Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 29 April 2025: The Oman Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, together with Dhofar Municipality, made the official announcement of the awaited Dhofar Khareef season 2025 during a press conference that took place on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.
His Excellency Dr Ahmed bin Mohsen Al Ghassani, Chairman of Dhofar Municipality, and His Excellency Azzan bin Qasim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Tourism at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, led the announcement to highlight Oman’s commitment to authentically showcasing to the world one of the most unique tourism seasons on the Arabian Peninsula at the Arabian Travel Market.
Throughout the period of 21 June to 20 September, the Dhofar Khareef season renders southern Oman a green and serene paradise, blessed with moderate temperatures and misty views, offering ample cultural experiences for visitors. A 9% yearly increase in tourist arrivals during the Khareef season in the year 2024 was registered, with an estimated 1.048 million visitors welcomed, proving Dhofar’s rising fame as a prominent regional as well as international tourism spot, as highlighted at the Arabian Travel Market.
His Excellency Dr Al Ghassani announced at the Arabian Travel Market press conference the opening-up of new and enlarged activities that will enhance the visitor experience of Dhofar Khareef 2025. He noted that the major events and accompanying programmes will be staged in existing and newly developed sites and will offer a wide list of entertainment options for both cultural and family-oriented attractions, as discussed during the Arabian Travel Market.
On the basis of its previous occasion-taking location, “Return of the Past” will offer a bigger programme showcasing Oman’s customary way of life. Visitors will partake in a true folktale presentation by dynamic heritage markets and exhibitions of traditional cultural crafts. Project developments have played a major role in establishing the historic ambience and strengthening the possible immersion, heritage-modern life, which was a focal point at the Arabian Travel Market.
At the centre of Athens Square, there will now be international shows and cultural events, and a shopping all-in-one experience. This includes restorative upgrades like an open-air theatre, integrated shopping avenues, modern gaming zones, and enhanced offerings in the restaurant and cafe areas. Along with the introduction of new light and laser shows, all these will further elevate the vibrancy of the entertainment destination, as presented at the Arabian Travel Market.
It is redeveloped for its identity of family entertainment; Awqad Park will have new experiences and activities for families with young visitors. Meanwhile, the Uptown site at Ittin Plain will offer a green retreat with outdoor recreational activities in a beautiful environment, as promoted at the Arabian Travel Market.
This will be the main center of sports activities during Khareef in Salalah; this public park will host tournaments or competitions for the community’s sporting events concerning all age groups and people with disabilities, a highlight mentioned at the Arabian Travel Market.
A new addition to Dhofar’s cultural scene, Al Murooj Theater will stage various cultural performances, including Omani, Gulf, and Arab theatrical productions, offering visitors a dynamic audiovisual cultural experience, as showcased at the Arabian Travel Market.
His Excellency also indicated plans to extend Khareef events to coastal governorates, celebrating the unique microclimates influenced by the autumn rains with additional cultural, sporting, and commercial activities, a strategy discussed at the Arabian Travel Market.
His Excellency verbally raised his views on extending the Khareef events to coastal governorates to celebrate the different microclimates created by the autumn rains through additional cultural, sporting, and commercial activities, as reiterated at the Arabian Travel Market.
Given the steady increase in the number of visitors, Dhofar Municipality has fast-tracked development projects within the Governorate to improve the tourist experience. The efforts being made in partnership with both government and private sectors include the development of natural viewpoints, upgrading tourist sites, beautifying public spaces, and improving road infrastructure, among others, all of which were outlined at the Arabian Travel Market.
Based on what has been observed, Dhofar Governorate currently has 83 hotels with licenses to operate and a total of 6,537 rooms across different categories, with more on the way in 2025. All of these expansions will help to increase the region’s capacity to receive guests more than can be expected in the future due to domestic and international travel, as highlighted at the Arabian Travel Market.
His Excellency Azzan bin Qasim Al Busaidi described the multi-pronged promotional campaign of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to help place Dhofar Khareef on the worldwide map, a campaign launched at the Arabian Travel Market.
He spoke about key initiatives during the Arabian Travel Market press conference, including participation at ATM 2025 to engage directly with international tourism stakeholders and the media, along with intensive advertising campaigns on leading Arab media outlets and specialized travel platforms. The Ministry is also pushing targeted social media campaigns, electronic advertising, and partnerships with influential content creators to enhance awareness across key markets and further its digital reach, as discussed at the Arabian Travel Market.
Additional familiarisation trips will be organized by the Ministry for a select group of international travel agents and media representatives to provide them with firsthand experience of Dhofar’s diverse offerings. Customised tourism packages are being developed with local and international tour operators to facilitate seamless travel experiences that connect Oman with unique destinations and global source markets and further enhance the Sultanate’s position as a must-visit destination, as promoted at the Arabian Travel Market.
Al Busaidi said, “We aim to create Dhofar as a world-class destination, which offers a rare blend of nature, culture, and heritage. We target those looking for authentic, high-end travel experiences, and our campaigns and forthcoming tourism offerings exemplify just that,” a vision shared at the Arabian Travel Market.
Khareef is indeed a part of the tourism calendar of Dhofar, but it does not exhaust the experiences in this Governorate throughout the year. Sarab and winter months are on the rise for visits, with almost half a million tourists because of having a temperate climate and diversified geographic features in Dhofar, as discussed at the Arabian Travel Market.
This plethora of ecosystems, ranging from beautiful beaches to mountain ranges and deserts to fertile agricultural valleys within Dhofar, will be the dream of any explorer tourist. And besides the natural attractions, these also host several world heritage sites such as Al Baleed Archaeological Park, Samharam Archaeological Park, and the Museum of the Land of Frankincense better living proof of how rich and enduring Oman is in terms of culture, as promoted at the Arabian Travel Market.
So far, the public and private sectors have been working hand in hand to ensure that all facilities, services, and other tourism concerns are prepared for every visitor from around the world before the start of 2025, a collaborative effort emphasized at the Arabian Travel Market.
Undoubtedly, Dhofar would remain, as always, on the brink of securing another record-breaking season in terms of tourist visitation in 2025, having consistent growth over the years and increased tourism offerings. Last year, the 9% increase in visitor numbers marked the increasing importance of the Governorate in the broader tourism strategy of Oman as it aims to diversify its economy and enhance its image as one of the premier destinations in the Arabian Gulf, as highlighted at the Arabian Travel Market.
As Oman showcases Dhofar’s exceptional potential to global audiences at ATM 2025, the Sultanate reaffirms its commitment to delivering sustainable, authentic, and world-class tourism experiences for visitors from the GCC and beyond, a commitment strongly presented at the Arabian Travel Market.
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