Al Duqm, Al Wusta region, Oman
.. By Conrad Prabhu ..
Limestone cliffs overlook the splendid expanse of Ras Markaz beach
Like most of the wilayats of the Wusta or central region, Al Duqm is hardly a destination for the average tourist or leisure-traveller. It is barren for the most part — a sprawling expanse of gravel plains crisscrossed by a few mainly dry wadis. Yet, tucked away amid this apparent bleakness are some unexpected natural treasures, such as the wilayat’s rich and diverse bird life, rugged coastline and beautiful sandy beaches.
But it’s Al Duqm’s towering promontories that hold a special attraction for lovers of wild places. The wilayat’s 200 km coastline is dotted by a series of thrusting headlands that jut into the Arabian Sea. Banks of clouds hang low over these bluffs, an ideal setting for nesting birds. Many of these headlands look out over delightful white sand beaches that are swarming with great multitudes of birds. With hardly a soul in sight, these beaches are a magnet for bird lovers and weekend picnickers.
Al Duqm, meaning ‘snout’, gets its name from the jutting shape of Oman’s southeastern seaboard, which is akin to a human snout. The wilayat, whose administrative centre Say, is located about 360 km south of Sinaw, is bordered by the wilayats of Mahawt, Haima and Al Jazer, with the waters of the Arabian Sea lapping its eastern shores. Most of the wilayat’s population of 4,276 residents live in the towns of Say, Madrakah (about 80 km from Say), Haytam (160 km from Say), Dhahir and Nafoon, according to Deputy Wali Saif bin Khalfan al Siyabi.
Al Duqm’s main attractions are concentrated along its 200 km-long rugged coastline, which is punctuated by a series of promontories (or Ras’s) alongside delightful swathes of sandy beaches. The finest of these headlands is Ras Duqm, a majestic setting with soaring limestone cliffs quite unlike anything else seen on the Sultanate’s eastern shoreline. Huge throngs of gulls and terns swarm Ras Duqm’s extensive mudflats, barely perturbed by the buzz of outboard motors and 4WD pick-ups that also converge here.
Ras Duqm is the nerve centre of the region’s thriving fishing industry. Fishing boats arrive at regular intervals with piles of freshly caught fish, evidence of the treasure trove of high value fish found in these inshore waters. Grouper, Emperor, Bream and Trevally are some of the important species caught in these waters. They are quickly transferred to waiting pick-ups that offload their merchandise at the processing plant just a hundred yards away or head for markets as far afield as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.
Many tourists descend on Ras Duqm just for the opportunity to enjoy a spectacular sunset amid the silhouetted hills of the coast and the great swarms of birds. The limestone headland overlooking the bay is awash with the warm hues of the setting sun. It is a gentle setting save for the incessant cries of the birds. Ras Duqm’s limestone headland overlooks a placid bay, which is also the proposed site of an ambitious multipurpose port and dry-dock complex. Looming in the bay is a towering column of limestone rock — a flat-topped formation called Hamr al Nafoor — that gleams brilliant white in the sun. This formation is also the official emblem of the wilayat.
Sunset over Ras Duqm
Equally magnificent is Ras Madrakah, another headland located 78 km south of Ras Duqm. Ras Madrakah represents the point where the mainland juts furthest into the Arabian Sea. A signpost, 56 km down the road to Al Jazer, indicates the turn-off to this scenic seafront, which is about 25 km from the junction.
Dense fog banks sweep ashore at this point, requiring motorists to keep their eyes peeled for itinerant camels that appear like ghostly silhouettes in the mist. The blacktop leads to a small settlement nestling at the shadow of Ras Madrakah’s strikingly dark rocky headland. The area is, for the most part,
a moonscape of black volcanic rock, so bleak that it hardly supports any vegetation. It is through this forbidding lunarscape that a newly paved road snakes through to reveal at the end of the track some of Oman’s most pristine beaches. Hidden away amid this rugged stretch of coastline are sandy hideaways that invite discovery. Paved roads now make it possible to drive all the way from Muscat to these secluded beaches, which are coveted by campers and weekend visitors. A 4WD is essential however if you wish to explore the shoreline, especially the rusting wrecks of ships that had run aground in the shallow waters of the coast.
But it is Ras Markaz that’s perhaps the finest of Al Duqm’s natural treasures. This little visited promontory overlooks a splendid swathe of sandy beach and the turquoise expanse of the Arabian Sea. Officials believe this tranquil stretch is an ideal setting for an exclusive resort property quite unlike anything seen elsewhere along Oman’s 1,700 km coastline.
The turn to Ras Markaz is about 50km from the Shell filling station (a key landmark in Al Duqm) on the road to Ras Madrakah. It’s about 14km from the turn-off to the coast, which consists of a ragged stretch of headlands towering above the waterfront. At Ras Markaz, a newly paved blacktop cuts a serpentine path down to the beach below, affording breathtaking views of the seafront.
Until recently unreachable to all but a handful of battered 4WD pick-ups, the blacktop now allows easy access to Ras Markaz's kilometre-long stretch of virgin beachfront. This unspoiled setting, say officials, is ideal for an array of water sports including swimming, water-skiing, snorkelling and so on, which can be enjoyed round the year, save for the monsoon season — June to August — when much of the coast experiences rough weather.
Thanks to a rapidly developing network of roads linking this remote wilayat, many of these attractions have become easily accessible to travellers from Muscat and other cities. Keen to lure tourists, the authorities are planning to build a series of pergolas and other shelters at key points along the coast. Private investment in tourist projects is also being encouraged.
In recent years, infrastructure development has been rapidly gaining pace in the wilayat, according to Al Siyabi, Deputy Wali of Al Duqm. Newly laid blacktops link major communities in Al Duqm with surrounding wilayats as well as the key Nizwa-Thamrait highway. The Sinaw-Mahawt carriageway, which was extended to Al Duqm in 2002, now runs all the way to Soqarah in Al Jazer Wilayat. Last year, a new link was established between Al Duqm and Haima on the Nizwa-Thamrait highway.
The road network has proved a boon to the wilayat's fishermen who are now able to transport their fish landings to lucrative markets around Oman or elsewhere in the GCC. Some 10 tonnes are caught daily in these parts, including great numbers of Emperor fish, which generate significant incomes for fishermen, Al Siyabi adds.
Oman Observer, 11th April 2003
