael Strandberg THROUGH THE EYES OF A WORLD FAMOUS EXPLORER Oman! I have just been back in Sweden for three days and I wish with the full strength of my heart that I was back in this spectacular country. What then is it I miss and long for? ell, first of all, it is a country with lots of diverse strong memory. Not for the shopping, but for the natural beauty. The coastline in itself is amazing atmosphere and one just has to stop at one of the coffee stalls Wwith its natural reserves like the diving at and have a kavva and dates whilst watching the exiting souk Dimaaniyat Islands and the preservation of the green turtles life, this is true happiness! I also have a strong memory from at Ras Al Jinz, a scientific centre located along the unending Nizwa when one of my Omani friends, Kamil Al Raisi, made sandy beaches covering 1700 km from north to south. me avoid one of the more upper class touristic restaurants Modern and charming cities like Sur, Salalah and Muscat are after awhile, since it is all buffets and full of tourists from spread out along the coast. But for me, the best side of Oman everywhere, you get fed up, after all one is in Oman to meet is the interior. This is where you find a profound feeling of local people- and we instead just sat down on a mat on the the old Arabia, famed for its Bedouins travelling from one parking lot outside the souk in Nizwa and had a bunch of souk (market) to another by camel trading frankincense, tasty mutton kebabs together with two rough looking myrrh and gold. They travelled through two of the biggest Yemenis who had come in for the weekly cattle market. That sand deserts in the world, the Wahiba Sands and the biggest is the true Oman. It's people. of them all, Rub Al-Khali, made famous by the British “People, Culture and Nature remains the essence of the explorer Wilfried Thesiger. The Bedouin are still there experiences that we offer” says Ammar Al-Saleh, CEO at today. The inland is also where you will find the best of the Eihab Travels, one of Oman's biggest tour operators, when I over 500 forts and towers dotting the country, Nakhal Fort, visited him in his grand office with a big painting of the located not far from a string of beautiful palm oasis's called Al Sultan overlooking us, “And we have noticed that the major Hamra, Misfah, Bahla and Nizwa, located just at the foot of part of tourists coming to Oman today wants authentic spectacular mountain scenery at Jebel Shams, where the experiences. Most of them come from Germany. But we country's version of Grand Canyon can be found, Wadi want much more tourists and we are one of few tour Ghul. The souks of Nizwa and Muttrah, where big amounts companies who support eco tourism. Another preference of frankincense, myrrh and gold still can be found are a very our visitors want and ask for.” 20 EUROPEANBUSINESSREVIEW EUROPEANBUSINESSREVIEW 21 “People, Culture and Nature remains the essence of the the shadow of a big ghaf for a long time, eating dates and experiences that we offer” says Ammar Al-Saleh, CEO at Eihab drinking tea. If it hadn't been for the parked cars and the Travels, one of Oman's biggest tour operators. eternally ringing mobile phones, it could have been a scene from a time hundreds of years back. Or only 39 years ago. Because the amazing fact is, when Sultan Qaboos kicked his father from power in a bloodless coup 1970, the country had no electricity, only a few kilometres of paved road, just two primary schools, a meagre two hospitals run by an American Mission and the country was in a state of civil war. Oman has since caught up with its much more affluent neighbours and today boasts an efficient, very modern country with great infra-structure and offers peacefulness and stability. And they have preserved their traditions and history far better than their Gulf neighbours. For example, it is against the law to build houses higher than five floors, all men should dress in dishdasha and head scarf and look tidy. Cleanliness is important, you will get a ticket if you get stopped by the police and your car is dirty! And, if by chance you see a bit of dirt, it will be in the desert! This is also where you will find “Who are you competing against as a tourist destination?” the real desert Bedouins! And even if the drive four wheel “First of all, the other Gulf countries. In comparison to them, drives instead of camels today, and live in air conditioned where can a tourist see the legendary Bedouins but in the houses and not in the black tents made of goat hair, in heart sands of Oman? And where do you see such diverse natural they are still Bedouin! beauty in abundance- the mountains, the wadis, the dunes, My first meeting with them is printed deep in my memory. the beaches… And if you compare to other tourist Whilst passing through the Wahiba Sands together with a destinations like India or Syria, we always put Oman higher friend, I stopped to take a photo of the first camel I saw. Big up in the ladder in terms of standard, cleanliness and safety mistake. Suddenly a car shot out of the desert with a yelling which are also vital elements in judging the quality of a woman. After some continuous yelling which felt like a long destination. And not to mention the people, which are more time, I thought she was screaming at a guy who at the same hospitable? I think the Omanis.” time came to pick up the camel, maybe her husband, and I I agree. It is the people I met I remember the most. Oman is didn't realise it was at me. Then she drove up to our car and unique in many ways. And when I talk about people it is not screamed through the window: just the Omanis themselves, but all the Indians, Pakistanis, ”Is he stupid. Surely he must see that she is pregnant and if he takes flash photos, she might loose her baby!” Baluchis, Persians and also Europeans who live here. There's “It is the people I met I such a spirit of pioneering, dignity, kindness and generosity, “No, he doesn't know anything about camels”, my friend that I am amazed that distinguished behaviour like that still said, “He didn't understand that you were shouting at him.” remember the most. Oman is exists in a world which by the day is getting harder, more “But he is English” she said a bit surprised, “They know unique in many ways. And violent, stupid and more difficult. There are a few meetings I everything!” She looked both stunned and upset at us for a moment. The when I talk about people it is remember more than others, due to their dignity. One was not just the Omanis an old man, a beekeeper, living in a small village finger tips on both hands were henna painted black, she had compromising a few houses, all belonging to his family, a scarf slightly covering her very dark hair, lots of golden themselves, but all the somewhere in the Jebel Shams range. The bees had once looking armbands on both wrists and her stare was proud Indians, Pakistanis, Baluchis, been transported from Yemen all the way to his village, it and free of any worries. Except for her female camel. “You see?” my friend said, grinning, when we continued our Persians and also Europeans took 12 years, and he kept this ancient beekeeping tradition who live here. There's such a alive with a constant twinkle in the eye. Kamil had warned me before, he will invite us and we will not get out of his spirit of pioneering, dignity, house before we are stuffed with honey. Very true indeed! kindness and generosity, that During this visit, once again, I witnessed the dignity of just I am amazed that serving a cup of coffee to a visitor. As a visitor you feel distinguished behaviour like honoured indeed! The beekeeper didn't only look like one, but had the awareness of a great mullah! We felt sick for a that still exists in a world couple of days after that, Kamil and me. Too much honey! which by the day is getting Another visit I remember strongly was to a Bedouin family harder, more violent, stupid living deep into the great Wadi Ghul. They had been carpet and more difficult.” weavers for generations. I asked one of them if everything was better nowadays, since Sultan Qaboos Bin Said had modernized the country dramatically since he took over power from his father and he answered: “Everything! Nowadays we can travel anywhere without being worried to be attacked by another tribe.” He and his family had ended up far into this deep wadi to get away from hostile tribes once upon a time. We sat there in 22 EUROPEANBUSINESSREVIEW EUROPEANBUSINESSREVIEW 23 FACTS Official name: Sultanate of Oman Capital: Muscat Historically most famous Omani: Either Sinbad the Sailor or Ahmed Ibn Majid, navigator who helped Vasco Da Gama find his way from Africa to India. Population: 3.1 million including 700 000 expatriates Language: Arabic, but English is widely spoken Head of state: Sultan Qaboos bin Said Religion: Islamic, about 75% of the Omanis follow the Ibadi sect of Islam.