Vessels at Jabreen Castle, Oman

Also variably seen as Jabrin Fort or Jibrin Castle this historic site is a couple hour drive on good highway out of Muscat. It was built in the Yaruba dynasty by Imam Bil'arab bin Sultan during his 1679 to 1692 rule. 

​It is an impressive structure used to protect the local population. More than just a building, it tells of the area's history through its design, purpose, and the artifacts it maintains. 

The fortification with successive layers of defense.

View from the tower parapet across the protected neighbourhood.

A view from behind the parapets. When considering strategy, one must always consider defense as well as offence.

Why were we there?

It was hot. So very, very hot. Yet inside the fort the temperature was at least bearable

We had finished reviewing and evaluating a number of prospects and ongoing development projects for a client. We were "third eyes" for  consistency and coaching of sound resource and economic evaluation.

"Let's get out and see something" said Paul at breakfast. So we walked next door to the Hyatt and rented a car. A little bit skeptical that we'd be successful but wanting to get out and about, we saw that there were a couple of World Heritage Sites within a couple hours of Muscat so we aimed for the town of Bahla. Our aim was off. We ended up going past the turnoff for Bahla and found ourselves in the small town of Jabrin, stumbling on this fascinating place.

​Our client was one of several larger international companies who had asked for instruction in upstream Risk and Uncertainty Management (RUM Training). All together we gave workshops for over 1000 earth scientists and engineers. We are known for going well beyond the calculation simple resource assessment. We've been privileged over our careers to have established a reputation for excellence in instruction. But Instruction should not stand on its own. There must be a system in place that reward the teams for doing the right thing. Managers have to understand what questions to ask. Our training and culturally sensitive coaching improved the exploration effort and provided the tools and techniques to recognize new and practical pathways to development efficiency.

On the way back to Muscat, we stopped to see the World Heritage Sites of Bahla Castle and the agricultural irrigation works between Bahla and Nizwa. Stopping for fuel when the temperature was close to 52 C was an unforgettable experience.

Jabreen Castle is a unique discovery that became a valuable part of our experience.

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