24th Malone Fellowship Oman Cultural Immersion Program – February 24-March 10, 2024

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is pleased to offer, through its Joseph J. Malone Fellowship in Arab and Islamic Studies Program, the Twenty-Fourth Oman Cultural Immersion study visit to the Sultanate of Oman. The visit is scheduled for February 25 – March 10, 2024, with a required pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C., on February 24. This unique opportunity will provide a privileged first hand exposure to one of the Arab world’s most demographically, geographically, and socially diverse countries.

The National Council is currently accepting applications to participate in this study visit.

MALONE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION:
https://ncusar.org/programs/Malone-Fellowship-Application.pdf

American professionals in academia, government, the military, non-governmental organizations, business, religious institutions, the media, civic associations, as well as the fine arts, humanities, and the social sciences are invited to apply.

The Twenty-Fourth Oman Cultural Immersion study visit will provide participants an educational experience that few Westerners and even fewer Americans have had. The program is choreographed to provide Malone Fellows an unparalleled diverse exposure to Oman – one of the most historically and culturally rich of all Arab and Islamic societies. Until relatively recent times, the Sultanate languished in its status as one of the most forgotten corners of all Arabia. Anyone in doubt about the extraordinary opportunity that being able to visit Oman in this manner presents need only consult any of the several National Geographic Magazine features on the country over the past several decades.

THE PROGRAM

The program begins in the capital territory centered on the coastal communities of Muscat and Mutrah, where there will be meetings and briefings at the U.S. Embassy, one or more Omani ministries, and visits to sites of historical interest. The remainder of the program unfolds away from the capital in the Sultanate’s extraordinarily diverse interior.

We will explore several of the country’s famous forts of yesteryear, visit the ancient mud-brick walled settlement of Bahla, designated by UNESCO as one of the Heritages of Humankind, and trek through archaeological ruins. We will visit sites that, not that long ago, housed wealthy merchants who plied their goods throughout the vast Oman-influenced territories stretching from Iraq and Kuwait in the west and north to the east and the south Iranian coast, extending through the Hormuz Strait and along the Sultanate’s Batinah coast to the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, and from there on to Pakistan, South Arabia, and East Africa.

The delegation will also spend time with fisher folk, loom weavers, and clay potters; travel along the country’s spectacular littoral fronting the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf; and sail with Arab mariners on a dhow, a traditional wooden handmade Arab vessel to which modern day sailors familiar with the history of navigation and nautical sciences acknowledge an enormous debt.

As we sail north towards the Iranian coast, we’ll turn east to circumnavigate the Musandam Peninsula, which straddles the southernmost reaches of the Persian Gulf and the northernmost waters of the Gulf of Oman. We will travel by sea adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important waterway, through which the giant tankers carrying the Gulf region’s unmatched production of oil and gas must pass en route to the world’s energy-hungry markets and economies.

The delegation will also drop anchor and go ashore at Telegraph Island and one or more additional coastal sites during the journey. Amid the many inlets dominating the Musandum Peninsula, participants will be able to swim and snorkel to their heart’s content offshore Telegraph Island, a rugged outcropping of rock that for a brief period was once one of the marvels of mid-19th century British telecommunication. The group will also visit villages atop the peninsula overlooking the fjords of a region that has been aptly termed Arabia’s Norway.

Traveling deep into the interior and along the coasts, the delegation will be transported by Omani guides in four-wheel drive all-terrain vehicles. The delegation will conclude its visit on Oman’s Arabian Sea Coast. A visit to the Special Economic Zone at Duqm to learn about the strategic port and the forward-looking development taking place there. Then three days in Dhofar, immersed in the Land of Frankincense, with explorations in and around Salalah.

Throughout our time in Oman there will be ample opportunity to photograph and video some of the most stunning scenery and people in all of Arabia.

COSTS and REQUIREMENTS

The fee for the Twenty-Fourth Oman Cultural Immersion study visit is $XXX per person. Commercial tours of similar duration are typically much more expensive and offer far less access to the diversity of Omani geography, life, and culture. When coupled with the privileged availability of official and informal briefings included in the itinerary, this National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations program offers an exceptional opportunity.

The program fee covers international air travel, most meals (not all) in Oman, ground transportation in Oman, and lodging (single-occupancy rooms) in Oman. Participants should be prepared to self-pay in the event there are missed meals or other unexpected expenses. Phone calls, internet & incidental room charges, hotel amenities, etc., are each participants’ personal responsibility. The cost of visas, tips/gratuities, travel insurance and health insurance, domestic U.S.A. travel, and hotels and meals in Washington, D.C., are among the items NOT INCLUDED in the study visit program fee.

