US Organizations to Foster Ties with SQU
News Round Up
Enabling Quality Social Exchange
Mind Over Matter
Bio-Group Holds Open Day
News Update
The Potential of Solar and
Wind Energies in Oman
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 234
View Point
The Language of Art
There is a popular misconception among university students that fine arts and
art exhibitions are meant for only those students who are enrolled in the Art
Education programs. However, it is no secret that students who participate in
fine arts programs are more likely to score higher on standardized test scores,
possess critical thinking skills, have great personal discipline and have an appreciation for the world around them. These characteristics make them appealing candidates for excellent colleges and the corporate world. The arts
within schools and universities are the key component to 21st century learning
skills such as creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking which comprise
the creative work force.
Humaid Abdullah Al Adwani
Editorial Supervision & Editor in Chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
In certain developed countries more students participate in fine arts programs
than sports. When it comes to school children, the arts influence how children
learn at even the earliest age. The arts help teach shapes, colour recognition,
size differentiation, letter and number recognition, phonic recognition, sequencing, following directions, hand eye and motor coordination, kinaesthetic
and spatial relationships, and direction and location which contribute to their
over-all education.
As students imagine, create, and reflect, they are developing both verbal and
nonverbal abilities necessary to school progress. At the same time, they are developing problem-solving abilities and higher-order thinking skills. Research
points toward a consistent and positive correlation between a substantive education in the arts and student achievement in other subjects and on standardized tests. A comprehensive, articulated arts education program also engages
students in a process that helps them develop the self-discipline, cooperation,
and self-motivation necessary for self-esteem and success in life. In today’s
global economy, the arts influence people’s understanding of other cultures,
unique means of expression and in the interdependence of work in the arts
within the broader worlds of ideas and actions.
The Plastic Art Exhibition recently organized by the Plastic Art Society at
SQU was successful in bringing students from other universities including
the UAE University and the University of Nizwa to exhibit their works of art.
This event was a platform for students to understand each other’s culture,
knowledge and experience in fine arts. We hope the organizers would ensure
participation of more and more foreign universities in the fine arts exhibitions
during the years to come.
Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of articles,
news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions
may be edited for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited.
Horizon is published three times a month by the Department of Public Relations and Information,
Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50, P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Phone: +968 24141045
E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om
20 February 2012 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
News Update
Focus on Medical
Laboratory Science
The first gathering of the Medical Laboratory Science Group at Sultan
Qaboos University was held recently under the patronage of Dr. Taher
Ba Omar, Academic Affairs Advisor to the Vice Chancellor. The highlight of this three day event was an exhibition by Medical Laboratory
Science students attached to the College of Medicine & Health Sciences
and representatives from other academic and business institutions dealing with Medical Laboratory Science. A blood donation camp was also
held on the sidelines of the gathering held at the exhibition hall of the
university.
Through the exhibition, the students spread the message that Medical
Laboratory Science combines the use of sophisticated instruments and
techniques with the application of theoretical knowledge to perform
complex procedures on tissue specimens, blood samples and other body
fluids. The tests and procedures that Medical Laboratory Technologists
perform provide critical information enabling physicians to diagnose,
treat and monitor a patient’s condition.
The students underlined the fact that Medical Laboratory Technology
is a constantly evolving and rewarding career. “The lab of today is a far
more complicated one than the lab of just ten years ago. As new discoveries advance scientific knowledge, the Technologist’s role will continue
to change and expand. Even now, we can see the impact of future tests
that may be developed for diagnosing such health problems as cancer
or genetic disorders” one of the organizers said.
Fine Art Exhibition Held
The fourth Plastic Art Week, organized by the Plastic Arts Society
functioning under the Deanship of Student Affairs was held recently
at the Student Service Centre. The opening ceremony of the exhibition
was held under the patronage of Dr. Hamed bin Sulaiman al Salmi,
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Financial Affairs. The
exhibition included around 40 works of art by students from SQU,
UAE University, University of Nizwa and Rustaq College of Applied
Sciences.
Through their works of art, the students captured various facets of life
and its variegated emotions in different media including acrylic, water
colours, oil on canvas, drawings, graphics, prints, and sculpture. The
exhibition included paintings and art works reflecting Oman’s nature.
