Khasab

Khasab
خصب
Town
Central square of Khasab
Central square of Khasab
Map
Khasab is located in Oman
Khasab
Khasab
Location in Oman
Khasab is located in Persian Gulf
Khasab
Khasab
Khasab (Persian Gulf)
Coordinates: 26°11′N 56°15′E / 26.183°N 56.250°E / 26.183; 56.250
Country Oman
GovernorateMusandam Governorate
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
21,651
Time zoneUTC+4 (GST)
Purple - Portuguese in the Persian Gulf in the 16th and 17th century. Main cities, ports and routes.

Khasab (Arabic: خَصَب, romanizedḪaṣab) is a town and local capital of the Musandam Governorate which is an exclave of Oman bordering the United Arab Emirates at the tip of the Musandam Peninsula by the Strait of Hormuz. It has been dubbed the "Norway of Arabia" because of its extensive fjord-like craggy inlets and desolate mountainscapes.[1][2][3][4]

The town is surrounded by the northern mountains of the Western Hajar Range.[5] Khasab has a fully functional hospital and several hotels, beaches and parks across the city. The city's population is dominated by ethnic Omanis from the mainland. Khasab also has a fort which is known as Khasab Fort. The sea port is dominated by the dhows which take tourists for a cruise across the natural, dry "fjords".

The town a popular tourist spot for residents of the UAE as the Khasab Coastal Road provides access to the town from the UAE by connecting with the E11 Highway in the UAE side. The town can also be accessed by the ferry which is maintained by the Government. The ferries are modern.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference star was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Khasab, Oman Air, archived from the original on 2009-08-31, retrieved November 11, 2009
  3. ^ Musandam is a glimpse of the real Arabia, Travel Weekly, September 28, 2006, archived from the original on January 25, 2010, retrieved November 11, 2009
  4. ^ A Mountain Of Thirst, Outlook, February 2, 2004, archived from the original on 2006-02-21, retrieved November 11, 2009
  5. ^ Lancaster, Fidelity; Lancaster, William (2011). Honour is in Contentment: Life Before Oil in Ras Al-Khaimah (UAE) and Some Neighbouring Regions. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 3–598. ISBN 978-3-1102-2339-2.
  6. ^ "Fleet". National Ferries Company. Retrieved 11 July 2019.