Salalah

Salalah is the second largest town in the Sultanate of Oman and 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, however, and he 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.

Geography

Salalah, despite lying close to the Arabian desert, enjoys a tropical climate through most of the year. Temperatures are very hot in the summer soaring up to 40 degrees but in winter can fall down to 22 degrees. The town is subjected to the south-west monsoons. This period (late June to early September) is known as the khareef season. Visitors from across the Persian Gulf flock to Salalah to enjoy the monsoon and avoid the harsh heat faced by the rest of the region during the same period. Also in this period, the town's population nearly doubles and various fairs are organized, such as the Khareef Festival at Ittin.

Tourism

The city of Salalah is known as the “perfume capital of ArabiaThe 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.

The 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, an important port from 100 BC – AD 400, and the alleged resting place of Job (Arabic "Ayoub") in nearby Jabal Gadu. It is also the alleged resting place of Nabi Imranfather of Hazrat Maryam. 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.