The selection of Sur, Oman as the capital of Arab tourism for 2024 marks a significant honor, signifying the city’s rich maritime, breathtaking landscapes, and eco-tourism attractions. This distinguished recognition was conferred during the 26th session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism in Qatar, Doha.

For centuries, skilled craftsmen in Sur have produced dhows that have sailed to distant ports in Asia and East Africa. Sur was one of the greatest medieval ports in the Middle East. After the decline of Qalhat (one of the key ports in Arabia) in the 16th century, Sur became the regional marine trading town of the region. Until the 19th century, Sur remained an extremely important shipyard, responsible for the construction of the great wooden ships that plied the oceans from Arabia to India and back. 

During its heyday, wooden ships carried cargo to and from Oman, including dates, salted and dried fish, dry lemons, and salt. It also imported Iraqi and Iranian dates, saffron, Yemeni coffee, timber, and spices from East Africa.

Ras Al-Jinz is the easternmost point on the Arabian Peninsula. Here, excavations by the British Museum uncovered d shards with Harappan writing and jewelry beads along with bitumen from Mesopotamia, linking Oman to the Indus Valley and  Iraq, giving clear evidence of contacts with Asia more than five millennia ago.

Ras Al Jinz Turtle National Reserve is an internationally- renowned nesting site for the endangered giant Green Sea Turtles. Each year thousands of female turtles swim to Oman’s coastline to lay their eggs.

The limestone mountains North-west of Sur rises from the sea up to almost 2000m. Over the millennia they have been deeply cut into and today steep-sided narrow valleys, locally called wadis, cut into the slopes. Springs of water allow small intensive agricultural farms to grow dates, citrus, mangos, and other tropical fruit.