The second day of the Musandam International Diving Festival on Monday in Khasab, Oman, featured an inspiring dive by Faisal Jawad, a paraplegic scuba diver and triple Guinness World Record holder, dedicated to promoting “inclusivity and marine conservation.”
Jawad’s dive, his first in the peninsula, was a key highlight of the day’s program, which gathered divers from across the globe to showcase Musandam’s eco-tourism potential.
“It is my pleasure to dive in Musandam. We will try to push the people to dive in Musandam. Anyone with a disability can come to dive here … I came here and I dived as a normal person,” Jawad said.
He said the barriers are in the mind, noting that he once feared the sea but now holds three Guinness World Records in diving and swimming.
Bader Al Shehi, head of the Musandam Discovery Center, stated Jawad’s participation, which included planting coral, sends a powerful message.
“He is inspiring the people. You are handicapped and you are a diver, that’s not really easy. There is somebody who is handicapped and he dives, farms the coral — everybody needs to learn a lesson on how to protect the environment,” Al Shehi said.
Other events on day two featured elite divers Ahmed Gabr, who holds the record for the world’s deepest scuba dive, and Mohammed Al-Tunaiji, both of whom conducted exploratory dives at some of Musandam’s deepest points.
A kayak race across Khor Qadah and an evening sea trip further highlighted the festival’s mix of sporting and adventure activities. The four-day event is scheduled to conclude on Friday.
