Salalah, Oman

Salalah is the second largest town in the Sultanate of Oman and a traditional stronghold and birthplace of the Sultan, Qaboos bin Said. The Sultan traditionally lives in Salalah rather than in Muscat, the capital and largest city in man;Qaboos has bucked this trend, however, and he has lived in Muscat since he ascended to the throne in 1970. He does however visit Salalah fairly regularly to meet with influential tribal and local leaders; his last visit was in 2006 and before that he visited in 2002.Salalah is served by an airport, mainly catering to domestic flights from Muscat and some regional cities such as Kuwait, Dubai, and Doha. Seasonly flights, some from as far away as Sweden, can be seen though during the Khareef season, the peak of the tourist season. Oman Air currently operates several daily flights to Salalah Airport from Muscat.Salalah, despite lying in the Arabian desert, enjoys a temperate climate through most of the year. The town is also subjected to the south-east monsoons. This period (late June to early September) is known as the khareef season. Visitors from across the Persian Gulf flock to Salalah to enjoy the monsoons and avoid the harsh heat faced by the rest of the region during the same period. Also in this period, the town's population nearly doubles and various fairs are organized, such as those at Ittin