Daily Diary: Zakher Mall and OPNO on Shopping

Okay, I totally LOVED five abayas (in one store---I know, it is a RARE feat.) in a shop upstairs in Zakher mall (Al Kuwair). Forgive my use of the word totally, it is a 'growing up on the West-coast' thing I will never lose.

I also like a little shop upstairs called "Black Ice" for party dresses and coloured chiffon shaylas [aka wraps/scarves] (great price and colour selection for plain tone ones) and Pan furniture is another furniture place people forget to mention. Includes Omantel Main Office, PAN Furniture Showroom, Cafe Glacier, OIFC, Lebanese Cedars Restaurant, Internet Cafe, and is an Omantel Wifi hotspot

Here is the link for the map of WHERE http://wikimapia.org/499715/Zakher-Mall which I can't figure out how to "copy-image" for ya'll.
Onto the daily diary: Zakher Mall is currently hosting a “Shop & Travel Festival” until 19th July 2010 in line with 40th national day celebrations. For the shopping festival Zakher Mall Shoppers will get the chance to win prizes when shopping: two family trips to Taj Mahal India, two family trips to Istanbul Turkey, and a Mitsubishi GT. Travel packages include air tickets, three nights hotel accommodation with breakfast, transportation and a tourist package. The raffle draw parties will be held at Safeer Ballroom, at Zakher Mall, on the 20th of July where cultural dances will be performed by local schools, professional gig will play traditional songs, complimentary dinner will be served and random presents will be given out to the guests. The “Gold Sponsors” of Zakher Mall “Shop & Travel Festival” are the Golden Group of Companies, Safeer Hotels & Tourism and Pan Emirates. The “Silver Sponsors” are Oman Investment & Finance Company and the Public Authority for Craft Industries. While, Air Arabia is the “Airline Sponsor”, Al Waseet Newspaper is the “Media Sponsor”, Zubair Automotive Group is the “Car Sponsor” and Ramada Hotel, Muscat is the “Bronze Sponsor”. [Last bit TOTALLY plagerized off the Zakher Mall website http://www.zakhermall.com/press.html].
Zakher Mall hours: opens daily from 9:30 am to 1 pm and from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm during week days and from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm on Fridays.

Believe it or not, I like this little mall, especially for ready-to-wear abayaat and party frocks. Pan furnitures carries contemporary AND Arabic furniture styles, so maybe the average expat will find something less gold enamelled with leopard print ect... than you usually expect from furniture shops in Oman.

So, if you wanna see some traditional dances and singing, head to the Safeer Ballroom on July 20th.