MUSCAT NIGHT CLUBS

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Last night was the launch of the new club, Located on the grounds of the Crowne Plaza, it's just up the road from Rock Bottom and is a breath of fresh-air for the Muscat night club scene. The entrance is in the smaller car park - take a right when you drive into the hotel - there's a sign, you can't mi Night life It is generally quieter, there are places to go for drinking and entertainment and they tend to be more upmarket and subdued then in Heavy drinking is generally discouraged in public. The beaches, cafe's, restaurants are great in the evenings, as is with the Souk which is vibrant and alive on the weekends. You also have the Opera House and some fantastic parks which are wonderful to walk around even late into the evening. would have to disagree with the statement that "heavy drinking is discouraged in public." It should actually read "drinking of any sort is forbidden in public. One thing that I would add is just that more people in Muscat drink than you might expect... but it's a very personal matter. You won't find people willing to tell you they drink if they don't really know and trust you, so be careful discussing it or asking questions pertaining to it. You will also find that people have a very black and white view of it, so don't mention drinking unless you're comfortable potentially being known as a drinker. Reputation in is everything, and some people here just can't run the risk of being associated with drinkers. No pressure or anything, but each and every one of us contributes to the local perception of foreigners as a whole, so that is also something to keep in mind with your behavior in Oman." Public intoxication is not something that is received well in and it can land you in jail to be honest. Yes, there are bars in Oman... but what happens in the bars stays in the bars. There are a number of places here, Zouk (Crown Plaza), Safari (Hyatt), Trader Vics (InterCon), Park Inn, Feeney's, etc. In general the hotels are the place to be, though there are a couple of independent drinking establishments. Other nightlife is very coffee shop (shisha) oriented, men sitting around smoking shisha and watching a football match or a movie. Muscat Nightlife Nightlife in Muscat tends to refer more to a picnic under the streetlamps of the coast road or a few kebabs with friends at one of the ubiquitous coffee shops. That said, all the hotels have lively bars (with a licence for alcohol) and a few local dance venues are beginning to gather momentum. All are obliged to double as restaurants. Most of Muscat's cultural activities are arranged on an ad hoc basis. To find out what's on, buy a copy of Oman Today (Muscat's monthly What's On listing) or check the English daily newspapers, such as the Oman Observer Bars in Muscat Much less hip (in fact more T-Bone) is the new kid on the block, Rocklands. Located in the Ramee Guestline Hotel, this live rock venue doubles as a steak bar.For modish maracas-shaking, there's a nightly ensemble of Santana-types at Trader Vics, InterContinental Hotel, Shatti Al-Qurm. The dance floor is limited but it doesn't stop diners and divas jostling for hip space A guy having his punch here- a bunch bantering there; music playing in the background, but nobody grooving to the funky beats! Out in the corner, the wooden rostrum lies barren- No tapping foot, no beating drums and no bleating guitars. A few-scattered here and there-gentry and it is the waiters who seem to be enjoying a happy hour. It's the usual business hour albeit with a completely different picture. Its 9 p.m. and the deserted sight is of the 'Club Bar', at a popular hotel at Ruwi, located right in the heart of Muscat. What earlier used to be a place jam-packed with party-buffs swinging to rocking live performances, now has an eerie silence every evening. Oman's nightlife, say nightbirds, has come to a sudden halt. Speculation about banning dance bars in the Sultanate have been confirmed, as the Ministry of Tourism recently imposed severe restrictions on the live entertainment industry across the country. The decision was taken recently by a high-level committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Tourism, ROP, Muscat Municipality, and the Supreme Committee for Town Planning. The decision has resulted in the shutting down of many nightclubs across the country. However, observers see the move as a welcome initiative to keep a check on activities at nightclubs. According to an official from the Ministry of Tourism, the decision followed repeated complaints from citizens and 'Majlis Al Shura' members to ban dancing clubs, many of which were operating in residential areas, and even close to schools, causing frequent law and order problems. Out of business The ruling seems to have lost a bit in translation though. Initially meant to stamp out the many "Beadi" (Illegal) bars around town, the ban has resulted in end of the show for many 'below 4 star' hotels which had a thriving live entertainment business. The O Malleys at Radisson Blu hotel, for instance, has been badly hit by the ban. "We have suddenly run out of business. We tried to make it up by playing recorded music; even tried to bring in a DJ, but that's not what our customers expect from us, and we are fast losing them. But what else can we do except losing business with all those restrictions imposed", pointed Ruwan Fernando, Assistant Bar Manager at the hotel. Mumtaz Mahal, the famous Indian themed restaurant which had been immensely popular for its Ghazal evenings, is also going through a rough patch. According to Henry David, the restaurant manager, they often brought professional artistes only, but the complete below 4-star ban closed