How Ibri became a hotspot for paragliding in the Sultanate

Muscat: A paragliding club’s concerted efforts towards encouraging youth to develop the skills to fly gliders, paraglide, learn to control drones and remote control cars, and take up an interest in hobbies like photography, has made Ibri a centre for paragliding enthusiasts and adventure tourists who come to Oman.

The Al Dhahirah amateur team at Ibri Club is the mastermind behind providing Ibri more recognition, and their team currently has the youngest glider pilot in the Arab world: 12-year-old Rashid bin Khalid Al Kalbani.

The head of the amateur team, Khalid bin Rashid Al Kalbani, has also organised teams from Ibri Club that represent Oman at inter-governorate competitions, in which they have achieved great success.

“When we organise paragliding shows, we see large numbers of people coming to witness them, thanks to which these have become tourist attractions,” he explained. “There is also an annual celebration organised by us in Al Dhahirah, where we organise paragliding and drone displays.”

The amateurs also have in their ranks the youngest female glider pilot in the Arab world, 14-year-old Aisha, who is Khalid’s sister.

“Both of them are skilled glider pilots who fly with great skill,” said Khalid.

The interest shown in paragliding and other outdoor activities by people in Ibri reflects the great passion developed over the years by enthusiasts of the sport across many governorates.