Bidiya or Bidiyyah ( ar, بِـدِيَّـة) is a town in ''Wilayah Bidiyyah'' ( ar, ولايـة بـديـة,

Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

of Bidiyyah), in the middle of the Eastern Region of the Sultanate of

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

. It is located about from the capital city,

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...

. It comprises fifteen villages, including Al Muntarib, Al Gabbi, Shahik, Al Rakah, Al Hawiyah, Al Shariq, Al Wasil and Al Dhahir.Ministry of Interior
Translated.

Tourism

It is well known for the golden sand dunes that attract tourists from Oman and outside Oman. There are some ancient forts spread over Bidiyah, including the Al Muntarib Fort which was renowned by the Ministry of Culture. In addition,

Wadi Bani Khalid ''Wilāyat Wādī Banī Khālid'' ( ar, وِلَايَة وَادِي بَنِي خَالِد) is a '' Wilāyah'' (Province) in the Northern Governorate of the Eastern Region of Oman. Located about from Muscat, and from Sur, the province has ...

is about from the town by road.

Traditional Industry

Some of Bidiyah's people work as farmers. They raise well known breeds of camels and

Arabian Horses The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DIN 31635, DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a horse breed, breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is ...

. Also, they make metal items like the Omani ''

khanjar A ''khanjar'' ( ar, خنجر, ku, Xencer, bn, খঞ্জর, khôñjôr tr, Hançer, fa, خنجر, ur, خنجر, sh, Handžar) is a traditional dagger originating from Oman, although it has since spread to the rest of the Middle East ...

'' ( ar, خَـنْـجَـر, dagger).

Sport Events

Bidiyah is host to two sports events: the Bidiyah Challenge, and

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

and

camel racing Camel racing is a popular sport in Western Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Pakistan, Mongolia and Australia. Professional camel racing, like horse racing, is an event for betting and tourist attraction. Camels can run at speeds up to ...

. The Bidiyah Challenge is held every February. It was recently introduced to the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...

region' sporting calendar. The aim of the race is to scale sand dunes in the least possible time driving a 4x4 car, mostly

Jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

s and one-door

Nissan Patrol The is a series of full-size SUVs manufactured by Nissan in Japan and sold throughout the world. The Patrol has been available as either a short-wheelbase (SWB) three-door or a long-wheelbase (LWB) five-door chassis since 1951. The LWB version ...

s. Horse Races and camel Races are held during Eid days and during national day celebrations. Also, there is yearly festival which consists of a series of races for horses and camels, which are held under Royal Court Affairs supervision. Bidiyah hosts one of these races every year.

References

{{Ash Sharqiyah North Governorate Populated places in Oman

Tourism

Traditional Industry

Sport Events

See also

References