SQU Receives Washington University Delegation
News Round Up
A Magical Gateway to the Past
Mind Over Matter
Conference Highlights Geology of Oman Mountains
News Update
Unleashing Student
Creativity
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 230
View Point
Going Green
Humaid Abdullah Al Adwani
Editorial Supervision & Editor in Chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
The words ‘sustainability’, ‘going green’, or ‘green building’ is coming up more
often in discussions about the management of resources and business practices. Sustainability has to do with reducing our footprint on the future. Broadly
speaking, it consists of improving economic efficiency; protecting and restoring
ecological systems; and enhancing the well-being of human kind. The “sustainable campus” program addresses all of these components. The concept of sustainable campus takes it cue from the United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (2005-2014) which was established in 2002 through a
UN Resolution. Higher education institutions in several countries have started
adopting the movement toward sustainability and many universities and colleges are in various stages of organizing for sustainability. SQU is also taking
this issue seriously.
The bottom line of sustainable campus is ‘green buildings’ which are less expensive to operate because they consume less energy and water. The green building
approach uses technology that requires less energy to achieve the same results
or even better. Properly commissioned buildings can improve the comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency. Better design in the use of daylight harvesting has been shown to increase student performance by over 20% in some
of the cases studied, while greatly reducing energy consumption. The positive
effect on employees by using green building design principles helps to enhance
the welfare of the workforce. Reducing energy consumption creates an immediate reduction in air-pollution.
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
The university administration has a very significant role to play by the business decisions they make concerning new building design, repair and renovation projects, building operations and maintenance, procurement practices,
landscaping, recycling at various levels, waste management, custodial services,
energy management, transportation, food service and dining operations, and
residential operations.
The educational side is also significant but in different ways. The investment
in the education of students on these subjects has a long term benefit. They
will eventually become leaders in their community and bring with them the
important concepts of sustainability. The research sector of the university has a
significant role in terms of its near and long term impacts. The local community
can also provide various levels of resources to assist the sustainability effort and
includes alumni, the business community, community organizations, and local
chapters of professional associations.
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
10 January 2012 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
SQU Explores Ties with
Tubingen University
Prof. Dr. Bernd Engler, President and Vice Chancellor of Tubingen University in Germany and his delegation visited Sultan Qaboos University recently. The delegation was received by HH Sayyida Dr. Mona bint Fahad Al
Said, SQU Assistant Vice Chancellor for External cooperation, Dr. Said bin
Ali al Yayaee, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Community
Service, and other officials.
Both sides discussed on strengthening cooperation between the two universities in terms of student exchange and joint research activities. Prof.
Dr. Bernd Engler said that his university was started in 1477 with around
80 students and now student strength is 24,000 which includes German and
international students. “Tubingen University is the leading university in
Germany for teaching and research in medicine and life sciences”, he said.
Tubingen is home to Germany’s first centre for Islamic theology. The centre is one of four new centres for Islamic Theology dedicated to the study
of Islamic Theology. The two sides agreed on furthering the cooperation
through exchange of students under credit transfer and other methods.
They observed that exchange of students would provide them with the opportunity to learn and interact with new cultures and traditions.
Al Bimani Receives
US Scholar
News Update
Conference Highlights
Geology of Oman Mountains
The opening ceremony of the International Conference on the Geology of the Arabian Plate and the Oman Mountains, organized by the
Earth Sciences Department of the College of Science at SQU was held
recently under the patronage of HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, the Vice
Chancellor of SQU. The conference presented the latest developments
across a broad spectrum of Earth sciences professions including sedimentary and hard rock geology, base and precious metals industry,
petroleum geology, ground water, geophysics, meteorites and environmental sciences.
In his speech during the opening ceremony of the conference, Dr. Saif
bin Nasser al Bahry, Dean of the College of Science, said that SQU and
the College of Science have always been in the forefront of organizing
international forums in which experts from across the globe would
gather to share latest developments in their respective scientific fields.
Prof. Sobhi Nasser, Head of the Department of Earth Sciences and the
Chair of the Conference Organizing Committee, said that the department was proud host the event, bringing together renowned experts in
their respective fields of geosciences to address vital issues of research
in earth sciences, which has become increasingly important today,
given that finding and exploration for oil and mineral deposits are key
drivers of economic growth in Arabia and the world.
