Oman

Understand

Until Sultan Qaboos bin Said exiled his father, the previous Sultan, in 1970, Oman was an under-developed nation, almost completely closed to visitors and badly manipulated by the British, although never annexed. After the accession of Qaboos, education, public works and tourism took off throughout Oman. Omanis are friendly people and very helpful to visitors. In turn, tourists should respect the ways and traditions of the Omani people. Omanis are proud of their country's rapid progress and of their heritage as one of the great seafaring nations. Excellent schools and hospitals, good governance, and on-going infrastructure improvements are all important characteristics of this once introverted and closed nation.

History

The oldest known human settlement in Oman dates to the Stone Age. Sumerian tablets refer to a country called Magan, a name thought to refer to Oman's ancient copper mines. The present-day name of the country is believed to originate from the Arab tribes who migrated to its territory from the Uman region of Yemen. Many tribes settled in Oman making a living by fishing, herding or stock breeding and some present day Omani families are able to trace their ancestral roots to other parts of Arabia. From the 6th century BCE to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century CE, Oman was controlled or influenced by three Persian dynasties: the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids. By about 250 BCE the Parthian dynasty brought the Persian Gulf under their control and extended their influence as far as Oman and established garrisons in Oman. In the third century CE the Sassanids succeeded the Parthians and held the area until the rise of Islam four centuries later. