Monday 14 / July / 2025
Muscat: Citizens and residents across Oman celebrated Eida Al Adha in different ways.
While many chose to travel within the country, to Jabal Akhdar, Salalah, the Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve, the Al Hoota Cave and other tourist hotspots during the holidays, others spent time in malls, public parks and hotels in Muscat.
According to the Ministry of Tourism’s Twitter handle, the total number of visitors to Salalah until September 14 was pegged at 647,376. Besides this, each governorate in Oman had arranged celebrations at their forts and castles and other public places where people could gather and enjoy the company of others.
“I came to Sohar, my hometown in Oman from Muscat, I do this for every Eid and every big celebration, all my family is here in Sohar, so I had to come and celebrate with them. On the first day we had the slaughtering ceremony, we slaughtered three goats and two bulls and we then cooked shuwa, which was delicious,” Sultan Abdullah, an Omani who works in Muscat, said.
“We also had some visitors on the first day and on the second day I brought my siblings to Muscat to see the festivities here and then we went back the same day and I spent some time relaxing with my family and eating a lot of meat.”
Apart from the tourist spots, malls and public parks also drew a considerable number of people during the nine day-long holiday.
Most malls in Muscat had organised activities for both children and adults and several hotels had announced special offers to attract customers to stay and dine.
“We wanted to travel to Salalah in the holidays, but my children kept me in Muscat because of some activities that the malls were organising; today they saw a magic show and they are very excited to meet some cartoon characters next,” said Avanti, a mother of two.
The Muscat Grand Mall, Oman Avenues Mall, and City Centre Muscat organised magic shows, costume dress ups and other fun activities, which were well attended by a large number of people.
Students and staff at the Pakistan School Muscat celebrated the festival of sacrifice and mercy in a grand way. “Remembrance of the sacred sacrifice, the Haj pilgrimage, empathy for the downtrodden was observed at the Pakistan School Muscat by sharing the festivity with everyone at Junior School and the staff members,” a school official said. “The celebration of the day focused on the basic idea of enlivening the very spirit of Eid Al Adha with regards to it not being just a religious festival, but also the values the festival instils in Muslims the world over,” she added.
A colourful morning assembly, quiz competitions, musical performances, card making for wishing loved ones and many more fun-filled activities were held throug the day to celebrate the occasion.
Attaullah Niazi, senior principal, Pakistan School System, Khalid Jadoon, principal of the Pakistan School Muscat, Munnaza Ghafoor, principal of the Junior School and the audience celebrated the day with the students. Some bright and cheerful performances were also showcased.
“The celebration of such events provides students with a platform to truly ascertain and imprint the very purpose and essence of religious festivals,” the official explained.
