A’Rustaq: The number of visitors to historical landmarks in the Governorate of South Al Batinah increased by 15.8% during 2024 to reach 56,203 visitors compared to 48,493 visitors in 2023.
The statistics, issued by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, indicate that the number of visitors to castles and forts in the Governorate of South
Al Batinah peaked during the month of November 2024 (10,962 visitors), constituting a rise by 19.5%. The month of February 2024 came next with 8,436 visitors, followed by January 2024 with 7,839 visitors.
Statistics also showed that the number of visitors to the village of Wakan, located in Wadi Mustal in the Wilayat of Nakhal, reached 36,759, compared to 35,302 visitors in 2023, an increase of 4.1 percent.
The statistics also indicate that the most active month in terms of visitor traffic in 2024 was February, as the number of visitors to the village in this month reached 6,499, because this is the month when flowers bloom on the village’s trees..
Statistics also indicate a growth in the number of tourist facilities in line with the increase in tourism activity in the governorate. Data from the
Department of Heritage and Tourism in South Al Batinah Governorate showed that the number of licensed tourist facilities in the governorate reached 162 by the end of 2024, distributed between resorts, hotels, hotel apartments, green lodges, guest houses, heritage lodges, tourist camps and rest houses.
Guest houses were the most numerous tourist facilities, with 95 facilities and 57.5 percent, followed by green lodges with 42 facilities and 25 percent, then 11 hotels, representing 6.2 percent, and the remaining percentages were distributed among other tourist facilities.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism explained that the number of registered archaeological and historical landmarks in the South Al Batinah Governorate reached 495 landmarks at the end of last year, including castles, forts, ancient mosques, walls, houses, old neighborhoods and towers.
The Director of the Department of Heritage and Tourism in South Al Batinah Governorate, said that the number of historical and archaeological landmarks in the governorate shows that the wilayat of Rustaq has the highest number of historical landmarks in the governorate, with 250 sites, representing 50.5 percent of the total number of landmarks in the governorate, followed by the wilayat of Nakhal with 92 sites, representing 18.5 percent, the wilayat of Al Awabi with 62 sites, representing 12.5 percent, and the wilayat of Wadi Al Ma’awil with 49 sites, representing 9.8 percent.
The rest of the historical landmarks are distributed between the wilayats of Barka with 24 sites and the wilayat of Al Musannah with 16 sites, and both wilayats represented 8.7 percent.
He pointed out that there are many archaeological sites in the governorate distributed across most of the governorate’s wilayats, dating back to the oldest pre-Islamic civilizations in the world, most notably the Afi and Maslamat sites in the wilayat of Wadi Al Ma’awil, the Halban and Al Khatm sites in the wilayat of Nakhal, and the “Al Awabi” site in the wilayat of Al Awabi.
As for the type of landmarks and the most widespread in the wilayats of South Al Batinah Governorate, the Director of the Department of Heritage and Tourism in South Al Batinah Governorate explained that they are represented by the presence of houses and neighbourhoods in 163 sites, representing 32.9 percent, followed by historical towers with 152 towers, representing 30.7 percent, followed by 96 mosques, representing 19.3 percent, then 58 castles and forts, representing 11.7 percent distributed across the various wilayats of the governorate. Historical walls are the least widespread historical landmarks in the governorate, with 26 historical walls.
The number of historical landmarks that were restored in South Al Batinah Governorate until the end of last year amounted to 47 sites, including two castles, 7 forts, 11 historical towers, 25 historical mosques, one house, and one historical wall.
Regarding the statistics of investment projects, the Wilayat of South Al Batinah Governorate with the most investment in tourism facilities is the Wilayat of Barka, where the number of tourism facilities reached 123 out of a total of 174 facilities in the governorate, representing 70 percent of the total tourism facilities.
This was followed by the Wilayat of Al Musannah with 24 facilities, representing 14.3 percent, and the Wilayat of Rustaq came third with 18 tourism facilities, representing 10.6 percent. The remaining facilities were distributed between the Wilayats of Nakhal with 8 tourism facilities and Wadi Al Maawil with one tourism facility.
The historical landmarks currently being operated by private sector companies in the governorate’s wilayats are Nakhal Fort in Nakhal, Sur and Al Khamis Tower in Al Musannah, in addition to Beit Al Ghasham, which is being operated as a private museum in Wadi Al Maawil.
The most important tourist experiences provided by South Al Batinah Governorate are sea trips to the islands of Al Suwadi Beach, diving trips to the Dimaniyat Islands, and the experience of paragliding, which is one of the experiences that can be practiced in the governorate.
