KHASAB BRANCH

There are a number of Sub-Committees representing various economic sectors such as Contracting, Arbitration, Foodstuff, Training and Omanisation, Tourism, Banking & Investment, Agriculture & Fisheries and Economy.

The Branch serves 4 Wilayas, namely - Khasab, Diba, Bukha and Madha.

Khasab

Khasab is situated at the northern-most end of Musandam and overlooks the Gulf of Oman and the Hormuz Strait in the Arabian Gulf. Khasab's population is around 17,000.
The residents of Khasab are mainly engaged in import/export trade, which depends heavily on import from and export to the neighbouring United Arab Emirates. Contracting and animal breeding are other economic activities of the Wilayat.

Another major area of business is tourism. There are a number of tourism offices and agencies catering to the growing number of tourists who flock to its naturally breathtaking landscape.

Fishing, fish marketing and maintenance of fishing boats are other professions practiced by the residents of Khasab.

The old market situated close to the sea-coast is the most important and active trading place in the Wilayat. The modern market lies in the centre of the Khasab City and is characterised by shops selling all kinds of goods and commodities.

The Khasab Fort built in the era of Al Busaid family is the most remarkable historical landmark of Khasab. It is situated on the Khasab coast and was restored by the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture in 1990. There are other forts and towers in the Wilayat which date back to very olden days.

Bukha

The Wilayat of Bukha lies on the coast of the Arabian Gulf close to the Emirate of Ras Al Khaima, UAE. It is inhabited by around 3,500 people.

Like other Wilayats of Musandam, the residents of Bukha are engaged in a number of business activities such as fishing, fish marketing, sale of foodstuff, vegetables, fruits and readymade garments. It has a market where most of these activities are practiced.

The Bukha Fort was built by Shaikh Sulaiman Mohammed Malek in the 17th century. It was restored in 1990. Al Fasla Fort is another historical landmark.

Diba

This wilayat lies on the coast of the Gulf of Oman and is bordered by three Emirates of UAE, Sharjah, Fujaira and Ras Al Khaima. It has a population of around 6,500 people.

Main economic activities in the Wilaya are near the Port and the other on the Corniche. 

The 'Saqta' graves site is the most important historical and tourist attractions in the area. Other attractions is the Seeba Fort which was restored recently.

Madha

This wilaya is a landlocked area surrounded from all sides by various Emirates of UAE. It has a population of around 2,600 people.

Owing to the limited area of this Wilayat and its small size of population, there are not much business activities in the Wilayat. There are some shops catering to the needs of the locals.

The Wilayat is famous for its rock paintings and secret chambers, besides the old graves and drawings dating back to pre-Islamic era. In addition to these, there are some forts and towers situated in various places of the Wilayat.

The most important landmark of the Wilayat is the museum which boats of more than 13,000 artefacts and very rare manuscripts, precious metals and stones.

Economic aspects of Musandam

The Governorate of Musandam was not alien to trading activities in the olden days. The Diba market had a pioneering role in the pre-Islamic era. This enviable position was due to its closeness to the thickly populated areas across the Gulf, and Omani dates were the most sought after commodity during those days. Merchant ships used anchor in Khasab to buy Omani products. Merchant ships used to anchor in Khasab to buy Omani products. 

Trading Sector

The strategic location of the Governorate of Musandam is the most important advantage of the region as far as trading activity is concerned. The Khasab Port is expected to play a very vital role in this field in the coming phase of development.

Industry Sector

Industry in the area is limited and is mostly concentrated on smithcraft and manual building block manufacturing.

Fishing Sector

Musandam is very rich in fish, thanks to scores of inlets and coral reefs found in the region, which are ideal for fish breeding. A large number of local residents depend upon fishing for their livelihood. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries provide all support and subsidies to the fishermen in the form of fishing boats, outboard engines, fishing gears etc. The Oman Development Bank also grants soft loans to them. Musandam is famous for its various species of fish such as King Fish, Emperor, Hamour and Sardines.

Musandam has very little arable lands because of water scarcity and high salinity of the soil in some of the Wilayas. Dates, lemon and mango are the most common crops cultivated in the region besides a variety of vegetables and fruits. Qash Habash, Khassab, Hilali, Khunaizi and Shahl are the most famous species of dates grown in Musandam.

Tourism Sector

Musandam is emerging as one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the region. A number of feasibility studies conducted on the tourism potentials of Musandam have proved the viability of involvement in this promising sector. Musandam is one of the rare places where nature is at its most captivating form.

In the Wilayat of Khasab, there are a number of attractive places like the Gulf of Khasab, Gulf of Kumzar and various beautiful inlets.

Umm Al Ghanam island, Musandam Island, Umm Tair Island and Salama Islands, are worth visiting. They all lie in the Hormuz Strait.
The Wadis of Shamisi, Zaghi, Maha, etc. are the major tourist attractions of the wilayat of Diba, while the Bukha beach with its small park and the Seefa beach in the Wilayat of Bukha attract tourists.

The Madha Museum, the marble mountain, Al Samay Spring and the rock paintings are the tourist attractions of the Wilayat of Madha.

Major hotels in Musandam

Major projects in Musandam

The Governorate of Musandam looks forward to the private sector to implement a number of projects that would re-vitalise the business activities in the Wilayas of Musandam. They include:

• Construction of a Port and a Free Trade Zone in Khasab.
• Development of the Khasab Base Airport to enable it to receive medium range civilian aircrafts.
• Development of the Khasab Fort into a Museum.
• Construction of a hotel and resort in Khasab.
• Construction of a private sector quarry.

Business and Investment Opportunities

The above projects represent good investment opportunities in the Governorate. Besides, small assembling units and packing facilities for fruits and vegetables imported from Iran can be set up in Musandam. Another area is the manufacturing of pickles and tomato pastes.
 

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