Shaikha Al Khayyal is an aspiring Emirati photographer and visual storyteller with a deep passion for capturing landscapes, culture, and the essence of everyday life. Through her work, she aims to bring a distinct female Arab voice to today’s global photography scene, sharing perspectives often unseen. Drawn to light, movement, and emotion, she explores the balance between tradition and modernity, capturing the beauty in both. When she’s not traveling with her camera in hand, she’s honing her craft closer to home in the UAE. Her photography can be seen on Instagram @shaikhayyal.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAIKHA AL KHAYYAL
As an Emirati photographer living just next door, Oman has always been within easy reach—yet somehow, I kept telling myself I’d explore it properly one day. It’s a place so familiar yet still filled with unsung cultural treasures.
So, I finally said yes and joined a photography tour that took me across wadis, villages, coastal towns, and mountains, mostly Northeast of the country, revealing a side of it that felt both deeply rooted in time and ever evolving. Everything astonished me, but here is some of what I loved capturing the most.
Mutrah: The Beating Heart of Old Muscat
Muscat has changed. Post-pandemic, it feels elevated—bigger malls, modern comforts—but Mutrah still holds its old-city charm.
My morning started along the corniche, where the first light breathed a slow rhythm into the day. As the sun rose, boats returned to the docks near the fish market, their owners exchanging short greetings as they unloaded a modest catch.
Back at the souq, one can easily lose track of time. A photographer can get lost in the thick clouds of frankincense drifting through alleyways lined with mainly food stalls, souvenir stores, and old barbershops.
At sunset, I climbed the steps to Mutrah Fort, seeking a higher perspective. Below, dhows swayed in the harbour, the streets pulsed with life, and the city shimmered under the crescent moon.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque: A Play of Light and Peace
Arriving early at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque meant fewer visitors and uninterrupted soft light spilling through its intricate arches. Long shadows stretched across seemingly endless corridors, accentuating the mosque’s grandeur. It is no secret—this unmistakably Omani landmark is on every visitor’s must-see list—but its architectural majesty never fades. A decade had passed since I last stood here, yet its symmetry, flow, and timeless beauty still drew me back to appreciate its details once more.
Wadi Al Arabieen: A Simple Life Wrapped in a Captivating Panorama
Moayad and Sanad help their father bring weekly supplies to a remote village tucked behind the hills, where no roads reach.
Watching them guide their donkeys across narrow, winding paths deep in the heart of Wadi Al Arabieen—where jagged cliffs cradle crystal-clear waters—felt like a cinematic opening to a nostalgic film about this part of Arabia.
The wadi itself is a breathtaking panorama of untamed beauty, but it’s these glimpses of simpler living that make it truly unforgettable. A hidden gem in every sense, it offers not only stunning landscapes but also a rare, intimate look at the lives of those who call it home. Who wouldn’t want to capture that?
Sur: A City of Dhows and Distant Horizons
Six hours in Sur were not enough to take in its rich seafaring legacy. I visited its last working dhow-building yard and was transported back in time, but it was at the beach where I felt an unexpected, almost Mediterranean allure. I couldn’t believe it had taken me this long to see this refreshing seaside haven. Across the corniche, the Ayjah Tower stood proudly amid a relaxed scene of families and locals enjoying the afternoon. As sunset neared, I headed for the watchtower on top of the hill on the other side of the bridge—a perfect vantage point for a light-washed scene I instantly adored.
Sharqiya Sands: A Meeting with the Bedouins
At sunrise, the dunes shifted between golden hues and contrasting contours, stretching endlessly into the horizon. Camels carved slow paths through the sand, their silhouettes swaying with the cool breeze. But the real highlight was meeting the Bedouins, who welcomed us with warmth and Omani coffee.
Their traditional attire, generosity, and stories of life in the desert made each moment feel like stepping into a world shaped by sheer resilience.
Birkat Al Mouz: Where Nature and History Converge
From a high vantage point, Birkat Al Mouz revealed itself as a perfect frame—palm groves below, ancient ruins blending into the earth, and the setting sun casting its final glow over it all. For drone enthusiasts, the aerial perspectives are endless. But even from the ground, the layered scenery holds a depth that few places can offer. Once a vital stop along Oman’s ancient trade routes, today it stands as a quiet reminder of a past still woven into the land’s memory.
Balad Sayt: A Hidden Oasis Between the Hajar Mountains
Reaching Balad Sayt at first light isn’t easy—an unpaved, winding descent into a rugged ravine, where each curve tests both nerves and grip. But upon arrival, it’s clear the journey is worth it.
Terraces of green cascade into the valley, houses stack neatly along the mountainside, and a modest mosque anchors the village – a perfect collaboration of photographic elements. The pace here is tranquil – farmers tending to their land, goats navigating narrow pathways. Walking through the village, I savoured the serenity and left with a bottle of the most delicious mountain honey, purchased straight from the beekeeper’s house – a true taste of Oman.
Sinaw Market: A Masterclass in Photogenic Chaos
At the crack of dawn every Thursday, Sinaw’s camel auction bursts into a vibrant frenzy. Traders, herders, and buyers converge from across the desert, their voices cutting through the crisp morning air as camels, goats, and sheep are paraded, bargained over, and swiftly exchanged with a nod or handshake.
If you find yourself here at this hour, you’ve signed up for a masterclass in capturing motion and emotion—reading gestures, anticipating moments. In between frames, I caught snippets of trade secrets and time-worn negotiations, the kind of storytelling that engages every sense all at once.
Jebel Shams: A Canvas Painted by Light
They say no two photographers ever capture the same image in nature. The hand I was dealt at Jebel Shams saw the late afternoon sun tucked behind a soft veil of clouds, casting a diffused, golden light. The cliffs and rock formations didn’t blaze in fiery reds as I had imagined, but instead, they glowed in warm, muted tones—almost as if the universe had custom-coloured them just for me.
I couldn’t decide whether to photograph or paint the scene before me. The hazy horizon shifted in and out of focus, a poetic reminder of the landscape’s quiet power, filling me with both peace and humility.
As I packed my camera away, I vowed not to let years pass before returning to chase more visual treasures—so close just beyond the border.
Follow more of Shaikha’s beautiful travels and captures here.