The highlight of the opening ceremony was a presentation by Prof. Ken
Glennie from Aberdeen University, who was among the pioneers to undertake geological mapping of the Oman mountains back in the early
sixties. In his presentation titled “Oman’s geology: past and present”,
Prof. Glennie gave an outline of the general geology of the country.
As many as 280 participants from different countries participated in
the conference which featured around 200 paper presentations and 42
poster demonstrations and seven field trips. The Department of Earth
Sciences at SQU, has for the past 25 years been actively involved in advancing geological knowledge about the Arabian Peninsula in general
and the Oman mountains in particular.
Dr. Shireen T. Hunter, Visiting Fellow, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for
Muslim Christian Understanding (ACMCU), and Director, Carnegie Project
on Reformist Islam at Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA and her
delegation visited SQU recently. The delegation was received by HE. Dr. Ali
bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of SQU and other senior officials.
Shireen T. Hunter is a distinguished scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC where she directed the Islam Program
for many years. She is the author of seven books and three monographs and
has contributed to more then 35 edited volumes and wrote 40 journal articles.
Her visit to Oman was facilitated by Sultan Qaboos Cultural Centre.
The two sides exchanged their views on strengthening ties between the two
universities by way of exchange of students in expertise in different fields
including international relations, economics, political science, law, etc. Dr.
Abdullah al Kindi, Dean of the College of Arts & Social Sciences and Dr. Fahim al Marhubi, Dean of the College of Commerce & Economics , and other
officials of SQU were present on the occasion.
SQU to Host Conference
for Medical Students
Sultan Qaboos University will host the 8th International Scientific
Conference for Medical Students in GCC Countries from Saturday, 28th of January, which will open its doors for medical students from all over the gulf. Every year hundreds of medical students and international health professionals gather in one place
to share their knowledge, experiences and new medical findings.
Sultanate of Oman is hosting this conference for the second time
after its delightful experience in 2006. The conference will be located in SQU in Muscat lasting for a whole week starting from
Saturday 28th Jan till Wednesday 1st February 2012. This event
will be attended by more than 1500 delegates including both undergraduate and post-graduate medical students not only from
the GCC countries, but from all over the world.
10 January 2012 P3
Insight
Unleashing Student Creativity
The Innovative Use of Technology in the Language Classroom
By: Dr. Ayesha Heble
Dept. of English
College of Arts & Social Sciences
In an age when the Internet has made access to information
available to a large majority of people, it has been seen by
most social scientists as an empowering tool. As contemporary philosopher Clay Shirkey has observed (July 28, 2010,
in an interview with Stephen Sackur on BBC’s Hardtalk) the
Internet has made it possible for a larger number of people
to become producers of texts, rather than mere consumers, in
much the same way as the invention of the printing press did
in the 15th century, but even more so because with the Internet it is has now become possible even for amateurs to have
their say, as it were, and reach much larger audiences.
More specifically in relation to the ELT classroom, it has been
seen as a positive development in that it has greatly multiplied the exposure of learners to English in a very lively and
interactive manner, through such social networking tools as
email, chat-rooms, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter etc. On the
other hand, educationists are all too aware of the potential
dangers of the Internet for the learning process – the lack of
discrimination in assessing the reliability of sources, on the
one hand, and even more alarmingly, the temptation to plagiarize material that is so readily available literally at the click
of a finger. Rather than deploring this perhaps inevitable outcome of communication technology, however, I believe that
it is important to come up with novel and challenging ways
both of providing one’s students with opportunities to use
the language and discover its underlying principles, and also
of assessing their performance. With this in mind I decided
to introduce a completely new process of assessment for the
Advanced Language Studies course I was asked to teach as
part of the summer programme last year.
The aim of the course was to get students to look at the way
language functions in different contexts in society – e.g. advertising, journalism, literature, and public administration.
We studied texts from various different authentic sources, including road signs, advertisements, literary texts, newspaper
articles etc. For the purpose of assessment, rather than getting the students to merely analyze existing texts I got them to
produce original material which would demonstrate their understanding of how language and images function in different contexts. In other words, I tried to get them be creative in
their use of language rather than merely receptive, by which
I mean getting them to use their imagination rather than their
knowledge in fulfilling a given task.