Some paintings showcased the Arab heritage of the GCC states.
Bio-Group Holds Open Day
The opening day of the Biology Group, organized by the Department of Biology of the College of Science at Sultan Qaboos University, was held recently
under the patronage of Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Said Al Balushi, Director of the
Environmental Conservation Office in the Diwan of Royal Court. Dr. Saif bin
Nasser al Bahry, Dean of the College of Science and academics of the Department of Biology were present during the opening ceremony.
The highlight of the event was an exhibition with the slogan “Oman 100X”
which shed light on environmental problems in Oman and remedial measures. Through different sections, the group members disseminated information on the rich biodiversity of the country and the need to preserve it. The
visitors were educated on different topics such as the birdlife in Oman, the
coral diversity, the marine ecosystems, wild animals and other related topics. They also called for people to prevent further desertification and deforestation of the landmass of the country.
Information was provided about five species of sea turtles found in Oman.
These are the Green turtle, the Loggerhead turtle, the Hawksbill turtle, the
Olive Ridley turtle and the Leatherback turtle. The Group members demonstrated on lab safety in universities and industrial establishments. Another
section was earmarked for exchanging details about traditional and herbal
medicines including cupping therapy, an ancient form of alternative medicine. Posters on research projects done within the department were also displayed at the venue. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs and
the Environmental Conservation Directorate of the Diwan of Royal Court
also participated in the exhibition and explained the activities and projects
taken up by them in order to preserve the environment and biodiversity of
the country.
Program Assessment
Workshop
The College of Engineering at SQU hosted a Program Assessment
Workshop as part of the third periodical review of the ABET accreditation of its academic programs which is due in 2013. All the 8 undergraduate programs in the College of Engineering at SQU have been
accredited by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology). ABET is the world leader in higher education program accreditation for applied science, computing, engineering, and technology
education programs. ABET currently accredits over 3,100 programs at
more than 600 colleges and universities worldwide. ABET accreditation is assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its
students.
The two day workshop held on 14 and 15 of February 2012 was attended by faculty members from all the departments of the College
of Engineering, faculty members from certain departments in the colleges of Science and Education, and academics from Sohar College of
Applied Sciences. The objective of the workshop is to give awareness
to the academics about accreditation process. It also addressed specific problems related to each program in terms of accreditation. The
workshop was led by Dr. Ashley Ater Kranov, Managing Director of
Professional Services, ABET.
20 February 2012 P3
Insight
ments such as the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Ministry
of Transport and Communications, Authority for Electricity Regulation,
which provided useful data and with the collaboration of leading international research institutions in this area such the NREL in the US and
CENER in Spain which are sharing their knowledge and experiences with
the research team from SQU. Besides, this research project is also creating
national cadres through the training of young Omanis including students
and technicians.
The project investigates solar energy resources in Oman to accurately determine solar energy capacity for successful applications of solar energy
systems such as large/medium/small power plants, roof PV and solar water heater systems at a cost-efficient rate. The team carried out land suitability analyses for large PV farms implementation for the whole country
at both macro and micro scales. They considered different parameters such
as atmospheric effects, site latitude and elevation, steepness (slope) and
compass direction (aspect), daily and seasonal shifts of the sun angle, and
effects of shadows cast by surrounding topography, proximity to transmission lines, accessibility, land use, etc. Different PV technologies were
also considered for possible implementation in the selected areas. Solar
energy applications are using nowadays two main types of sola technologies: Photovoltaics (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), which are
expanding considerably. Prof. Gastli said that water requirement for large
solar power plants varies according to the Solar technology: PV or CSP.
“CSP systems are known to consume much larger quantities of water than
the PV systems. Therefore, in places such as Oman and the GCC countries,
where water is scarce, the choice of the most appropriate and cost effective
technology has to be well studied”, he said.
Prof. Adel Gastli at a solar energy plant in Spain
The Potential of
Solar and Wind
Energies in Oman
Sultanate of Oman will necessarily need to diversify its energy resources by investing in the field of renewable energy to meet its current and
future domestic electric energy demand. Taking this into consideration,
Prof. Adel Gastli, Professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer
Engineering and Director of Quality Assurance Office at Sultan Qaboos
University, and Dr. Yassine Charabi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, are proceeding with a research project on the assessment of the potential of solar and wind energies in the Sultanate of Oman,
which is funded by the Research Council (TRC). Renewable energy resource assessments have proven that the Sultanate has a great potential
in this field, particularly in solar and wind energies. Their applications
actively contributes to the strategic goals of Oman, aiming to: diverse the
country’s economy; use available energy resources; develop environmental sustainability; and create a knowledge-based society.
