Arrival in Muscat, Oman at 10:30pm.

Morning: Sultan Qaboos University, meeting with SQU resource persons, faculty staff and students, introduction to the programme; visit of laboratory facilities and University experimental farm.

Afternoon: Visit to the Grand Mosque and the market Mutrah, to gain a first impression of the country and society.

Morning: Visit of a Desalinisation Plant of Muscat Municipality: introduction to the technical aspects of water desalinisation, discussion of costs and environmental problems.

Afternoon: On-farm visit to a modern mixed crop-livestock farm at Batinah on the coast: discussion of economic and environmental aspects of modern Omani agriculture, comparison with German farms.

Morning: Visit to the Royal Stables, discussion of the different breeding strategies for the horses, and of the modern role of horses in the Arabian societies in the light of their historic importance.

Afternoon: Visit to the royal stables camel section: introduction to breeding and feeding strategies for racing camels.

Morning: Introduction to oasis farming systems of Balad Seet. Analysis of aspects of sustainable crop-livestock integration and sustainable water use; discussion of current problems of life and agriculture in the oasis.

Afternoon: Introduction into oasis – hinterland relationships, late afternoon: drive to Nizwa.

Morning: Introduction into producer/ trader /consumer product chains for livestock and livestock products at Nizwa livestock market and for crops at Nizwa sooq. Visit of the Nizwa Fort and the Old Mosque.

Afternoon: Introduction into Nizwa township development (historical development and current urban planning, including township – hinterland relationships), late afternoon drive to Saiq.

Whole day: Visit to four oases of the Al-Jabal-al-Akhdar (Al’Ayn – Ash Sharayjah – Al’Qasha – Masayrat ar Ruwajah) at an elevation gradient from 1.000 – 2.500 meter above sea level. Introduction into different oasis farming strategies under different climatic, geo-morphological, infrastructural and socio-economic conditions, from the valley to the Saiq plateau.

Whole day: Drive to Maqta, introduction to the “dying” oasis system of Maqta, discussion of different factors and concepts of sustainability and of different possible development pathways for oasis farming systems. Tented overnight stay beneath the Shir towers.

Whole day: Vehicle transfer to Salalah; on the way: visit of a traditional desert Bedouin camp, discussion of extensive livestock systems, adaptation strategies of livestock and livestock systems to harsh environmental conditions, changes in mobile livestock systems with oil exploitation in traditional grazing areas. Overnight stay: Camping in desert on the way to Salalah.

Morning: Last 300 km to Salalah, on the way visit of an oil field and of a large-scale forage-producing farm.

Afternoon: Arrival at Salalah, check-in to the Salalah ‘Beach Villas’ hotel. Visit of small scale orchards and vegetable gardens in the town, discussion of ecological and economic aspects of urban agriculture.

Morning: Wadi Hinna and Boswellia sacra reserve: introduction into the special character of the Dhofar region and its unique flora; traditional uses of wild plants in human and animal health care.

Afternoon: Visit of villages in the Dhofar mountains, analysis of causes and extent of vegetation destruction, discussion of environmental degradation through overgrazing by sedentary livestock herds.

Visit to the Royal Rasat Farm: discussion of organisational, environmental and economic aspects of the conversion of a modern conventional farm to ecological agriculture.

Return drive to Muscat.

Morning: Assembly with staff and students at Sultan Quaboos University to discuss about the different issues raised during the excursion.

Departure to Frankfurt at 11:47pm local time. Overnight air travel to Frankfurt.