The Sultanate of Oman’s nature enjoys geological diversity that makes it a distinct tourist destination. The variety of terrain, climates and natural factors have made it a wonderful outlet for nature lovers and adventurers.
The rich geology of Sultanate of Oman gives tourists multiple options, including rocky, mountainous, sandy and marine environments, in addition to the presence of dozens of caves and geological structures dating back millions of years, to explore and marvel at the beauty of the nature.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has paid attention to activating and enriching the geological aspect by implementing the automated guide project for geological paths, including the geological paths in the Governorate of Muscat which includes 30 geological sites, aiming to raise the level of environmental and tourism education for various tourist categories. This provides tourists with an enjoyable and useful exploratory experience by tracking some of the phenomena of geological heritage, rock formations and other various natural phenomena that were formed through different periods of time.
The electronic application provides scientific information of geological sites in four main languages and includes illustrative maps and guide boards, which encourages tourists and academic researchers to identify geological sites that were formed through different eras of time.
Among the most important geological sites are the sands of Ras Al Ruwais beaches in Al Sharqiyah Governorate, which is one of the natural parks that attract the attention of tourists and visitors. It is characterised by high sand dunes overlooking the coast of the Arabian Sea.
A visitor to the Ras Al Ruwais area draws his attention to the geological formations that were formed by erosion factors over thousands of years. These sand dunes are adorned with straight and zigzag lines that extend over large areas. The expedition to Ras Al Ruwais also provides one an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the desert nature and experience camping in the middle of the sand whose horizon extends as far as the eye can see.
Dozens of tourists visiting this amazing site lament the inadequate facilities. Some also express displeasure over littering by visitors such behaviour not only leads to distortion of the aesthetic view of the landscape, but directly affects the elements of biodiversity, given that this site is characterised by the presence of large fish wealth and is frequented by a variety of seabirds.
