Oman

Introduction

Guarding the country

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Oman is the only country in the world whose name starts with the letter O, but most visitors to the country are attracted for reasons other than this distinction. It is probably the most conservative of all the Middle Eastern states, but is also one of the most smartly led. Comparatively low revenue from oil has been put to good use, to build up an excellent social infrastructure. Centuries ago, it was an imperial power strong enough to rival the major European ones.

Muscat's five-star hotels encourage tourists to enjoy the country's great beaches, but we recommend packing up your beach gear for at least a week to see some of the country's fascinating and beautiful sights. Nature has been delicately protected and in return awards some of the nicest scenery in the Middle East. Forts, remnants of the Portugese occupation in the 16th and 17th centuries, can be found all over Oman and add a most distinctive flavour to the country's attractions.

Brief History

Wattayah, located in the governorate of Muscat, is the oldest known human settlement in the area and dates back to the Stone Age, making it around 5,000 years old. Archaeological remains from different dates have been discovered here, the earliest representing the Stone Age, then the Heliocentric Age and finally, the Bronze Age.

Achaemenid (6th to 4th century B.C.), an Iranian dynasty, controlled and/or influenced the Omani peninsula. This influential control was most likely exerted from a coastal center such as Sohar. From the third century B.C. to the arrival of Islam in the seventh century A.D., Oman was controlled by two other Iranian dynasties, the Parthians and the Sassanids. During this period Oman's administrative name was Mazun. By about 250 B.C., the Parthian dynasty brought the Persian Gulf under their control and extended their influence as far as Oman. Because they needed to control the Persian Gulf trade route, the Parthians established garrisons in Oman.

Oman adopted Islam in the 7th century A.D., during the lifetime of the prophet Muhammad. Ibadism became the dominant religious sect in Oman by the 8th century A.D. Oman is the only country in the Islamic world with a majority Ibadi population. Ibadhism is known for its "moderate conservatism." One distinguishing feature of Ibadism is the choice of ruler by communal consensus and consent. Omanis also carried the message of Islam with them to China and the Asian ports.Oman was ruled by Umayyads between 661-750, Abbasids between 750-931, 932-933 and 934-967, Qarmatians between 931-932 and between 933-934, Buyids between 967-1053, Seljuks of Kirman between 1053-1154.

The Portuguese occupied Muscat for a 140-year period 1508–1648, arriving a decade after Vasco da Gama discovered the seaway to India. In need of an outpost to protect their sea lanes, the Europeans built up and fortified the city, where remnants of their colonial architectural style still remain.
Muscat and Oman was the object of Franco-British rivalry throughout the 18th century. During the 19th century, Muscat and Oman and the United Kingdom concluded several treaties of friendship and commerce. In 1908 the British entered into an agreement of friendship. Their traditional association was confirmed in 1951 through a new treaty of friendship, commerce, and navigation by which the United Kingdom recognized the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman as a fully independent state.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the sultan in Muscat faced rebellion by members of the Ibadi sect residing in the interior of Oman, centered around the town of Nizwa, who wanted to be ruled exclusively by their religious leader, the Imam of Oman. This conflict was resolved temporarily by the Treaty of Seeb, which granted the imam autonomous rule in the interior Imamate of Oman, while recognising the nominal sovereignty of the sultan elsewhere.

The Dhofar Rebellion was launched in the province of Dhofar against the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman and Britain from 1962 to 1975. As the radical-leaning rebellion threatened to overthrow the Sultan's rule in Dhofar and produced disorder in other parts of Oman, Sultan Said bin Taimur was deposed by his son Qaboos bin Said, who introduced major social reforms to deprive the rebellion of popular support and modernised the state's administration. The rebellion ended with the intervention of Iranian Imperial ground forces and major offensives by the expanded Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces.

In November 1996, Sultan Qaboos presented his people with the "Basic Statutes of the State," Oman's first written "constitution". In September 2000, about 100,000 Omani men and women elected 83 candidates, including two women, to seats in the Majlis Al-Shura. In December 2000, Sultan Qaboos appointed the 48-member Majlis Al Dowla, or State Council, including five women, which acts as the upper chamber in Oman's bicameral representative body.
Al Said's extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the United Kingdom, the United States, and others. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.

Geography

Oman shares international borders with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Regions & Governorates

Oman is organised into 4 governorates and 5 regions.

Governorates

• Muscat
• Musandam
• Dhofar
• Al Buraimi

Regions

• Ad Dakhiliyah
• Al Batinah
• Al Wusta
• Ash Sharqiyah
• Ad Dhahirah

Cities

• Muscat - The capital
• Sur
• Salalah - In the southernmost part of the country
• Nizwa
• Duqm
• Sohar

Sights and Activities

Musandam Peninsula

The Musandam Peninsula is located in the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and is seperated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates. It even includes the small enclave Madha which lies between the Peninsula and the rest of Oman and is totally surrounded by the UAE. Inside this enclave there even is smaller UAE enclave again. Pretty interesting and confusing if you want to visit all these places. Still the drive up the northern tip from Oman is pretty impressive with dry and rugged peaks and mountainous areas, dry wadis and some fine beaches to explore as well. In the north is Kasab, the main city here which has some accommodations and restaurants. It takes most of the day to get here from Muscat, with several border crossings to kill more time.