The final course project required them to work in groups of
threes or fours, and produce 5-minute documentary films
on one of two topics (the changing face of Oman, or the traditional crafts of Oman) which they could interpret in any
10 January 2012 P4
way they liked. I showed them an example of a short amateur documentary film on Youtube which demonstrated very
well the use of still and moving images, recorded sounds and
voice-overs, and written text to convey a message - and I also
enlisted the help of two colleagues who were able to give the
students technical guidance on movie-making – but beyond
that I left it to the students themselves to pool their own resources and work out their own strategies. I told them they
could use the resources that were available to them on the
Internet, as long as it was acknowledged, but they would also
have to produce their own original work. I also made it clear
that I would not be assessing them so much on the technical
aspects of the films – after all, they were not really students of
the medium – but rather on the use they made of language,
images and sound not only to convey certain information and
but also to create a certain effect in the audience.
The most exciting part of the project for me was that, for
the first time, it was not so much the use I was making of
technology in the classroom, but the use my students were
making of technology to create something entirely new. We
had eight groups and they took to the challenge with enthusiasm, although some of them expressed initial hesitation
at working with a new medium, and also about working in
groups, which was new for them. The topics that they covered included: E-government in Oman, Education in Oman,
Omani architecture, Omani halwa, the Omani “khanjar”, the
Omani “kumma”, weaving craft in Oman and weddings in
Oman. I have put these on Youtube (http://www.youtube.
com/results?search_query=aheble1) and hope that they will
be widely seen around the world.
What did they gain from the project? First of all, obviously
the ability to use language to convey information in an unfamiliar medium, but more than this, they also learned a new
skill, which all of them appreciated. Even more importantly,
they learned to work in groups and how to use the different
skills of the members in collaboration to produce something.
They also learned to find ways around problems, and to look
for alternatives. Another outcome of the project was the increase in confidence and also the appreciation of their own
culture and identity that they gained from the experience. It
gave them a sense of pride in their own identity and taught
them that their traditional culture is worth preserving and
talking about.
(This article is an abridged version of paper presented at a conference organized by the International Journal of Arts and Sciences at
Harvard University in June 2011, and due to be published in the
Journal of Teaching & Education in early 2012).
Mind Over Matter
Dr. Nasser Said Al-Jahwari
A Magical Gateway to the Past
Archaeology is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery
and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that people have left
behind, which includes artifacts, buildings, biofacts and cultural landscapes. Because archaeology is an interdisciplinary field that employs a wide range of different
procedures, it can be considered as both a science and humanity. It is of most importance for learning about prehistoric societies when there are no written records
for historians to study. Dr. Nasser Said Al-Jahwari, Assistant Professor in the
Department of Archeology at SQU speaks to Rahab Harib Al Maqrashi about
the significance of archaeology which is regarded as a “boring subject” by some
people.
Rahab: People usually wonder about the benefit of protecting and preserving ancient sites. Could you say something about this?
Dr. Nasser: Many people ask why we spend a lot of money and pay great
attention to protecting the archaeological heritage. In fact, there are several
values associated with archaeological heritage, including its symbolic value,
educational value, information value, research or scientific value, economic
value, aesthetic value, historic value and political value. For example, one of
the most important archaeological values is the spiritual or symbolic value
that is related to the concepts of identity and citizenship as well as people’s
culture. The archaeological heritage plays a significant role in enhancing the
importance and value of people’s identity. It has also a value for education
which normally makes use of information from archaeological surveys and
excavations in teaching, and can thus enhance our understanding of the
past. It helps in educating particularly new generations about their heritage
and social values.
Rahab: Do you think that Omani society is aware of the archaeological richness of the country?
Dr. Nasser: No, they are not fully aware of this and still more needs to be
done to educate people in both government and private sectors, about the
value, significance and philosophy of protecting and preserving the country’s archaeological heritage.
Rahab: People may not be aware because they often regard it as a boring
subject. So how did you develop an interest in archaeology?
Dr. Nasser: First of all I disagree with the last few words of your question.