There is no direct financial award connected to the Malone Fellows Program. Those selected to join the “Oman Cultural Immersion Program” study visit will have earned the designation as “National Council Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies.” Fellows and/or their employers are responsible for the whole study visit fee. The fee must be paid in full to the Council before final acceptance into the program.

The study visit is partially subsidized by the National Council with an aim to minimizing the cost to participants.

All participants are required to attend the pre-departure orientation program in Washington, D.C. The orientation provides an extraordinary, in-depth introduction to the history, geography, and geology, as well as the economic, social, and political dynamics of Oman. Leading scholars and diplomats serve as resource specialists for these sessions and provide unique insights based on their personal experiences in Oman. Program alumni have repeatedly commented that, once on the ground, this pre-departure experience has enabled them to encounter the country and its people with a heightened sensitivity to the ongoing impact of the country’s past and a sharpened awareness of the present.

All participants are responsible for booking and covering the cost of their own transportation to and from Washington, D.C., as well as accommodations and meals in Washington, as part of the pre-departure orientation. At the conclusion of the pre-departure orientation, the delegation will depart for Oman. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Individuals interested in being selected to participate in the Twenty-Fourth Oman Cultural Immersion Program study visit to the Sultanate of Oman are asked to submit a Malone Fellowship Application and supporting documentation to the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

The application can be found through the link below or on the National Council’s website: ncusar.org.

MALONE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION:
https://ncusar.org/programs/Malone-Fellowship-Application.pdf

American professionals in academia, government, the military, non-governmental organizations, business, religious institutions, the media, civic associations, as well as the fine arts, humanities, and the social sciences are invited to apply.

TENTATIVE STUDY VISIT ITINERARY

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING ITINERARY IS TENTATIVE AND BASED ON THE PROGRAM’S EXPERIENCE SPANNING SEVERAL DECADES. Scheduling of official appointments, weather, availability of transportation, museum hours, and the unknown may cause changes in the delegation’s itinerary during the visit. 

Day 1 – Sunday, 25 February 2024 – Arrive in Muscat

Arrive at Muscat International Airport (MCT) in the Sultanate’s Capital Territory and transfer to hotel.

Day 2 – Monday, 26 February 2024 – Discovering Muscat and U.S. Embassy Briefing

An early visit to Sultan Qaboos University. Then lunch with local scholars to discuss the Omani point of view regarding recent regional trends, governmental dynamics, and increased popular participation in the national development processes in various Arab countries.

Return to hotel for lunch and to change clothes.

In the afternoon there will be a briefing at the U.S. Embassy. [Ground rules long-adhered to by previous study visit delegations and much appreciated by everyone involved with these programs will apply. These ground rules will be discussed during the pre-departure orientation program held in Washington, D.C.]

Later there may be a visit to the souq (traditional market) in Mutrah where local merchants conduct a brisk business with their daily catch of fish and latest stock of fruits and vegetables. Stroll the panoramic corniche along the Mutrah waterfront with its centuries-old architecture and experience the spirit of a bygone era. Continue on to the traditional souq. There will be time to return to the souq later in the day and visit one of the Art galleries, but this initial exploration will identify shops to explore at leisure later.

Day 3 – Tuesday, 27 February 2024 – Exploration of Muscat and Ministry briefings

One or more official briefings with government ministries will be scheduled. Additional visits may include Bayt Al Baranda, a new interactive museum, the Grand Mosque, Church and a Hindu Temple that serves the spiritual and social needs of Oman’s long-established Hindu community, Oman’s premiere hotel, the Al Bustan Palace, and the dhow built by Omani craftsmen in association with the world renowned explorer, Tim Severin, who together with Omani navigators and sailors, re-traced the legendary “Sindbad Voyage” of centuries earlier from Muscat to Canton (Guangzhou), China.

After lunch, the itinerary might include a visit to the Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) refinery and Oil Exhibition Center.

Old Muscat to include the Royal Palace flanked by Jalali and Mirani Forts, built in the late Seventeenth century during the Portuguese occupation. The Zubair Museum, one of the Sultanate’s finest, offers an excellent display of Omani culture, costume, ornamentation, and history.

Day 4 – Wednesday, 28 February 2024 – Final Day in Muscat

In the morning there will be additional meetings with Government officials and private sector groups (including an Omani women business social group).

In the afternoon, the delegation will travel from Muscat to the port city of Khasab.

