Duqm
Duqm (Arabic: ٱلدُّقْم, romanized: Ad-Duqm) is a port town on the coastal strip of the Arabian Sea open to the Indian Ocean. It is about 550 km from Muscat.[1] As of 2010, the population was 11,200.
Duqm
ٱلدُّقْم (in Arabic) | |
|---|---|
  Duqm Location in Oman | |
| Coordinates: 19°39′42″N 57°42′17″E | |
| Country |  Oman |
| Region | Al Wusta |
| Wilayat | Duqm |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (UTC+04:00) |
History
Duqm was a small fishing settlement of the Janubah tribe on the coast of southern Oman,[2] when a party of soldiers of the Muscat and Oman Field Force and geologists of Petroleum Development Oman landed in February 1954 to begin the modern oil exploration of central Oman.[3][4] Today it is an industrial oil town.
Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD)
Duqm Fishing Port, located in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), is the largest multi-purpose fishing port in the Sultanate of Oman, which lay out in an area of (600 hectares) and a depth of (10 m).[5] Construction was completed in 2021.[6] The main breakwater is 2.2 km long, the secondary breakwater is 1.1 km long and the total lengths of the Jetties are around 1.2 km long.
Duqm refinery, also located in SEZAD and occupying 900 hectares, is a large oil refinery under construction and expected to be completed in 2023.[7]
Touristic attractions
Al Wusta Wildlife Sanctuary
This reserve, which is located in the center of a breathtaking desert cliff, is home to a small herd of oryx and provides a unique opportunity to observe the majestic desert antelope up close. The reserve's breeding facility is home to a big herd of over 600 animals. The reserve is located 50 miles from the Haima–Duqm route (Highway 37) via an unpaved route and 110 km from Haima. It is only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles and requires prior authorization.[8]
Ras Madraka Beach
Ras Madraka Beach is about 80 kilometers south of the Park Inn Hotel in Duqm and is well worth the 90-minute drive to get there because it is well known for camping, fishing, and surfing in a setting of silver sands and rocks next to the water in various formations, as well as attracting a large number of sea birds.[8]
The Black Horn (Black Hill)
One of the best places for sightseeing and camping is a volcanic dam that is located in the middle of broad sand flats not far from Khalouf.[8]
Masirah Island
The island is a popular spot for bird watchers and is the habitat of several migrating turtles. Due to the winds blowing near to the shore, it is also an excellent area to enjoy fishing and water activities like windsurfing and sailing.[8]
Khalouf Beach
Due to the existence of soft white sand dunes near the village of Khalouf, which can only be reached by four-wheel drive cars, Khalouf Sands is one of Oman's most stunning locations, but it is also one of the most difficult locations for inexperienced drivers.
It is challenging to drive through these dunes since they are continually exposed to strong gusts from the ocean and are constantly changing.[8]
Transportation
Duqm Airport was opened in 2014 and services flights to the nation's capital Muscat. Duqm is also connected with road services. Mwasalat bus connects Muscat - Duqm - Salalah.
Climate
The weather in Duqm is set apart by being dry and arid for a desert region. Almost no rain falls throughout the year. The predominant climate in this area falls under the Köppen-Geiger classification and is designated as BWh. Duqm's yearly mean temperature is 26.7 °C (80.0 °F). According to weather statistics, there is 36 mm | 1.4 inch of precipitation every year.
Due to their proximity to the equator, the summers in the Duqm are ill-defined. Visitation is most prevalent in February, March, October, November, and December.[9]
| Climate data for Duqm | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 26.8 (80.2) |
27.5 (81.5) |
30.4 (86.7) |
34.3 (93.7) |
36.2 (97.2) |
36.3 (97.3) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.4 (90.3) |
32.5 (90.5) |
32.7 (90.9) |
30.5 (86.9) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.7 (89.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) |
18.4 (65.1) |
20.8 (69.4) |
23.8 (74.8) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.5 (72.5) |
20.6 (69.1) |
18.8 (65.8) |
22.3 (72.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2 (0.1) |
5 (0.2) |
7 (0.3) |
10 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
3 (0.1) |
1 (0.0) |
4 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.0) |
1 (0.0) |
2 (0.1) |
36 (1.4) |
| Source: Climate-data.org | |||||||||||||
References
- "المنطقة الاقتصادية الخاصة بالدقم - الدقم". www.duqm.gov.om. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- The Report. Oxford Business Group. 2013. p. 278. ISBN 978-1-907065-72-9.
- The Journal of Oman Studies. Ministry of National Heritage and Culture, Sultanate of Oman. 1983. pp. 152–7.
- Morton, Michael Quentin (2007), In the Heart of the Desert (In the Heart of the Desert ed.), Aylesford, Kent, United Kingdom: Green Mountain Press (UK) (published May 2006), ISBN 978-0-9552212-0-0, 095522120X, archived from the original on 2018-06-03, retrieved 2011-06-27
- "Duqm Fishing Port". The Special Economic Zone at Duqm. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- "Construction of Oman's largest fishing port completed in Duqm". Muscat Daily. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- "Kuwait Petroleum International expects Oman's Duqm refinery to start by end 2023". Reuters. 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
- "المنطقة الاقتصادية الخاصة بالدقم - اكتشف الدقم - المناطق السياحية القريبة". www.duqm.gov.om. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- "Duqm climate: Temperature Duqm & Weather By Month". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2023-07-28.