Muscat: Engineer Adhba bint Rashid bin Saeed Al Rashidiya, Director of the Water Resources Department in North Al Batinah, said the dam is a vital infrastructure asset designed to store floodwater and enhance groundwater recharge. The works were undertaken after the dam sustained damage in April last year due to a rain depression.

According to Al Rashidiya, the upgrade included repairing 140 metres of landslides, maintaining rock protection, and creating two new water distribution channels to improve recharge efficiency. A new 430-metre-long side dam was also constructed to prevent side flooding. In addition, two electronic gates were installed for intelligent water drainage control, alongside smart monitoring systems and 15 stability and subsidence monitoring stakes.

She stressed that the completed works will enhance drainage capacity, regulate floods more effectively, raise safety and operational efficiency, and increase groundwater recharge rates across the area.

The Wadi Ahan Dam, built in 1994, stretches 5.64 kilometres in length, stands 8 metres high, and has a storage capacity of approximately 6.8 million cubic metres, making it a key component of North Al Batinah’s water management and flood mitigation network.