the doors for them, too, hurting their business to a great extent, as the live performances attracted many patrons. "Ghazal is a genre that can be picked up only by the artistes qualified professionally. Our shows were immensely popular owing to the huge Indian expatriate population in Oman. Everybody comes asking for the show, and is disappointed to know that we are not having it anymore. Slowly we are loosing our customers", added Henry. It appears the ban has inadvertently stopped business for the big names as well. Club Safari at Grand Hyatt, Al Ghazal Pub at Inter continental Muscat, Rock Bottom Café at Ramee Guestline Hotel and many others are reeling under the 'No bands with more than 3 artistes' and 'strictly no dancing' strictures. A live performing troupe usually comprises five to seven members, depending on the number of instruments being played. Restricting it to three members has disturbed the balance of the shows, and has hampered the quality of the performances to a great extent. "How can three guys put up a performance? Also the bands that we invite shall not break themselves up just to perform at our place. And, to top it all, we have to wind up at mid-night! The show business only starts picking after 9 p.m. How and what is anybody going to make out of the shows then?" said a rhetoric Thuwainy Harthy of the Oman Salsa and Zouk Group, organiser of live entertainment in hotels across Muscat. Also given the ministry's fresh, more taxing parameters for achieving the star ratings, a number of 4-star hotels in town may struggle to retain their current star status and the right to have live bands performing at their premises. Right decision, wrong timing At a time when Oman seeks to put itself at the centre of the world tourism map, many wonder how the new ruling would affect the country's prospects. Says Sharif Al Bakry, Hotel Manager, Grand Hyatt Muscat, "The new entertainment laws might severely hamper the country's efforts towards boosting its tourism sector. Night-life is a key component of the tourism industry, majorly dominated by the Europeans and other western countries." Disgruntled over the new ruling, the director said the restrictions have led to a decline in the quality of the live shows and warned it could ultimately lead to complete shutdown of bars and clubs in the near future. However the authorities have a different opinion on the matter, maintaining that Oman's tourism industry did not thrive on just dancing and musical shows. "Oman has a legacy deeply imbibed in its rich culture and traditions. Its vast history evident in its grand monuments and picturesque landscapes is what makes Oman a place truly worth experiencing", said an MoT personnel, adding the country has sound plans to boost its tourism like expansion of corporate infrastructure, and promoting leisure sports like golf, and polo in the country. Opportunity lost Coco Latte, the London based events and hospitality consultancy is facing huge losses on account of visa cancellations and artiste contract terminations, owing to the ban. "All our future commitments in Muscat stand cancelled as of now. Many of the bands which were to perform in the near future and had been paid in advance, are not going to come now. Some had even arrived and are returning without any show", said Nicholas Chrisostomou, owner of the firm. Having his fingers crossed over the prospects of operating again in Oman, the event manager hopes that the ban gets repealed or is toned down a bit. Many local bands are also out of business, like the T-Band, a quite in demand troupe of four, popular for their rock, blues, and R&B, and which also had Omani members. Under the new rule, they cannot play. "The new definition of artists has cut us off entirely. We are not qualified professionals and cannot play in public anymore. Music is our hobby, which we pursued with great passion. Not anymore", lamented Tarek Khourshid, the band's lead vocalist from Lebanon. Plan B While some are finding it hard to survive within the new regulations, others have improvised to adapt to the situation. Grand Hyatt Muscat, which had staged three mega events earlier this year, including the Crystal White Party Wig Party 2013 and 'Live in concert of Jazz sensation Matthew Vankan has shelved all the live events for now. The hugely popular Oktoberfest event has also been cancelled this year at the hotel. But it is business as usual at Crown Plaza Sohar, albeit with a few changes. Having recently organized Oktoberfest-2013 the hotel had the popular Columbian band 'Latina Soul performing live at the event, only with the troupe members reduced to three. We have to respect the laws, and we have to keep afloat. We have to be satisfied with whatever we have and get the maximum out of it", said Rose Senosin, Food and Beverage Coordinator, Crowne Plaza Sohar. Also, the recently held 'Act of Congress' visiting rock band from the USperformance at Trader Vics' Intercontinental Muscat, was a huge success. But, others like the O Malleys, Mumtaz Mahal, Club Bar, Nuts and Bolts, etc. say they have been constantly communicating with the Ministry of Tourism in this regard with hopes that the restrictions get lifted. They are meanwhile finding other ways to attract customers, like offering discounts, while playing recorded music. An official at the Ministry of Tourism asserted, we had been analyzing the whole situation for long, and after much discussions and considerations, decided to implement the new ruling. We won't stand for anything that hurts the sensibilities of people or is against the culture and traditions of our beloved country. Oman is a country which believes in giving freedom to the people, but not at the cost of causing discomfort to others." ..