Barka, Oman
Barka (Arabic: بركاء) is a coastal city and province in the region Al Bāţinah, in northern Oman. Bordered by the Sea of Oman and the Al Hajar mountains in southern Batinah, Barka is about a half-hour drive from Seeb and roughly an hours drive from Al Khuwair and Ruwi.
Barka | |
|---|---|
  Barka Location in Oman | |
| Coordinates: 23°41′47.1″N 57°53′16.0″E | |
| Country |  Oman |
| Subdivision | Al Batinah South Governorate |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 130,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+4:00 United Arab Emirates Standard Time |
History
Al Bloushi, Al-Farsi, Al Zadjali, Al Habsi, Al Ajmi, Al Owaisi, Al Amri, Al Badri, Al Raisi tribes live here. The area is known for its agricultural beauty, fishing, and traditional pastimes like horse and camel racing, halwa making, and Omani-style bullfighting.[1]
Attractions
Nearby is Bait Na'aman (Nu'man), a four-towered fort of the 17th-century iman Bil'arab bin Sultan, renovated in 1991.[2] Barka Fort is a known tourist spot. Barka Souq, near to the beach is an economically important area.
There are two major resorts in Barka, the Al-Sawadi resort and the Al-Nahda resort.
Economy
A new quarter is now under construction in Barka, called "Blue City" (المدينة الزقاء), located in Sawadi. The development is 8 km from Sawadi beach, and many international companies are involved in Barka development projects. There is an estimated $15 billion in new construction currently taking place in Barka.
Barka is the site of several power and water plants including:
- The Barka 2 water and power plant, with generation capacity of 678 MW and desalination capacity of 26.4 million gallons of potable water per day.[3]
- The Barka 3 gas turbine power plant, with generation capacity of 744 MW, sponsored by Engie, Yonden and Sojitz.[4]
- A new 281,000 m³/d desalination plant is to be commissioned: Itochu, Degremont and International Power were named preferred bidders in 2015.[5]
References
- "5 Reasons To Love Barka". Times of Oman. 2016-04-24. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
- "Bait Na'aman". Al Batinah and Al Dhahirah Guide. Rough Guides.
- "Barka 2 Independent Water & Power Project". Mubadala. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- "Commercial Operations of Sohar 2 and Barka 3 IPP Projects in Oman Start". Sojitz Corporation. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- "Oman names preferred bidders for Sohar and Barka projects". The International Desalination & Water Reuse Quarterly. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
Further reading
- Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (in German)
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