My Oman

Forty-two teams from all over the country will compete in Oman’s first ever Red Bull Soapbox Race tomorrow at 2pm in the centre of the Bausher Sand Dunes.

Crowds of spectators lining the street will witness an Omani Dhow soapbox, some very fast fire trucks, ambulances and Formula 1 cars as they race their homemade soapboxes in the quest for fame and glory.

Last month, the selected teams gathered to get the final instructions for the event. During the gathering, the teams were briefed about the Soapbox history, transportation of the machines, the rules and regulations as well as the location setup.  All machines must be a maximum width of 1.80 meters and a maximum length of 3.65 meters. They must be at least 18 cm from the ground and no more than 2.10 metres tall. A maximum weight of 80 Kg is allowed excluding the driver.

The pannel of judges at the event will include circuit driver Ahmed Al Harthy, Radio and TV Presenter Murtadha Al Lawati, Oman TV Personality Ibtihal Al Zadjali and Director of the Oman Automobile Association, Sulaiman Al Rawahi.During the event teams will be judged on three main criteria including time (the faster you drive the better), creativity (incredible, over-the-top machines can score high) and best performance (teams have 20 seconds to impress the jury and spectators before starting).

May 22, 2012 -Global recognition highlighting the beauty and “must-see” aspects of Sultanate of Oman is good news for the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre whichis scheduled for completion in 2016.

Speaking at one of Europe’s premier meetings industry trade fairs, IMEX, in Frankfurt, Geoff Donaghy, the Director of Convention Centres for AEG Ogden which manages the Oman Centre, said the importance of international awards could not be understated as a tool to promote venues to prospective customers.

“Oman and its capital city Muscat recently being acknowledged by both Lonely Planet and National Geographic for its range of attractions was very timely.

“Oman has been trading with the world for more than 5,000 years and is an active global community member so it comes as no surprise that our preliminary research and promotional activities has uncovered strong interest in the Sultanate as a destination,” he said.

Muscat: Oman's strategic geographical location puts the country in a favourable position for trade, a factor that the country can exploit, to shift its dependence from its oil and gas production to its shipping and export sector. The nature of this shift will additionally see the growth of related sectors like the logistics sector as well as the mining and heavy metals industry. Because of its dynamic nature, the ports and shipping sector is always undergoing currents of change, which contribute to the development of the national economy of the country. Some of upcoming trends are discussed below.

Muscat, December 17th 2011 – Two hundred volunteers joined hands with Omranand launched an ‘Anti-Littering Campaign’ in Jabal Al Akhdar to instill environmentally-conscious behaviors amongst community members and tourists in one of Oman’s most naturally beautiful and prized orchard destinations.

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 09 February, 2011)  Hit the road and take a 3 day “Faces & Places” photography workshop in Oman with visiting international photography gurus Bobbi Lane and David Nightingale, 17 – 19 March.  

Scheduled hot on the heels of the Gulf Photo Plus 2011 event in Dubai, visiting photographers Bobbi Lane (a portrait specialist) and David Nightingale (a landscape and photoshop guru) have teamed up to present “Faces and Places” a workshop photographing the stunning landscapes and expressive people of Muscat, Oman.

Mohamed Somji, Director, Gulf Photo Plus, said

“This is our first photography tour and it is a great opportunity for shutterbugs to hone their skills and make a holiday out of it with other people who share the same passion.”

Bobbi and David, both visited Oman last November when they were in the region to teach at the Gulf Photo Plus FotoWeekend, scoping out the destination for this unique photography tour.  They will teach participants the skills needed to take their travel photography to the next level.  Bobbi and David will explain and demonstrate how to get the most from photographing natural and urban landscapes and how to produce stunning travel portraits that illustrate the heart and soul of the places you visit.

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