Al Awabi

Al Awabi is one of the 62 districts (wilayat) in the Sultanate of Oman. It is located in Al Batinah Region, north of Oman. Based on the figures of the 2003 General Census, Al Awabi is home for 10,469 people. This number was estimated to be 11,110 people by mid-2006.

Al Awabi is approximately 150 km from the capital city, Muscat, 16 km from Rustaq, and 36 km from Nakhal.

The following table shows some estimations of the population, and information about health and education sectors, retrieved from the Statics Year Book 2008, published in October 2008 by the Ministry of National Economy.

Population	Health	Education
Omani : 10,566 (Year 2007) 7,833 (Census 1993)	Hospitals: 1 with 18 beds (End of 2006)	No. of Schools: 8 (End of 2009)
Expatriate: 874 (Year 2007) 793 (Census 1993)	Health Centres: 1 with 2 beds	No. of students: ?

Al Awabi is a quiet town surrounded by a chain of high mountains. Extraordinary rock formations can be seen in Wadi Bani Kharus gorge in the Al Hajar Mountains. Wadi Bani Kharus is 26 km long, deep in the mountains, and it finally ends at Jebel Akhdar, the highest summit in Oman.

Wadi Bani Kharus is famous for its rich heritage, and history. Its villages, surrounded by mountains, are well known for their picturesque character.

Al Awabi has a number of destinations that might be of best interest for tourists. Al Elya village, which is the final station in Wadi Bani Kharus, is indeed a good example of a must-visited place. The Castle of Awabi, which was built almost 200 years ago and restored again in 2008, is a historic place that would be recommended for tourists. Subaikha village is classified as a natural reserve, and it is around 20 km from Al Awabi town centre.

A number of agricultural products are grown in Al Awabi other than dates (palm trees), such as mango, orange, lime, pomegranates, banana, Guava, and figs as well as common vegetables.