Salalah is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah is 197,169 as of 2009[1].
Salalah is the second largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest city in the Dhofar Provence. The coastal city of Salalah is a traditional stronghold and birthplace of the Sultan, Qaboos bin Said. The Sultan traditionally lives in Salalah rather than in Muscat, the capital and largest city in Oman; Qaboos has bucked this trend, and has lived in Muscat since he ascended to the throne in 1970. He does however visit Salalah fairly regularly to meet with influential tribal and local leaders; his last visit was in 2006 and before that he visited in 2002. In mid-2009 the massive Sultan Qaboos Mosque was opened in Salalah, 39 years after he had taken the throne.
History:
Salalah History shows that it gained prominence due to the Frankincense that was extracted from the Frankincense trees that are found in this region. Frankincense is an extract from these trees that are used for perfume and incense sticks. These perfumes are used for ritualistic purpose and are hence widely popular among the practitioners of Judaism. Belonging to the Boswellia family, these trees also have medicinal values.
In the 19th century Salalah was taken over by the sultanate of Omani. In the year 1932, it became the capital of both Muscat and Omani and the sultan, Said, settled there. Later in 1970 he was deposed and the capital shifted to Muscat, the largest town in Oman. Qaboos, the sultan was a good administrator and worked in tandem with the tribal chiefs. 1975 was the year when Salalah saw itself flourishing globally. The local Airport was turned to an international Airport and the government also concentrated on the construction of the roads.
The history of Salalah throws much light on the cultural aspects of the land, its political status quo and its importance in history. For detailed analysis on Salalah Overview you can browse through the link, Salalah Travel Guide.
Culture:
Transport in Salalah:
Salalah has an airport, mainly catering to domestic flights from Muscat and some regional cities such as Kuwait, Dubai and Doha. Seasonal flights, some from as far away as Sweden, operate during the Khareef, which is the peak tourism season. Salalah Airport (IATA:SLL, ICAO:OOSA) is the Sultanate of Oman's second gateway.It is located on the Salalah coastal plain, 5.5 kilometers northeast of Salalah's city centre. Oman Air operates five flights daily to Salalah Airport from Muscat. Air India Express operates three flights a week to Kerala, India: to Kozhikode via Kochi on Wednesdays and Sundays and to Thiruvananthapuram via Kochi on Fridays. Felix Airways operates flights to Aden, Al Ghaydah, Al Mukalla. Jazeera Airways operates seasonal flights to Salalah from Dubai and Kuwait.
Salalah does not have a public transportation system within the city limits. However long distance air-conditioned luxury coaches are operated daily from Salalah to Haima, Muscat, Nizwa, Buraimi, Dubai, Al-Ain, Al-Ghaydah, Al-Mukalla, Seiyun and PDO locations like Marmul.
Other forms of other public transport popular in Salalah like taxis and micro buses. They are locally called as "Baiza" buses, so named for the lower denomination of the Omani Rial, the baiza (an adaptation of the Indian and Pakistani lower denomination paisa). These are relatively inexpensive and service all major roadways, as well as a wide and loose network of smaller byways connecting smaller towns in Dhofar Governorate with Salalah city. These are mostly Toyota Hiace or Nissan Urvan. They operate from City Centre, locally called Chowk to places like Dhalkut, Rakhyut, Shahb As'eeb, Sarfait, Shaleem, Shuwamiyah, Sharbithat, Marmul, Al-Mazyounah, Mirbat, Taqah, Sadah, Tawi Ateer, Hasik, Hadbin, Thumrait etc.
Taxis are color-coded orange and white and provide semi-personal transportation in the form of both individual hire and the same opportunistic roadway service as Baiza buses. Baiza buses, also colour-coded orange and white, and like taxis are unmetered after several government initiatives to introduce meters were rejected. The fare is set by way of negotiation, although drivers usually adhere to certain unwritten rules for fares within the city. One should always find out the normally accepted fare for one's journey from one's hotel or host before looking for a taxi.