Prof. Gastli said that this project research topic is about the exploration
of the potential of solar and wind energies in the Sultanate through the
analysis and modeling and measurement and to produce solar and wind
atlas maps of high accuracy showing the most suitable sites for large
power plant applications using solar and/or wind energy. These maps
will provide useful information for researchers, planners, investor, and
decision makers who will be work on the development of this promising
renewable energy sector in the Sultanate.
This research project was planned over 4 years period starting from 2009
and is conducted with the contribution of several government depart20 February 2012 P4
As part of the project, case studies were conducted to raise the awareness
and to enhance the skills among the key actors in the building architecture,
energy sector and urban planning with regard to the small scale renewable energies applications. Studies were conducted to assess the capacity
of the roof-PV in energy production through the GIS based model and the
economic value of domestic Solar Water Heater (SWH) systems, residing
mainly in the amount of electrical energy they save in addition to the degree of independence from conventional and polluting energy supplies
they create. According to Prof. Gastli, two preliminary case studies in the
Seeb district (Muscat) were carried out to investigate the potential of roofPV and SWH applications in Oman. “It was proven that without the financial contribution of the Government in the initial investment of SWH and
roof PV systems, the household owners will not find enough incentives to
use them”, he said.
The researchers conducted a comprehensive study in order to identify the
highly suitable land for solar energy applications in Oman. It was found
that PV technologies provide very high technical potential for implementing large solar plants. “In fact, if all highly suitable land is completely exploited for the thin film technology, it can produce more than 600 times the
current energy demand in Oman”, Prof Gastli revealed.
It was also found that if solar water heaters are used in the Seeb region instead of the electric ones, the total annual energy saving was estimated to
about 335,431 MWh/year which is equivalent to a total annual Greenhouse
Gas Emission Reduction of 148,590 tCO2 and total equivalent in 2,625,374
Oil Barrels/year (~$300 Millions/year). It was found that if the house
owner pays 50% of the initial solar water heater cost and the Government
pays the other 50%, the Government will achieve the same benefits and return rates as the home owner. This means that the investment made by the
Government through giving incentives and grants, instead of subsidizing
the electricity price, will be also profitable to the Government.
Another study was conducted for the Seeb region but about the benefit
of rooftop PV installation. The study area is composed of 31,182 building
roofs constituting an equivalent total area of 8.8 km2. It was found that
the total roof PV panels in the Seeb region will be able to generate a total
annual electric energy almost equivalent to a 300MW electric power plant.
This is a considerable amount of energy that can be produced by roof-PV
systems in the Seeb region only.
Land suitability analysis was conducted for wind farm applications similarly to the solar energy application approach but with different criteria
and tools. It was found that the highly suitable lands for wind farm installation (at 50m wind turbine hub) constitute about 0.1% of the total land
of Oman and are mainly located in the southern part of the country and
especially in Dhofar region.
Mind Over Matter
Enabling Quality
Social Exchange
Dr. Unnikammu Moideenkutty
The positive organizational approach advocated by positive organizational
psychology researchers has been steadily gaining traction among writers
analyzing managerial and organizational effectiveness. This perspective
focuses on enabling positive social exchange relationships among organizational members; foremost of which are between leaders and their subordinates. Arising from the positive organizational perspective is the emphasis
on employing positive leadership to influence and motivate subordinates’
performance beyond ordinary job specifications and performance expectations. In a study, we examined the relationships between leaders’ positive
and negative downward influence tactics and subordinates’ organizational
citizenship behavior directed toward their leaders and aspects of their social
exchange relationships with them.
Researchers have distinguished between economic and social exchange. Social exchange involves favors that create diffuse future obligations where
the nature of the return may be uncertain. Alternately, economic exchange
involves contractually specified obligations performed at a specific time.
