The Nizwa Branch of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry was opened in the beginning
of 1984 to serve the business community of the Dakhliya and Wusta regions. It also served some wilayas of the Dhahira region prior to opening of the Ibri Branch.
During the past years, the Branch has witnessed a lot of developments that had a great role in improving its services to its members. These culminated in the construction and opening of its own premises at a prominent location in the city of Nizwa in 2000, at a cost of 350,000 Omani Rials with a built up area of 1,600 sq. metres. The branch has around 7,200 members, engaged in various activities.
The branch, since its inception had played its assigned role of serving the business community of the region, by providing them with all necessary services.
Dakhliya region, to which Nizwa is the headquarters, has special position in Oman’s history and
civilisation and it is one of Oman’s most important regions. It has 8 wilayas and has a population of around 230,000 people as per 1993 census.
Nizwa Wilayat
 The Wilaya of Nizwa is the centre of the region and one of the most famous wilayats of the Sultanate. It got its name from the water spring, that was called the spring of ‘Nazw’. This wilayat was well known for its Islamic scholars and thinkers and it was the seat of Islamic learning as well as commercial hub during the periods of the Imams.
The Wilaya is 170 kilometres west of the Capital Muscat and includes a number of villages in addition to the Jebel Al Akhdhar region. It also lies on the crossroads of the Southern region and the Northern region of the Sultanate and thus occupies an important role in the country’s economy and business. The Wilayat’s population is around 56,200 people.
Nizwa has the largest traditional markets since the very old ages. The markets are active throughout the year. Sansara and the West markets are the oldest of them and the latter was rebuilt recently. Traditional and modern commodities are sold in these markets. The vegetable market is one of the modern landmarks of Nizwa.
Since the olden days, the residents of Nizwa were mainly engaged in farming and cattle breeding for their livelihood. Apart from this, the Wilaya was famous for its handicrafts and most of the products were exported to the Indian subcontinent.
The Nizwa Industrial Estate was opened in 1994 at an area of 2 million square metres. There are a number of factories set up at the Estate and almost 95% of its area is already
utilised. The Estate is expected to play a significant role in the economic development of the region.
Major Tourist and Historical Landmarks
The Nizwa Fort built in the second half of the 17th century is the most important landmark of the Wilaya. It is 24 metres tall and has an outer diametre of 43 metres. It was built by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Yarubi and it took 12 years to complete.
There are a few more forts and citadels in the Wilaya built by former Imams who ruled the Wilaya. Apart from these the Falajs of the Wilaya are also very popular with the tourists. Falaj Daris is the most famous and the biggest among them.
The Wilaya of Nizwa also boasts of some of the oldest Mosques in the country. The Sultan Qaboos Mosque built at the personal expenses of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos is the largest Mosque in the Wilaya.
Jebel Al Akhdar
The terraces of Jebel Al Akhdar (the Green Mountains) are the most fascinating tourist attractions in the country, where the mercury falls below zero in the winter and gets a good amount of rains, making it a good water reservoir benefitted by the villages buying at the foot of the towering mountain range. The area is also known for its exotic fruits, such as, grapes, pomegranates, almonds, walnuts,
apples, guavas, etc.
The Wilaya of Nizwa is famous for its traditional industries and crafts such as the Omani Halwa (Sweet), Sugar, Jewellery, Copper, Tannery, Weaving, Rosewater making etc.
Samail
This wilaya lies 85 kilometres West of the Capital Muscat and is the birthplace of the historical figure of Mazin Bin Ghudhoba, who was the first Omani to embrace Islam. The Wilaya is famous for its fertile land and water resources. It produces some of the best varieties of dates in Oman.
It covers a land area of 3,500 sq. km and has a population of around 38,500 people, living in 55 villages.
Major tourist and archaeological landmarks of the Wilaya are the Samail valley with its beautiful landscape and water channel, on the banks of which lush green date palm gardens are situated. There are a number of
forts, towers and walls older than 150 years. The Wilaya also boasts
of some of the oldest Mosques in the country. The tomb of Mazin Bin Ghudhouba is also situated in this Wilaya.
The most important industries of Samail are Weaving, Leather Products, Jewellery and Omani Halwa.
Bahla
This Wilaya lies on the border with the Dhahira region and is around 225 kilometres from the Capital Muscat. It has a population of around 46,000 people (1993).
Bahla is considered one of the most important places of archaeology in Oman as it boasts of a number of historical forts, the most prominent
being the renowned Bahla Fort that dates back to the dark ages. Given its historical significance, UNESCO has included the Fort among world heritage sites.
The Wilaya is distinct with its surrounding wall stretching for more than 10
kilometres that was built to protect the place from foreign invasions.
The Jabrain Fort is another important landmark of the Wilaya. It was built by Imam Bilarab Bin Sultan Al Yarubi, to be his
palace and a citadel during the wars.
The Wilaya also has a number of other smaller forts and old and new Mosques, besides a number of Falajs and Water springs.
