Encroaching sands have left little evidence that the Omani village of Wadi al-Murr ever existed, but former inhabitants and curious visitors are coming to rediscover the hamlet engulfed by the desert. Salem al-Arimi, originally from the area, looked out nostalgically over the expanse. According to local elders, “all the houses in the village were invaded by the sand that assailed them 30 years ago, forcing the inhabitants to leave their ...