Because the obligations are contractual, economic exchange does not necessarily depend on trust. However, unlike economic exchange, social exchange promotes feelings of personal obligation, gratitude and trust resulting in enduring social patterns. We define trusting in one’s supervisor as
the belief of employees that they can communicate with their supervisors
with the expectation that the supervisor will not violate the integrity of their
communications.
Leader-member exchange (LMX) is another construct that reflects a social
exchange relationship between leaders and their employees. The leadermember exchange model proposes that leaders exhibit very different patterns of behavior toward different employees that they supervise in their
work units. These behavioral differences lead to the development of two
types of relationships between leaders and their subordinates. The first
type is high quality leader-member exchange characterized by mutual trust
and support, interpersonal attraction, loyalty and bi-directional influence.
Alternately, the second type is low quality leader-member exchange characterized by unidirectional downward influence based on formal organizational authority and contractual relations.
When leaders engage in behaviors indicating positive regard for their employees, employees feel obliged to reciprocate such that their interactions
become mutually beneficial. Thus, these social exchanges affect not only the
leader’s behavior toward subordinates, but also the subordinate’s behavior
toward the leader. Therefore, the social exchange perspective focuses attention on subordinate’s behavior as reciprocation for positive, supportive
leader behavior. One way in which subordinates can reciprocate support
from their supervisor is through organizational citizenship behavior directed toward the supervisor. Since a leader’s downward influence tactics are
a common characteristic of the relationship between leaders and their subordinates, we propose that the type of influence tactics employed will also
contribute to the quality of their social exchange relationship represented
by trust and LMX. Since social exchange associated with organizational
citizenship behavior (OCB), a supervisor’s influence tactics will affect subordinates’ OCB through the quality of the supervisor-subordinate relationship represented by trust and LMX.
For this study, we collected survey data from 202 subordinates and 172
supervisors working in organizations in the Sultanate of Oman. Our respondents were employed in an array of westernized, formal organizations
that included a government export promotion agency, a computer services
company, an engineering services company, a ceramic tiles manufacturer, a
bank, a construction company, the staff training, stores and engineering departments of a university, and the administrative office of a large hospital.
A total of 228 surveys were administered and 202 subordinate surveys and
172 supervisor surveys were returned yielding response rates of 88.6% and
75.44% respectively
Dr. Stuart M. Schmidt
Our data analyses indicated the following: (1) Positive downward influence tactics are positively related to quality social exchange and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and (2) Social exchange (LMX and trust)
mediated the relationship between positive downward influence and OCB.
This study extends social exchange research by showing that positive
downward influence tactics are associated with positive social exchange
relationships (LMX and trust) even in contemporary Omani organizations.
Furthermore, our study also extends OCB research by demonstrating that
positive downward influence tactics are related to OCB directed toward
the supervisor. Contrary to our expectations, negative downward influence was not significantly related to OCB although it is negatively related
to social exchange as expected..
Scholars who study national cultures have indicated that Arab countries
are relatively high on power distance. We might expect that the national
culture of Oman, an Arab, Muslim country, would also be high on power
distance and therefore more accepting of negative influence tactics in the
employment context than countries lower on power distance such as the
United States. Perhaps, this was the reason we found no support for our
expectation that negative downward influence would be negatively related to OCB. However, the negative relationship of negative influence
to social exchange indicates that even in high power distance countries
negative influence tactics undermines the relationship between supervisors and subordinates.
The results of this study indicate that supervisors who want to develop
social exchange relationships with their subordinates and promote supervisor-directed organizational citizenship behavior need to emphasize positive downward influence. This approach may be difficult in times of stress
and difficulty, because research indicates that supervisors tend to use negative influence tactics when they meet with resistance to their influence
attempts. However, our findings indicate that this may have negative implications for social exchange. Since supervisor directed OCB is important
for the supervisor and the organization, the positive approach to influence
appears to be the method of choice for downward influence. In addition,
the results also suggest that day-to-day interactions with followers are
critical for developing high quality relationships. Leaders need to pay attention to their routine interactions with followers if they wish to develop
social exchange relationships that promote extra-role contributions.
Dr. Unnikammu Moideenkutty is an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Management at Sultan Qaboos University (E mail: umoideen@squ.edu.om). Dr.