The field of archaeology is not a “boring subject”, but an interesting one.
From my experience and broad social network of contact with specialists
and non-specialties, I have found that the vast majority of people are interested to know about their past and ancestors through finding their remains.
People normally get excited when they see archaeological materials. It is the
science of adventure and discovery, finding human “treasures.” Moreover,
it is the science that seeks the help of other disciplines, making it an interdisciplinary subject. It deals with all aspects of human life over the passage
of time. Wherever and whenever I do any fieldwork in Oman people come
and ask” What have you found? Have you found gold or a treasure?” They
always ask what is this and what is that and they often try to help. Coming
back to your question, my interest in archaeology started in 1993 when the
Department of Archaeology at SQU was established and I found myself
part of it. Joining this department was a turning point in my career. Since
that time, I have been participating and conducting fieldwork in different
parts of Oman, which resulted in writing a number of publications about
the archeology of Oman.
Rahab: Perhaps describing some important sites, major discoveries and
their historical and archaeological significance would benefit us all. Can
you list some?
Dr. Nasser: In fact, any archaeological site is important, regardless of its discoverable archaeological material as it provides us with some new insights
into the settlement history and patterns of life of the people who inhabited
Oman over time. There are thousands of sites that have so far been discovered, but among the most important ones are Ras al-Hamra, Ras al-Jinz, Ras
al-Had, Bat, Salut, Khor Rori, al-Balid and others. For example, a number
of archaeological sites were found in Ras al-Hamra, expanding the period
from almost the 7th millennium BC to the 3rd millennium BC as is attested
by the recovery of archaeological material varying between pottery, stone
tools, shells, human and animal bones, copper and bronze objects, personal
ornaments. Among the important sites within the al-Hamra area is Ras alHamra. Excavations at this site yielded settlement remains and a cemetery
which, according to the archaeological layers and finds, dates back to the
5th millennium BC. The site provided us with important insights into the
funerary practices as well as the socio-economic system during the late
Stone Age on the Oman Peninsula.
Bat in Ibri is also another important site which in 1988 was listed as one
of the World Heritage sites. The site was found and excavated in the early
1980s of the 20th century by the Danish Expedition. Settlement remains and
tombs of the 3rd millennium BC were recovered. These include the famous
3rd millennium BC (Umm an-Nar period) stone-built towers and the socalled cairns, beehive and Umm an-Nar tombs. Since that time, surveys
and excavations have been carried out in the area of Bat which recently an
American team has excavated some of the previously recovered towers and
tombs, but new towers have also been found and excavated by this team.
Rahab: There are always problems in every field. What do you think are the
major obstacles faced by archaeologists in their search for more excavations
and discoveries?
Dr. Nasser: In general, there are a number of difficulties that might hinder
archaeologists in carrying out their fieldwork. Among the common difficulties are public and government awareness of the importance of the archaeological heritage, laws and regulations, funding, and other issues related to
the protection and preservation of archaeological sites. Then one might add
lack of specialized institutions and cadres, human and natural threats, and
lack of coordination among the organizations and bodies concerned.
10 January 2012 P5
News Round Up
SQU to Play Major Role in
Woodland Restoration
SQU Receives Washington
University Delegation
HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of SQU, received in
his office, Dr. Steven Knapp, President of the George Washington
University, USA and accompanying delegation. A video presentation on SQU, its colleges, its teaching, research and community service activities was screened for the delegation.
Sultan Qaboos University, at the request of the recently established National
Field Research Centre for Environmental Conservation (NFRCEC) Oman, will
join hands with Earthwatch, a UK based institute which is involved in biodiversity conservation activities, in a major national project for conservation and
restoration of juniper- olive woodlands in the northern mountains of Oman.
The involvement of SQU with its strong team of environmental scientists and
experts in this extensive project follows the successful outcome of the “Jabal
Akhdar Initiative”, a comprehensive research project on the mountain ecosystem in Oman.
Professor Reginald Victor, noted environmental scientist and currently the
Dean of Research at Sultan Qaboos University said that the “Jabal al Akhdar
Initiative” emphasized the need for protecting the juniper-olive woodlands at
altitudes of 1200 – 3000 metres above sea level. “Jabal al Akhdar Initiative”
was a multidisciplinary case study research funded by His Majesty’s Strategic
Research grant for the period 2004-2007. Prof. Victor was the first director the
Centre for Environmental Studies & Research (CESAR) at SQU and the Principal Investigator of the comprehensive mountain research project undertaken
by the Centre.
