Oman is closing public and private schools until Tuesday, October 24 due to extreme weather conditions and fears for student safety.
The country’s Ministry of Education said schools in the Dhofar region would remain closed on Sunday, October 22, and Monday, October 23.
A statement from the Ministry of Education said: “About Alert No. (2) issued by the National Centre for Early Warning of Multiple Hazards, and to the Ministry’s Central Committee for Emergency Situations Management’s follow-up of weather developments with the relevant authorities, it was decided, out of the Ministry’s concern for the safety of its students, to suspend studies on Sunday and Monday, corresponding to the 22nd and 23rd of October 2023 in all public and private schools of the General Directorate of Education in Dhofar Governorate, provided that studies will resume on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.”
However, due to adverse weather conditions currently affecting the Sultanate of Oman, authorities have declared October 23-24 (Monday and Tuesday) as official holidays for both public and private sector employees in the Dhofar Governorate and the Wilayat of Al Jazir in the Al Wusta Governorate.
The Gulf nation is experiencing inclement weather conditions due to Cyclone Tej. Oman’s Ministry of Health has activated its 24-hour call center in preparation for the tropical situation that will directly affect the Dhofar Governorate and parts of the Al Wusta Governorate. Both Al-Daharez and New Salalah health centers were closed from 2:30 p.m. (Sunday) until further notice.
Oman’s Salalah port was also shut down starting from Sunday at 5 pm (1300 GMT) due to Cyclone Tej, the state news agency reported on Saturday.
UAE Embassy in Muscat has called on its citizens in Oman to be cautious over unstable weather conditions caused by tropical cyclone Tej that is brewing in the Arabian Sea.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Tej, a depression gathering force in the Arabian Sea, intensified into an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ on Sunday, near the coasts of Oman and Yemen.
The cyclone would “cross coasts” between Al Ghaidah (Yemen) and Salalah (Oman) around noon on October 24, as a “very severe cyclonic storm”.
