Carnival to promote Wadi Dayqah as an important tourist destination

Muscat: The Wadi Dayqah Dam tourism carnival in the Wilayat of Quriyat in the Muscat Governorate will start on Friday.

The carnival is being organised by the Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran), in cooperation with a number of government and private agencies. The first phase will continue from 19 January to 20 January, and the second phase from 26 January to 27 of the same month.

The carnival aims to promote Wadi Dayqah as a promising tourist destination by enhancing and enriching tourism experiences, providing opportunities for individuals and families to enjoy a range of recreational activities, in addition to involving and supporting the local community in this carnival, and highlighting Omani products.

The carnival targets visitors of all ages, as it includes various entertainment activities, a corner for small and medium enterprises, a corner dedicated to children’s activities with various entertaining and interactive games, and a corner dedicated to selling various types of Omani food.

The choice of Wadi Dayqah Dam to hold the event comes as it is a tourist attraction that many families visit during the holidays, especially on weekends.

It is considered as one of the largest dams in the Sultanate of Oman and also enjoys stunning views surrounded by the mountainous. It offers a number of water events and activities that attract wide interest from visitors and adventure seekers.

It is worth noting that the Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran) had previously organised a number of carnivals in the governorates of Musandam, Al Buraimi, and Dhofar to enrich domestic tourism in various governorates.

Located near Muscat and about 90 kilometres from Wadi Adai, Wadi Dayqah is a tourist attraction known for its natural diversity. The wadi is an extension of similar wadis in Ash Sharqiyah Region.

According to Oman's Ministry of Tourism, "About 120 wadis converge into its path, which stretches from Wilayat Dimma Wa Ta’iyeen in Al Sharqiyah North Governorate to its estuary in Wilayat Quriyat, Muscat Governorate. It is one of the year-round flowing wadis."

Designed to secure Oman’s water supplies, Wadi Dayqah Dam is one of the largest on the Arabian Peninsula and a source of irrigation and protection for the surrounding villages, as it reduces the flash floods in the area.

“Set in the rugged limestone Wadi (valley) this huge construction is a real contrast of natural Omani beauty and impressive human engineering,” added the ministry.

“Opened in 2012 the dam was built to collect the periodic rain fall from the high peaks above and control the volume of water flowing through the narrow torrent, ‘dayqah’, to the villages below. This still maintains the ancient falaj irrigation system whilst controlling the surges of water rolling off the hillside. The dam is quite a spectacle for Oman and is by far the highest in the country. The lake is eight kilometres long and can hold 100 million cubic metres of rainwater.”

“It consists of two dams: the main one is 75 metres (246 feet) high, and the secondary one is an earthen dam 48.5 metres (149 feet) high. The main dam includes a tower for water drainage.”