Cities are the true anchors of civilisations, ancient and modern. We learned to write from the cities of Sumer, to pave good roads from Rome, to practice medicine from Athens, to learn math from the cities of India, to strategise from the cities of China, and to pursue a higher education from the cities of Al Maghrib and Al Andalus. My hometown of Salalah, the capital of Dhofar, shipped to the world the finest quality of its most precious fragrance — frankincense. It’s blessed with natural monsoon weather, generosity, rhythm and innovation of its people, and readiness for global business. Today, I believe that cities need to positively weave our connectivity into its revamped identities, to revive people’s sense of belonging and sense of purpose. As a use case, a global meditation hub can be the perfect rebranding for Salalah, for historic, economic, and geopolitical reasons.
Legendary meditation
The Indian Subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula share a lot more than the Indian Ocean and the wind, they share legends. One of these intriguing legends is the legend of Cheraman Perumal Ravi Varma, king of Kerala on the southern west coast of India, around 622-628 A.D. The legend has it that this curious monarch heard the news of the advent of a new faith, travelled to Mecca and embraced this new faith after meeting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and became a companion. Upon his return from Mecca, he decided to rest and meditate among the lush coconut trees of Salalah, that bears a lot of similarity to Kerala and passed away in the city. To this day, his humble tomb is a testimony that kings from great civilisations valued mindfulness in Salalah.
Entrepreneurial mindfulness hub
The global meditation industry is valued at $6.6 billion, with almost $2 billion in the US alone, and it keeps growing, according to the Business Research Company. With its natural beauty, investment readiness and talent availability Salalah city could gain and maintain a healthy share of this global mindfulness market. It can be a heaven for individuals, local and global founders, employees, families, researchers, and scientists seeking to disconnect, retreat, recharge their batteries, and most importantly reconnect with nature.
Geopolitics
With conflicts raging in the Northern and Western Hemispheres because of the war on Ukraine, and tensions rising in the East- South China Sea, it is only natural for a peaceful, well-connected option in the middle to rise and present itself. Modern Oman has built its unique non-interference brand over more than two millennia, and this can serve as an infrastructure for one of its cities to become a hub for a global mindful meditation industry.
We live in a fast-paced world, full of everyday challenges, and opportunities, multiplied by an endless stream of global data. How did we live our lives before this hyperconnectivity? And what world are we building for present and future generations to inherit? One day, mastering disconnection will become one of the most valuable skills and luxuries in our world, and Salalah is ready to be the builders of this new brand and wealth.
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