Jewellery, Sword and Khanjar making, weaving, Omani Halwa and Pottery are the major local crafts.
Adam
This Wilaya is the gateway of the Dakhliya region from the West side and it lies around 295 kilometres from the Capital Muscat. Around 14,000 people reside in 60 villages of this Wilaya.
This Wilaya is also rich in history as it used to be a meeting place for the trade caravans of the pre-Islamic era. There are a number of historical Forts and Mosques in the Wilaya in addition to several Falajs and water springs.
The residents of this Wilaya are engaged in gold and silver jewellery making, weaving, blacksmith and Omani Halwa.
Al Hamra
This Wilaya is distinct for its varying landscape and it probably could have got its name neaning “red” in Arabic from the colour of its soil. Around 14,400 people live in this Wilaya, distributed in 25 villages.
The fascinating mountain terraces of the Wilaya attract tourists. The towering Jebel Al Shams mountain scaling around 12,000 feet is famous for its low temperatures throughout the year. It is said to be the first spot on the Omani territory to receive the first rays of sun in the morning and to receive the last rays in the evening.
There are a number of archaeological and historical places and monuments in the Wilaya, such as
forts, rock paintings, Mosques, caves and heritage villages.
The local residents practice traditional professions such as farming, animal breeding, sugar making, rose water making, dates processing, Omani halwa, weaving and honey-bee breeding.
Manah
Historical evidences show that this was the first spot where Malek Bin Faham Al Azdi, before the Arabs entered Oman following the collapse of the Mareb Dam in Yemen.
The Wilaya has a population of around 10,600 people scattered over 10 villages.
The most important tourist and historical landmarks are the old
forts and castles in different parts of the Wilaya and a few Mosques which were rebuilt by the present Government.
There are some huge caves which were said to be used as shelters during the wars. Other tourist attractions are the old stone houses, water springs and falajs.
Another important place in the Wilaya of Manah is Seeh Al
Barakat where the Shamoukh Fort, built by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos is situated. This place is used as the Royal Camp during His Majesty’s annual
"meet the people" tour.
The most popular crafts of the Wilaya are blacksmithing, jewellery making, carpentry, weaving, pottery and farming.
Izki
This wilaya is also one of the oldest places in Oman and has a population of around 30,000 living in more than 25 villages.
There are more than 140 towers in this Wilaya, three forts and a number of old houses, besides the castle built during the reign of Sayyid Said Bin Sultan. Parts of this Fort are damaged by the passage of time.
Falaj Al Malki is the most important tourist attraction of the Wilaya. The ‘Jarnan’ cave, about which there are a lot of imaginery stories, is also worth seeing. The Wilaya is also rich in some of the beautiful Wadis.
Izki is well known for farming, animal breeding, carpentry, tanneries, weaving and other handicrafts.
Bid Bid
This is the closest Wilaya of the Dakhliya region to Muscat as it is only 80 kilometres from the capital. It has a population of around 18,000 people, scattered over 83 villages.
Bid Bid Fort is the most prominent landmark. It is 30 metres long and has around 40 towers. Other tourist attractions are the water springs and Falajs.
Residents of the Wilaya are engaged in farming, trading, weaving, pottery and mat making, which is one of the oldest crafts and for which the date palm leaves are used.
The Nizwa branch also serves some Wilayas in the Wusta region. They are Haima, Mahout, Duqum and Al Jazer.
Haima lies at equal distance from Muscat and Salalah (around 500 kilometres). The famous Arabian Oryx sanctuary spreading over 25,000 square
kilometres and included in the UNESCO’S World Heritage list lies in this Wilaya.
The Wilaya has a paltry population of just above 2,000 people who practice camel and goat breeding for a living.
There are a number of caves in this wilaya that attract tourists.
The Wilaya of Mahout is renowned for its fishing and cattle breeding activities. It is inhabited by around 7,900 people living in 32 villages.
Mahout was an old sea port famous for ship building. Goods and passengers were transported to East Africa and India from Oman through this Port.
There are three islands in the Wilaya and they are home to some migrating birds. Weaving is the most important traditional craft of the Wilaya.
The Wilaya of Duqum is also a coastal area on the Arabian Sea and is inhabited by around 4,000 people, distributed in 23 villages.
During the summer months, the weather in this Wilaya is very pleasant. Its beaches are very clean and so far
unpolluted. The Wilaya also has some beautiful natural locations with lush vegetation, breathtaking mountains and beckoning wadis.
The residents of the Wilaya are mostly engaged in animal breeding. They also practice some traditional crafts such as weaving.
The Wilaya of Al Jazer also lies on the Arabian Sea coast and its residents are mostly fishermen. It is populated by around 3,500 people living in 12 villages.
Major tourist attraction is its clean and long beaches and its highlands rising upto 1,000 feet above sea level.
The local residents make fishing nets and other fishing gears. They also produce some leather goods.
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