Bordered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the east, and Yemen, to the south, the Dhofar region is marked by a sub-tropical climate due to the influence of the khareef which, blowing in from the Indian Ocean, assures much milder summer temperatures than those of Muscat.
Rolling mountains and splendid ravines separate the vast emptiness of the Rub'al Khali desert from the fertile coastal strip which, in August and September, is transformed into a sea of green following monsoon rains.
The garden city of Salalah (population 120,000), the Sultanate's summer capital, is a major tourist centre as well as the most important town of this southern region noted for its production of coconuts and fruit. Throughout Dhofar sites of historical importance abound - the remains, in a tiny oasis village, of the lost city of Ubar, mentioned in the Holy Qu'ran, the tomb of Nabi Ayoub, the prophet known as Job, and the remains of Queen Sheba's fortress, Sumhuram - all are located here.
A short drive from Salalah is Mugsayl which, apart from its fine beach and famous 'water spouts', has a small colony of flamingoes. From the corniche road above Mugsayl, reached by a series of sensational hairpin bends (a remarkable feat of engineering), the panorama extends north over the arid folds of the Qara range north to Salalah and south over the deep blue waters of the Arabian Sea.
