Muscat Nights visitors highlight the need of revamping festivities, venue
I encounter traffic in Qurum even on normal days. If the festival did not get enough visitors, it’s because people were reluctant to go afraid of getting stuck in traffic Yahya Rashid
Muscat Nights came to an end on Saturday after 17 nights of amusement, entertainment and culinary delights. Muscat residents were overjoyed with the return of the festivities after a gap of three years, albeit in a new form. However, many felt the need for a revamp of the event and a dedicated venue for it.
According to an online survey conducted by Muscat Daily, there is a clear mandate - nearly 70 per cent respondents sought the inclusion of new activities and events to make the festival more interesting. Twenty-five per cent respondents said the activities held in the just-concluded event were good enough.
To a question regarding the venue, 46.43 per cent of respondents preferred Amerat Park to Qurum Park. Amerat Park was the venue for a few years prior to the latest edition. It has ample parking as well as adequate space to accommodate a wide variety of activities, including concerts, laser display and fireworks.
While 50 per cent of respondents want Qurum Park to be a key location for Muscat Nights in the coming years, an equal number did not approve of it due to accessibility issues, owing to traffic on festival days, especially weekends, and parking problems.
A good number of respondents (39.9 per cent) pointed out the lack of parking space, traffic jams and inconvenience to residents as the main reasons for moving out of Qurum Park.
Most respondents welcomed Muscat Nights as it filled the void created by the discontinuation of Muscat Festival, but a section of them expressed concern over Qurum Park as a venue due to the traffic congestion it caused in the area.
“Muscat Municipality needs to review the decision to hold Muscat Nights at Qurum Park simply because of the lack of enough parking space. The park is a great festival location but we are all aware that Qurum has traffic jams even on normal days. Something has to be done with the roads around Qurum before thinking of having such events there,” said Hassan al Naamani, who visited the festival on the last day.
Fifty per cent of respondents sought frequent shuttle buses to/from the venue, installation of multi-level parking facilities, regular management of traffic and free entry for those who use shuttle services as a solution to the inconveniences near the park.
Thirty per cent respondents favoured the installation of a multi-level parking facility given the space crunch at the venue.
Around 25 per cent respondents favoured using the premises and grounds of the earlier airport in Muscat as a venue as it has ample parking space as well as space on the tarmac for stalls, rides and other festival activities.
“I do not think the problem of traffic congestion can be solved in Qurum. I encounter traffic there even on normal days. If the festival did not get enough visitors, it’s because people were reluctant to go there afraid of getting stuck in traffic jams. Amerat Park is ideal for such activities,” said Amerat resident Yahya Rashid.
According to some respondents, the just concluded festival did not meet their expectations. “We waited three years after it was not held in 2020 to pay respects to late Sultan Qaboos and the next two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we expected to have something bigger than ever, but it turned out to be lacking in really good activities. However, we are very pleased with the decision to hold Muscat Nights as a replacement for Muscat Festival. Something is better than nothing,” said bank employee Sawsan al Ajmi.