• Flooding has hit southern Oman, including the city of Salalah and the nearby towns of Mirbat, Taqa, Rakhyut and Dhalkut. All photos: Oman News Agency
    Flooding has hit southern Oman, including the city of Salalah and the nearby towns of Mirbat, Taqa, Rakhyut and Dhalkut. All photos: Oman News Agency
  • Flooding along a motorway
    Flooding along a motorway
  • Flood waters flow alongside a motorway
    Flood waters flow alongside a motorway
  • Thunderstorms had been expected during the Eid Al Adha holidays, according to Oman's Civil Aviation Authority
    Thunderstorms had been expected during the Eid Al Adha holidays, according to Oman's Civil Aviation Authority
  • Low cloud hangs over a wadi. Officials said more rain is expected in some areas
    Low cloud hangs over a wadi. Officials said more rain is expected in some areas
  • Heavy rain falls in Salalah, the capital of the southern Dhofar province
    Heavy rain falls in Salalah, the capital of the southern Dhofar province
  • Low cloud hangs over a town
    Low cloud hangs over a town
  • Officials said that lives could be lost if motorists attempted to drive across flooded wadis
    Officials said that lives could be lost if motorists attempted to drive across flooded wadis
  • Waterfalls outside Salalah after heavy thunderstorms
    Waterfalls outside Salalah after heavy thunderstorms

Oman closes tourist sites as heavy rains persist


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Authorities in Oman have closed tourist sites until bad weather eases.

The country's Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority on Sunday said it was cutting access to the sites because people were not following warnings to stay away from flooded wadis and coastal areas.

It comes as the country has been hit by a sustained period of heavy rain and strong winds.

Several people have died in floods over the past few days, the Royal Oman Police said, while rescue teams are continuing to search for those who remain missing.

Oman Meteorology has also given a warning of more downpours, along with a chance of thunderstorms and blowing dust that could cut visibility.

Southern Oman is also experiencing the "khareef" season, which takes place when low-pressure systems drift across from India, which itself is being lashed by monsoons.

This phenomenon causes the region to turn a lush green, with wadis and waterfalls surging and the seas turning choppy.

This year it is particularly intense with authorities warning people to stay away from rough seas in the southern province of Dhofar.

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Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

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Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

Updated: July 11, 2022, 8:47 AM