Travellers heading to Oman can add a thrilling experience to their itinerary.
The world’s longest zipline over water has opened in Khasab in the Omani exclave of Musandam.
Known for its craggy mountain surrounds and traditional wooden dhow boat cruises, the Omani town has increased its tourism offerings by opening the 1,800-metre zipline.
Organisers say the attraction is certified by Guinness World Records as the longest zipwire over water. Riders travel 1,800 metres from Jebel Fitt, flying over the coast of the Wilayat of Khasab and reaching speeds of up to 80kph.
It’s the first attraction to open at Oman Adventures Centre, a new development supported by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and designed to boost the sultanate’s adventure tourism offerings. Other plans in the works for the Musandam region include new hiking paths and mountain biking trails.
If you're feeling adventurous, here's everything you need to know about visiting Oman's newest attraction.
Where is Oman's new zipline?
The new zipline is part of Oman Adventures in Khasab. It’s in Musandam, an Omani exclave that lies to the north of the UAE.
Adventure seekers can head to the base of Jebel Fitt, then follow the road upwards to the Oman Adventures Centre.
When is Oman Adventures Centre open?
The world’s longest zipline at Oman Adventures is now officially open.
It will operate daily from 9am to 4pm, and remain open during holiday periods. Available ride slots change daily and more information is available on the Oman Adventures website.
How long is the zipline and how fast does it go?
Starting from a platform on Jebel Fitt, the zipline descends towards the coast of the Wilayat of Khasab, giving gliders aerial views of Khor Qadi and the Mokhi region.
Riders will reach speeds of up to 80kph on the 1,800-metre journey, which comes to an end at the Atana Khasab Hotel.
How much does it cost and how do I book?
Bookings can be made on. Rides are 18 OMR (about Dh170) for a single ride, or 25 OMR for two rides.
To celebrate the opening, Omani residents can try the zipline for 10 OMR for a limited period.
Travellers keen to check out the views from the Adventure Centre or accompany riders to the flying platform can also book a viewpoint ticket. This costs 6 OMR and does not include a zipline ride.
Is this the fastest zipline in the region?
Oman's new zipline is the world's longest over water, but it's not the longest in the region.
About an hour's drive from Khasab, adrenalin junkies can ride on the world’s longest zipline in Ras Al Khaimah. The Jebel Jais Flyer sends participants hurtling for three minutes over 2.83km, reaching speeds of up to 160kph.
How to get to Khasab from the UAE
Khasab is easily accessible from the UAE. Around 80km from Ras Al Khaimah, the drive takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on traffic at the border crossing point.
Visitors from the UAE should carry relevant documents such as passports and visas to cross the border.
Citizens from 103 countries and GCC citizens are eligible for a visa on arrival. Other visitors need to apply in advance for an e-visa, which can take up to four days to process.
Travellers driving to Khasab need to make sure their car insurance policies provide coverage in Oman. Some insurers will be happy to add this coverage upon request, but there may be an additional fee.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
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Al Qudrah Lakes
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Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
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Dust storm
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- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
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- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
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Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson
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Everton 0
Manchester City 2 (Laporte 45 2', Jesus 90 7')
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Result:
1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds
2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds
4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds
6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)
