Omani vessel on “cultural” Gulf tour

A royal Omani dhow (wooden boat) is touring Gulf countries as part of a regional voyage ordered by Sultan Qaboos with the aim of reenacting the Sultanate’s maritime history and its seafaring traditions.

The 61-metre-long Zinat Al Bihar (adornment of the seas) spent three days at Kuwait’s Shuwaikh port before docking in Bahrain on Saturday.

Officials said the vessel would spend four days at Port Salman before heading for nearby Qatar, where it will proceed to Iran’s Bandar Abbas and Makran. It will return to home port in Muscat in the second half of January.

“The voyage comes in pursuance of earlier tours of Arab, Asian and European ports. The vessel’s visits seek to enhance ties of friendship and amity and to embody the Omani people’s seafaring history and their role in transferring civilization and encouraging human and cultural dialogue,” Oman’s media said, quoting an official in the Sultanate.

The vessel, which first sailed in 1988, took part in the 815th anniversary of the foundation of Hamburg Port in Germany, covering 6,500 nautical miles in the marine venture. It also participated in the Barcelona Maritime Festival in 2004.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.