Demographics:
The city, like many other other Persian Gulf States' cities has a relatively large expatriate community, mainly from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as a Pakistani and an Indian community school in the Dahariz district.
99.9% of the Omani population in Salalah is Muslim. Like the majority of the Middle East, most people in Salalah follow the Sunni sect of Islam, unlike the majority of Omanis in Muscat which mostly follow the Ibadhi sect. There is also a significant amount of Hindus, along with a small population of Christians and Sikhs practiced by the Indian and Sri Lankian community.
The unofficial, unwritten, second most spoken language in Salalah, is Shehri, mostly known as Jeballi. As of 1993 there were 25,000 speakers of Shehri[2], and the numbers have more than doubled ever since.[citation needed] In Salalah it is very typical to see people speak Shehri to each other whether it be in the market place or the restaurant. In fact, Sultan Qaboos's mother, Mazoon Al-Mashani, was a native speaker of the Shehri language.
Economy:
APM Terminals, part of the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group of Denmark, manages the Port of Salalah; one of the largest ports on the Arabian Peninsula which is an important transshipment hub for container shipping in the area. The Port of Salalah is also one of the most vital ports on the peninsula connecting together Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It is also the largest private employer in the Dhofar region. The Salalah Free Zone, situated right beside the port, is emerging as a new center for heavy industries in the Middle East
Tourism
The city of Salalah is known as the "perfume capital of Arabia".[citation needed] The city is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural attractions of the nearby mountains and abundant stands of frankincense trees lining mountain wadi courses. Around the city and into the mountains the countryside is lush and green during the monsoon period with the vegetation supporting herds of cattle. The climate supports wildlife often more commonly associated with East Africa, such as leopards and hyenas. Also plants associated with Africa, such as the Baobab tree, are common. Salalah and its surroundings is one of the few ancient areas on the Arabian peninsula that have extensive coconut cultivation. In ancient times coir from the thick husk of the fruit of the local tall variety was used to stitch the planking of the traditional sewn boat of the Western Indian Ocean. Today, the immature fruit are mostly sold as tender coconut for drinking.
The beautiful beaches and coastline are also major attractions for scuba diving and bird watching.
Salalah is a city of antiquity, boasting both the ruins of the fortified town Sumharam (Khor Rori), an important port from 100 BC – AD 400. Modern Oman is also represented by the Port of Salalah, located approximately 15 km to the southwest of the city. The strategic location of this port has made it one of the major entry points to India, the Middle East, and Africa.
Sports in Salalah
Salalah has been known for homing some of the best football clubs in Oman. In total, Salalah has 4 sport clubs based in the city: Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nasr, and Dhofar.
Dhofar F.C. have been nicknamed as "Al-Zaeem", or "The Leaders", due to their enormous success in both the Omani League, and in the Sultan Qaboos Cup. Dhofar have also have an adequate amount of trophies in sports like volleyball, and handball. Al-Nasr have also been known for their great success in football, winning the Omani League 5 times, and the Sultan Qaboos Cup 4 times. Al-Nasr, like Dhofar, have also been successful in other sports such as hockey, basketball, volleyball, and handball.
Salalah currently has 2 stadiums, the Salalah Sports Complex (also known as the "Youth Sports Complex"), which is the only multi-purpose stadium in Salalah. The newer, Al-Saadah Stadium is the newly built stadium in Al-Saada district of Salalah devoted to football. Incorporated in the walls of the sports complex apart from the football stadium is a hockey field, tennis court, olympic swimming pool, and indoor volleyball/basketball court. Al-Saada Stadium is the venue where Saudi national football team, and the Omani national team first met in Salalah on August 12, 2009.
The most popular sport played among the youth is by far football. It is very normal to see a group of boys and young men from around the area playing in make-shift fields in parking lots, or in a large open area. Beach football is also a common site to see along the beach in the Al-Haffa district. Another popular sport in Salalah is volleyball. Although not as popular as football the game is frequently played.
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