Stuart M. Schmidt is an academic in Fox School of Business, Department of Human Resource Management at Temple University, USA (E-mail: schmidt@temple.
edu. An internal research grant from the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor
for Post-Graduate Studies and Research of Sultan Qaboos University, supported
this study.
20 February 2012 P5
News Round Up
US Organizations to Foster
Ties with SQU
A joint delegation from Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
and Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, Santa Fe, New Mexico,
USA visited Sultan Qaboos University recently in order to explore the
possibilities of collaboration between their organizations and SQU. The
delegation consisted of Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and Judith Espinar, Creative Director, Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, and two other officers.
The delegation was received by Dr. Hamed bin Sulaiman al Salmi, SQU
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administrative & Financial Affairs. He
promised all support from SQU in fostering the relationship between
the two US organizations. The two sides also discussed about exchange
of students for internship training and exchange of academics for sharing of knowledge. The delegation later visited the College of Arts & Socials Sciences, Omani Studies Centre and the Cultural Centre at SQU.
Smithsonian National Museum of African is home to a collection of
over 10,000 objects which represent nearly every area of the continent
of Africa and contains a variety of media and art forms. The museum
also conducts research, bring out publications promotes exchange of
scholars. Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is the largest of its kind
in the world, the mission of the which is to foster economic and cultural
sustainability for folk artists and folk art worldwide and to create intercultural exchange opportunities that unite the peoples of the world.
“The Journey Towards
Future Energy”
The Shell Chair in Carbonate Geosciences at SQU hosted a seminar on
“ The Journey Towards Future Energy “ presented by Shell Development Oman on Sunday, 12 February 2012. Mr. Devin Garrity, Director
of Shell Development Oman, outlined the global needs for energy in
various forms towards the year 2050 and how this involves enormous
challenges and uncertainties, as well as great responsibilities and opportunities for global energy companies and governments.
Dr. Elaine Leith, Manager of Shell Technology Oman, described the
role of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in obtaining progressively higher
percentages of oil recovery from discovered reserves and how different methods of EOR need to be used for different types of reservoirs
and fluid types. Oman is of global importance in developing these
methods because of the wide range of these types here and the present
needs for implementing EOR projects on many of the producing fields
here.
These presentations were followed by a very active question and answer session with the SQU students and faculty, with in-depth discussions of the many issues raised. The seminar was hosted by at Dr.
Stephen Neville Ehrenberg, the Shell Chair in Carbonate Geosciences
at SQU.
Satellite Meteorology Course Underway
SAT). The programme is meant as an opportunity for the participants
to learn more about EUMETSAT satellites, the theory of remote sensing,
image processing and interpretation, as well as other applications in satellite meteorology and climate studies. The workshop is conducted by
Henk Verschuur, HansPeter Roesli, and Mark Higgins from EUMETSAT,
Dr. Juma Al Maskari and Humaid Al Badi from DGMAN, and Dr. Andy
Kwarteng from SQU. Additional lectures on practical applications and
case history studies will be provided by guest lecturers from DGMAN
and SQU. Dr Fred Prata from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research
will deliver a distance lecture from Kjeller, Norway on volcanic ash monitoring to the participants
Twenty five participants from Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia,
Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, Yemen, Iraq and Qatar are attending the 8th
EUMETSAT Satellite Application Course (ESAC-VIII) being by hosted
by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Center of Excellence
in Oman which is coordinated by Meteorological Affairs Department,
Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) and
Sultan Qaboos University’s Remote Sensing and GIS Center.
The course runs from February 11 to 22 and is sponsored by European
Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMET-
20 February 2012 P6
The World Meteorological Organization Center of Excellence in Muscat
was inaugurated February 2006. It is a joint venture between Meteorological Affairs Department, DGMAN and SQU Remote Sensing and GIS
Centre, and caters for the Arab speaking nations and countries in southwest Asia. The Center’s activities are supported by EUMETSAT. Data
and services from EUMETSAT’s satellites provide a significant contribution to the improvement of weather forecasting and to the monitoring of
global and regional climate. Some 180 weather forecasters and environmental scientists from the Arab and southwest Asian countries have been
trained since the establishment of the Center of Excellence in Oman.