Dhofar

Dhofar is the counterpart of the Musandam Peninsula as it is located in the extreme south of the country. It is a increasingly popular region and it includes green and lush coastal lowlands and frankincense-producing highlands. When most of the country is baking like in an oven during the hot and dry June to September season, this area actually has much lower temperatures and a rainy season, which make this place very popular with Omani and foreign tourists during this time to escape the heat and explore the only really green areas in the country. The main city here is Salalah, which can be reached either by plane or by a very long (10-12 hours) drive from the capital Muscat.

Dunes

Dunes in Oman

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The northern parts of Oman are part of the world's largest expanse of unbroken sand, encompassing the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, namely the Empty Quarter. Although most of it is in Saudi Arabia, it is becoming increasingly popular to visit the remotest areas of Oman on a multiple daytrip, sleeping in tents and driving in a 4wd car yourself across the dunes. If you don't want to go off the beaten track you can visit the Wahiba sands. The Wahiba sand dunes are just off the Muscat-Sur highway and are isolated sand dunes in the eastern corner of Oman near the Hikman Pennisula. Daytrips from Muscat are available.

Other sights and activities

• Bahla Fort
• Archaeological sites: Bat, Al Ayn and Al-Khutm
• Nizwa
• Muscat - the capital itself is full of surprises, including the mosque

Events and Festivals

Weather

Weather in Oman generally is warm to hot and dry. The hottest months are between June and September when temperatures can rise up to 45 degrees Celcius or even more. This time is the rainy season in the southern Dhofar season, which makes this area a green and lush one to visit. Humidity can be extremely high, even in the drier northern parts so a visit during these months is not recommended. The best times to visit are from October to April with warm and dry conditions, although some rainshowers are possible during the wintermonths.

Getting there

Plane

Oman Air is the national airline of Oman and is based at Muscat International Airport (MCT) near the capital. It has flights mainly in the region of the Middle East and to India, but further away Bangkok and London are served as well. Indian Airlines and Air India Express serve a number of cities in India. Both KLM and Martinair have flights to Amsterdam. KLM flies to Kuwait as well, while Martinair flies to and from Brussels, Colombo and Sharjah. Lufthans, Swiss and British Airways fly to European cities as well. Most other airlines are mainly within the region and a few other Asian cities.

By Train

There are no international rail links with Oman.

By Car

Excellent roads connect Oman with the United Arab Emirates and most rental car agencies provide the opportunity to combine both countries. Some fees might apply, including the ones at the border.
Currently there are three border posts open 24 hours to foreigners: Wajaja (for Dubai), Khatmat Milahah (for Dibba), and Al-Darah–Tibat (for Musandam Peninsula). The Buraimi border (for Abu Dhabi) will open again shortly.
Borders with Yemen are open too (see below) but those with Saudi Arabia are closed (and the route across the Rub al Khali desert isn't recommended or easy to travel anyway).

By Bus

Buses operated by yhe Oman National Transport Company connect Muscat with Dubai and Abu Dhabi, taking around 5 to 6 hours in both cases.
There are two border crossings (see above) to and Yemen, both of which are possible to cross by public transport. You can enter Yemen by bus from the Dhofar region in the southwest of Oman. Buses leaves Salalah on a regular basis to the border and onwards to Sayun (16 hours), or to Al-Ghayda (9 hours), in both cases twice a week. Though it’s possible to make the same journey in a series of shorter hops it costs more time and money and there really isn't that much to see and do en route. In both directions, visas are available at the border for most nationalities.
Direct buses go from Salalah to Mukallah, taking 6 hours.

By Boat

There are no international passenger services to and from Oman, though Muscat is a major port for cruiseships and the like.

Getting Around

By Plane

Oman Air has a few domestic services between Muscat, Salalah in the south (Dofar region) and Khasab on Musandam peninsula.

By Train

There are no domestic train services in Oman.

By Car

Most of the country has excellent roads and driving signs are both in Arabic and English. There is no need to rent a 4wd vehicle unless you want to do some serious off the beaten track driving in the sand dunes for example. You can rent one from international and local firms at the international airport in Muscat or the airport at Salalah, as well as downtow in both places. Either bring a national driver's licence or international driving permit.

By Bus

The Oman National Transport Company has buses between all major cities and towns.
There are daily departures from the capital Muscat to Nizwa, Bahla, Ibri, Sohar, Buraimi, Sur and Salalah and several other domestic destinations.

By Boat

Other than going out on the open sea to go diving, there are no regular passenger services within Oman.

Red Tape

Upon arrival at any air, land or sea terminal, the citzens of the following countries can obtain a single one month visa after filling and presenting the visa application form and paying 10 OMR:

Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guyana, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, Uruguay, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela.

The Chinese, Russian and Ukranian visitors must be part of a tour group and female numbers must be lower than male numbers!
Citizens of Egypt, Iran, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia can apply for a one month visit visa only at air terminals arriving individually or by tour.

Other nationalities will need to apply for a visa ahead of time at their nearest embassy or consulate.

Money

See also Money Matters

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Oman. There is one exception though. You need a yellow fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Oman) where that disease is widely prevalent.

It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Oman. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended and when travelling longer than 2 weeks also typhoid. Vaccination against hepatitis B and rabies are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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