“The recommendations of this study paved way for the establishment of a Nature Reserve in Al Jabal al Akhdar, but unfortunately many important woodland tracts are still outside the Reserve and continue to degrade because of
the ever expanding demands imposed by the unchecked urban development.
Conserving these woodlands is a national responsibility”, Prof.Victor said.
National Field Research Centre for Environmental Conservation (NFRCEC) is
responsible for the implementation of the conservation and restoration project
which will be implemented with the support of Earthwatch and SQU.
Prof. Reginald Victor will lead the SQU research team in the project whereas
Prof. Roderick Dutton is the team leader of Earthwatch. Dr. Saif Al Shaqsi, the
Chief Executive Officer of NFRCEC is responsible for overall coordination and
implementation. This project will use a two pronged approach of conservation
and restoration to save these woodlands and is expected lead to the greater
understanding of the ecological dynamics to produce pragmatic management
and monitoring strategies.
Prof. Victor observed that research alone cannot ensure the conservation of
these woodlands and the cultural heritage associated with them. The livelihoods of mountain communities have been associated with these woodlands
for a long time and these communities should be encouraged towards the stewardship of these woodlands. Stewardship, with its focus on community-based
sustainable management of these woodlands will be a priority in this project.
According to Prof. Victor, healthy woodlands provide habitats for a high diversity of native plants and animals. “However, the Jabal Akhdar Initiative has
proved that the woodlands in Oman Mountains are facing degradation due to
several factors such as rapid urbanization in the area, changes in agricultural
practices, tourism related activities and overgrazing. Other reasons could be
the increase in the temperature of this mountain range and the reduction in
annual rainfall due to global climate change”, he added.
10 January 2012 P6
In the discussion that followed, the two sides explored the possibilities of collaboration between the two universities. Dr. Steven Knapp
said that the location of the George Washington University in the
heart of Washington places it at the core of U.S. government, policy
and law. The university offers a wide range of academic programs
and research opportunities in science, technology, media and the
arts. Dr. Ali al Bimani evinced interest in establishing collaboration
between SQU and the US university in the teaching of law and economics at SQU. The two sides also explored the possibilities of facilitating student exchange, exchange of academics and collaboration
in research activities.
Michael J. Moresberger, Vice President of the George Washington
University and other senior academicians and administrators also
participated in the discussion. Dr. Said bin Ali al Yahayee, SQU
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Community Service, and Zaher al Zakwani, Director of the Office for External Cooperation were also present on the occasion.
GNU/Linux Users’
Gathering Held
The Free and Open Source Software Society functioning under the
Communication and Information Research Centre (CIRC) at Sultan
Qaboos University recently organized a gathering of GNU/Linux
users in Oman with a view to exchange knowledge and share experiences among users of this system. During the sessions, Yusuf
al Jahwari gave an overview of GNU/Linux system and Mr. Fahad
al Saidi from Information Technology Authority, Oman presented a
paper on GNU/Linux as a desktop operating system.
The free and open source software technology, which makes the
human-readable source code of software accessible to anyone who
wants to obtain it, gives users the freedom to openly share it with
their friends, but further the freedom to customize, adapting the
software to their local needs, and even sell it without much restriction, unlike proprietary software. FOSS is empowering individuals
and communities, and enabling diverse talents and cultures, to collaborate with technology partners of their choice.
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Straight Talk
Dr. Mohammad Ali Reza Khan
Horizon: Could you please give a brief outline of birds found in UAE?
