All women Omani tour group works to spread local culture

Zaree Khasab, an all-women’s tour group in Musandum, Oman is working to share the local Omani culture and traditions with tourists in the northern area, according to report by Times of Oman.

Zaree Khasab team lead Iman Al Salti said Khasab receives up to 54 cruise ships during tourism season from September to May. The tour company, the report stated, is named after the gold thread used in the intricate embroidery of the traditional clothes worn by Omani women.

“This season, we welcomed some 40 cruise ships, and there were some 2,000 to 3,000 people on each ship. Khasab is quite small, and they can only go to the sea and the mountain, so the idea came from there. If you look at the number of people who are coming, we thought of how we could make them interested in Musandam, and also looked at how local people could benefit from them,” Al Salti told Times of Oman.

To promote local interaction, the group open a majlis inside the Khasab port so that once tourists finished their cruises, they could stop by the tents to experience the local culture, Al Salti said.

“If they want to know anything about Omani culture, eat Omani food, buy any souvenirs that are handmade from the women in Khasab, or ask about Arabian culture, they can do it; the most important thing is to exchange ideas with local people,” she added.

Activities include fuala which is traditional Omani coffee, a henna design, an opportunity to wear the local Omani attire and local cuisine cooked by the women who work for Zaree.

The group, which was established five years ago, was founded in collaboration with Omran which is Oman’s national tourism development authority.