Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) has initiated a plan to develop the Bahla Fort and Oasis site in its efforts to stimulate tourism.
A Steering Committee for the management plan of the Bahla Fort and Oasis site held a meeting last week to discuss the development.
A ministry official said, “The meeting aimed to discuss the development of Bahla oasis, the proposed activities of the Bahla Heritage Market and preservation of the World Heritage Site.”
Bahla Fort includes the oasis with traditional souqs, old alleys, ancient mosques and a wall that extends over a distance of close to 13km constructed in the pre-Islamic era.
According to the MoHT official, the Steering Committee aims to preserve the significance of the site, which was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1987.
It will devise ways of tackling the challenges that may arise, especially overpopulation, migration of the local community from the site, emergence of modern architecture, as well as reduction in green spaces as a result of building on farmlands and changing lifestyles. Draughts impacting the oasis pose another challenge, according to the official.
In July 2021, H E Salim bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, issued a Ministerial Decision to form the Steering Committee for the management plan of the Bahla Fort and Oasis site.
In May 2019, MoHT issued a decision (No 81/2019) to manage the site of Bahla Fort, encouraging development projects to promote the World Heritage Site.
MoHT resumes tourist guide services
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) has announced resumption of tourist guide services.
A statement said, ‘Tourist guide services have been resumed via the ministry’s new website https://mht.gov.om. For further enquiries during working hours, call 22088114 or 22088575.’
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