Dr. Khan: This is nearly impossible as we have 450 species. However,
in a very nutshell we can say UAE birds include 260 non-passerine and
190 passerine species. Of the total recorded most or 335 are migratory that
are categorised as winter, autumn, spring, summer migrants and migrant
breeders. Out of 450 species just 115 are breeding here within the country. Some of these breeding species are also partly migrants and found in
neighbouring Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar or the Arabian
Peninsula in general. In all, there are 135 species of wetland birds or waterbirds among the avifauna of the UAE with the exception of a few species
that have just been reported ones or twice e.g. Franklin’s Gull first time I
found in Fujairah coast during May 2011 that migrated from the coast of
America (!), vagrant swans and geese, and likewise a few near-shore and
deep sea birds. However, these waders, shorebirds and wading birds, which
are rare to common or very common in status, are mostly migrants when
some are both breeders and migrants. These also include regionally and
internationally important species. Of these 135 wetland species, 117 species represent 65% of all the water-birds listed in the Central Asian Flyway Action Plan. Importantly these are all migratory although some come
here to breed when others have both migratory and resident populations.
Dr. Reza Khan is a Specialist in Wildlife & Zoo Management
at the Public Parks & Horticulture Department of Dubai Municipality, UAE. Originally coming from Bangladesh, he has
been working in Dubai Municipality for the past 23 years in
his capacity as zoologist-cum-wildlife biologist. Prior to that he
worked as a Bird and Primate Curator in Al Ain Zoo from 1983
December to 1989 May. From 1973 to November 1983, he was an
associate professor of Zoology in Dhaka University. Dr. Khan
did his Ph.D. under Dr. Salim Ali, the great birdman of India in
1977 from the University of Bombay, India. He has extensively
worked with the wildlife of Bangladesh, India and the UAE, and
parts of Oman. He visited SQU recently to participate in the international conference on “Oman as a Gravitational Centre in
the Global Flyway Network of Migratory Shorebirds” organized
by the Centre for Environmental Studies & Research (CESAR).
What is your major responsibility in your present position as
specialist in wildlife and zoo management in Dubai Municipality?
Horizon:
Dr.Khan: I manage the Dubai Zoo from the technical side and co-manage
the wildlife sanctuaries of the Emirate of Dubai along with the Environment
Department of Dubai Municipality. I am also responsible for conducting
field research in Dubai Emirate on the wildlife and biodiversity.
Horizon: You have worked, in Bangladesh and UAE, on many projects
focusing on ornithology. Could you please elaborate?
Dr. Khan: My projects in Bangladesh mostly concerned with elephants,
primates, tigers, deer; several groups of birds; crocodiles, lizards, snakes and
amphibians. Projects in UAE were and are related to the information collection on the status and distribution, and biology of mammals, birds, reptiles
and other wildlife. These resulted in the publication of 12 books in Bangladesh and 3 in the UAE which include “Birds of Dubai”, “Indigenous Trees of
the UAE” and “Wild Cats of the UAE”.
Horizon: Do rapid development and urbanization initiatives in the UAE
affect the bird biodiversity in the country? What solution you would put
forward in this regard?
Dr. Khan: Yes, it does. But some modernization like the creation of public gardens with lots of greenery, well irrigated landscaped topography by
roadsides and alleyways; wetlands in various hotel complexes, golf courses,
racing courses; agricultural and farming houses are becoming new and very
attractive habitats for resident as well as migratory birds and insects. To offset the imbalance created by the rapid urbanization the developers, planners
and organizers must keep provisions for man-made gardens, thickets, green
ground covers; small to large freshwater pools and wetlands. Conservation
can be improved by nation-wide designation of more areas for wildlife conservation as wildlife sanctuaries, bird parks, conserved estuary or marshland, creek, etc., national parks or protected areas so that each country has at
least 15% area under greenery and protection.
How would you compare the merits of UAE and Oman in
terms of bird diversity?
Horizon:
Dr. Khan: Oman is a vast country with very rich wildlife habitats that
range from the coastal area, vast sea, dry and desolate mountains in Musandum, Buraimi, etc., to Jebel Akhdar and evergreen Dhofar- Salalah to unlimited expanse of desert. Oman has more variety of animals and plants than
the UAE. UAE has just 450 species when Oman has 500 species of Birds.
It has large area for the breeding of seat turtles unique in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Tahr only occurs in Oman when there may be just a
few specimens left in the wild in UAE. Many animals and plants have been
named after ‘Oman’ as a country or by scientists based in Oman. In addition,
Oman has quite a few endemic species of plants and animals that are not
found beyond the boundary of Oman.
Photo by: Seyad Farook