SALALAH, JUNE 20
As Khareef begins on Sunday, preparations are gathering pace across Dhofar to welcome tourists and spread cheer among hoteliers, tour operators and small businesses.
A field visit by the Observer to several tourist locations showed work under way to prepare visitor facilities, food and beverage outlets, entertainment areas and basic service points ahead of the season that will last until September 21.
Government entities, including Dhofar Municipality, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, ROP, CDAA, the Environment Authority and other institutions, are working alongside private operators to provide a safe, organised and serviceable environment for visitors arriving from Oman and abroad.
The preparations reflect the growing scale of Khareef, which has moved beyond being a seasonal weather attraction to become one of Oman’s most important tourism and service-sector tests.
Dhofar attracted more than one million visitors last year. Data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information show that Khareef Dhofar received 1,070,738 visitors in 2025, compared with 1,047,751 in 2024 and 962,196 in 2023.
Estimated visitor spending also rose to RO 125 million in 2025, from RO 121 million in 2024 and RO 103 million in 2023, underlining the season’s growing role in supporting accommodation, restaurants, transport, retail, entertainment and small businesses.
Accommodation accounted for the largest share of spending last year at about RO 49.2 million, followed by food and beverages at RO 28.5 million, travel tickets at RO 19.2 million and other spending, including shopping and entertainment, at about RO 27.7 million.
For hotels, apartments, cafés, restaurants, food vendors, transport providers, tour guides and home-based businesses, Khareef is not simply a busy period. For many, it is the commercial season that can shape the outcome of the year.
Ali al Balushi, operations officer at a tour operating company, said inquiries about Dhofar had already started to increase, particularly from visitors asking about hotels, tourist sites and organised trips.
“We are receiving many inquiries about tourism options, accommodation and tour arrangements,” Al Balushi told the Observer. “The numbers usually begin to improve with the start of Khareef, but the peak period normally begins from mid-July and continues until shortly before students return to school.” A tourism sector specialist, who declined to be named, said hotel occupancy was expected to be strong this season despite wider regional uncertainty.
“We still expect a good season and strong demand from visitors, whether from Oman or neighbouring countries,” the specialist said. “Dhofar remains one of the most suitable destinations for family tourism. The cultural environment is familiar to many visitors from the region, and based on previous seasons, many say they do not feel like strangers here — they feel as if they are among their own people.” Dhofar Municipality has announced a broad events programme for the 2026 season, featuring 125 cultural, artistic, sporting and entertainment events across Salalah and other wilayats. Major venues include Ittin Square, the Modern Waterfront, Al Murooj Theatre, the Health Park at Salalah Public Park and the Children’s Time zone at Awqad Public Park, with activities extending to Taqah, Mirbat and Sadah.
The wider distribution of activities is significant. If managed effectively, it can reduce pressure on traditional hotspots such as Wadi Darbat, Al Mughsail and Ittin, while giving smaller communities and local entrepreneurs outside central Salalah a better chance to benefit from visitor spending.
Air connectivity will also play a larger role this season. The Civil Aviation Authority has said Oman Air is expected to provide about 330,000 seats during Khareef 2026, compared with 313,000 last year, while SalamAir is expected to offer 190,844 seats.
Oman Air is expected to carry about 298,000 passengers during the season, while SalamAir is expected to carry around 166,393 passengers. The expanded aviation plan is expected to improve access to Dhofar, but it will also place additional pressure on airport services, taxis, car rentals, hotels, apartments and city traffic during the peak weeks.
Road movement remains equally important, as the majority of visitors traditionally enter Dhofar by land. For families travelling from Muscat and other governorates, the long road south is part of the Khareef experience, but also one of its main safety challenges.
Long distances, driver fatigue, changing weather, construction activity on parts of the national road network and heavy seasonal movement require clear traffic management and stronger public awareness.
The central question for Khareef 2026 is not whether visitors will come. Dhofar has already proven that.
The real test is whether the governorate can absorb higher demand, protect the visitor experience, support local businesses and turn a short seasonal rush into deeper economic value.
As the mountains begin to turn green and visitors start moving towards Salalah, Dhofar enters the season with both opportunity and pressure. Success this year will not be measured only by full hotels and crowded viewpoints, but by how well the season is managed — and how widely its benefits are felt.