Day 5 – Thursday, 29 February 2024 – Sailing the Fjords

Full day sea trip to Kumzar and Khor Sham. The delegation boards a dhow (a traditional wooden ship) and sails to the Strait of Hormuz and to visit Kumzar, the northernmost village in Oman located on the strait and only accessible by sea. The settlement and fortifications on the top of a nearby mountain show how important the port of Kumzar and its location were to protect the strait in the past. Continue sailing to Khor Ash Sham, the most prominent fjord in the Musandam. Along the route there will be a stop at Telegraph Island, for a few years in the 1860s a lone British telecommunications outpost linking London with Bombay by undersea cable. Lunch on-board the dhow with possibly time for a swim and snorkeling (equipment provided).

Day 6 – Friday, 01 March 2024 – Exploring the Musandam Peninsula

The Musandam Peninsula is often described as resembling the fjords of Norway with steep, crevice-strewn mountains descending to the sea. This region is separated from the rest of Oman by 70 kilometers (45 miles) and the territory of the United Arab Emirates (as Alaska is separated by Canada from the United States). The furthermost points of the promontory look out over the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime passageway through which moves much of the world’s Gulf-supplied oil and natural gas. While the southern coast of Iran is situated on the far side of the strait, the supertanker routes lie almost entirely in Omani territorial waters as they transit this globally vital geostrategic passage.

The delegation takes a morning drive up to Jabal Harim, the highest point in the Musandam, and down to view Khawr Al-Najd, one of the peninsula’s most scenic fjords. There might also be a stopover in Khalidyah Park, an Acacia forest that is home to many species of birds and butterflies. Also visit Wadi Tawi, site of a series of Arabia’s and humanity’s most ancient rock-drawings depicting camels, ships, and warriors.

Day 7 – Saturday, 02 March 2024 – Into the Interior… Old Capital of Nizwa

Journey to Nizwa, seat of the former Ibadhi Imamate and center of scholarly learning and traditional education, closely linked to historically Ibadi communities in Algeria, Libya, East Africa, and elsewhere. Visit Misfat Al Abriyeen, recognized in 2021 by the World Tourism Organization as one of the most outstanding tourism villages. It is known for its garden terraces of date, banana, and mango orchids as well as mud houses.

Visit the recently restored Bahla Souq and Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of four historic fortresses situated at the foot of the Jebel Al-Akhdar highlands. Dating to the pre-Islamic era, it was rebuilt in the 13th and 14th centuries when the oasis of Bahla prospered under the control of the Al Nabhani tribe. It was largely rebuilt in the 17th century. Recently closed for many years, the fort underwent extensive restoration and was re-opened in 2012.

Day 8 – Sunday, 03 March 2024 – Exploration Around Nizwa

A visit to Nizwa’s great 17th-century fort, one of the most impressive in all of Oman. Constructed on a solid base of rock, its huge, crenelated tower was designed to withstand the vibrations of its 24 cannons. From the top of the tower, there is a superb panoramic view of the city and the surrounding plains with their extensive stands of deep green date palms. Nizwa remains an important center for Omani date farming where some 40 varieties of dates are cultivated.

Day 9 – Monday, 04 March 2024 – Depart for Duqm

Visit the Oman Across Ages Museum. Depart for Duqm with a stop at Adam to see the Royal Family Original City.

Day 10 – Tuesday, 05 March 2024 – Visit to Duqm

Meeting and briefing to learn about modernization and development efforts in Duqm, a port on the Arabian Sea open to the Indian Ocean, including the Duqm Special Economic Zone.

Day 11 – Wednesday, 06 March 2024 – Travel to Salalah

Meander along the Arabian Sea Coast as the delegation makes it way to Salalah, the capital city of Dhofar. Visit the coast town of Mirbat.

Day 12 – Thursday, 07 March 2024 – Exploration of the Land of Frankincense

Visits to sites in and around Salalah, including the Frankincense Land Museum, which houses a wealth of maritime and historical information. Frankincense, harvested from the sap of the Frankincense Tree, is found in very few areas of the world, but it is grown and available in Oman. A stop at the Al-Baleed Archaeological Park, with ruins dating back 4,000 years.

Day 13 – Friday, 08 March 2024 – West Dhofar

Head west from Salalah to visit the Al Mughsail Blowing Holes, Fazayah Beach, and Shaat View Point. Navigate along the spectacular mix of mountains and seashores to visit Dhalkut near the border with Yemen.

Day 14 – Saturday, 09 March 2024 – East Dhofar

Head east from Salalah to visit the Sumhuram Archeological Park at Khor Rori, a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the stunning Wadi Darbat and enjoy time in Taqah.

Day 15 – Sunday, 10 March 2024 – Flight to Washington, DC

The delegation boards an international flight in Salalah for travel back to Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington, D.C. From Dulles Airport, participants are responsible for their own onward transportation.