What first strikes visitors to Oman are the jebels, in Arabic for mountains, which, perhaps is Oman’s singular defining geology. Oman’s mountains, the Al Hajar Mountains, overlook the Gulf of Oman and are divided into two; the Eastern and Western Al Hajar mountains, by the Sumail Gap. These mountains lie as an arc of black and grey ophiolitic mountains extending northwards for 550 km from Ras Al Hadd in the West.

Known for their geological heritage, the Al Hajar Mountains are largely barren mountains but support life forms ranging from the common Fig Tree to the endangered Arabian Tahr. Rising up to nearly 3000 meters, areas like Jebel Akhdar or the Saiq plateau are prone to thunderstorms, rain and even hailstones! Notably, Jebel Shams, Oman’s tallest peak, which lies 3013 meters above sea level, has even recorded snowfall! The upper reaches of the Saiq Plateau have ample vegetation and have become summer retreats when temperatures on the plains become unbearable.

In the South, overlooking the Arabian Sea is the Dhofar Mountain Range. The Jebel Dhofar Mountains form a narrow belt, at most 23km wide, running 400km west to east, from the Yemeni border to the Hallaniyat Islands, climbing up to 2,500 meters. The South West Monsoon bathe a 75km stretch of these Jebels, carpeting them in greenery and blessing its lower slopes and foothills with the Frankincense tree and gifting the coastal plains with vegetables, bananas and coconut palms.

Apart from the jebels, the other most striking feature of Oman’s topography is its deserts; the red and Gold dunes of the Ramlat Al Wahaybah or the Wahiba Sands and the Rub Al Khali or the Empty Quarter.


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