A Sun that never sets
Twenty five years of commitment
Straight Talk
Dr. Jens Eriksen
Dr. Jens Eriksen is the Director of Wildlife Photography at Al Roya Press
& Publishing House, Muscat. His career includes previous employment
as associate professor at Aarhus University Denmark, Sultan Qaboos
University, Oman (1986-2005) and the Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi.
He is the author or co-author of 19 books including Birdlife in Oman,
Common Birds in Oman, Birdwatching Guide to Oman, Oman Bird List
and the Birds of Al Jabal Al Akhdar. Dr Eriksen has won numerous photographic awards including three times winning the Bird Photograph of
the Year competition by British Bird Magazine. More than 10000 of his
photographs have been published around the world including thee images on the 100 baiza currency note of Oman. Dr.Eriksen lives in Muscat
with his wife, Hanne, who shares his passion for birds, nature conservation and wildlife photography. He delivered the keynote speech on “Bird
Migration in Oman - A Brief Overview” at the opening ceremony of the
“International Conference on Oman as Gravitational Centre in the Global Flyway Network for Migratory Shorebirds held in November 2011.
Horizon:
By academic qualifications, you are a
chemist. How did you develop interest in birds in particular and wildlife photography in general?
Dr. Jens: I was interested in birds since my childhood when I was in Europe. After coming to Oman for
career reasons, I realized that there is great scope for
bird studies and wildlife photography in this country
due to the fact that not much work had been done in
this field. So I thought it would be worthwhile doing
some pioneering work in this area. Oman is a place
bestowed with wonderful nature, great weather, a lot
of sunlight and diverse topography. In fact, we started
bird photography after coming to Oman.
Horizon:
How would you comment on the importance of Oman as a bird area? What is the significance
of this area with regard to bird migration and migration
routes?
Dr. Jens:
There is much scope for Oman as a destination for birdwatchers, eco-tourists and nature lovers. Hundreds of people from different continents visit
Oman each year purely for birdwatching. Oman, a nation with a coastline stretching 1700 km, is blessed with
diverse wildlife habitats. There are mountains, farmlands, beaches, deserts and the mesmerizing Dhofar
region which makes this a favorite spot of birds, diverse
plant life and animals. The sound infrastructure available in Oman also makes it easy to get around. The country is safe in terms of travel and stay and the people
are really friendly and hospitable. These aspects combine to make travels easy. The agricultural land in the
north, the Dhofar Mountains in the south and the vast
desert in between, all these endows Oman with a great
biodiversity. This is indeed a brilliant spot for wildlife
photographers and nature lovers. I never heard a single
birdwatcher being disappointed for selecting Oman as
his/her travel destination.
Horizon:
How would you view the importance of
the “flyway conference” hosted by SQU?
This conference definitely will emphasize Oman’s importance as a migratory hotspot. The country is a gravitational center in the global flyway network for migratory shorebirds. Millions of shorebirds coming from
northern Siberia and northern Europe pass through
or spend the winter season in Oman. Birds prefer not
to cross open ocean as it could risk their life. When it
comes to migration of birds, Oman is a land bridge that
connects the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa.
Birds from these three continents meet in Oman twice
a year. I know no other country where three continents
meet.
Horizon:
Photo courtesy of Seyad Farook
What is unique about Barr Al Hikman as a
bird hotspot in Oman?
Dr. Jens: Barr Al Hikman is one of the most important coastal areas for wintering water birds in western
Asia, especially for waders. The mudflats in this area
extending up to 100 km are a ‘restaurant’ for shorebirds
passing through on migration or staying through the
winter. With every high tide nutrients come in and are
‘fruits’ for the bird population. During low tides, the
tidal flats extend for 5 to 6 km in width at Barr Al Hikman. There are no areas as remote and pristine as Barr
Al Hikman on the Arabian Peninsula. It is so remote that
no big cities or townships are in the near neighborhood.
The area is rather isolated and sparsely populated. A
survey conducted in this area between December 1989
and January 1990 counted at least 220,000 water birds
of 52 species. Although the situation has not been investigated comprehensively during the migration seasons, even larger numbers of water birds are expected
to utilize the area in autumn, and numbers in spring are
also likely to be very important. The richest and most
extensive sea grass beds in Oman grow at Barr Al Hikman. There is much coral offshore, and the mudflats are
fringed by reefs at low tide.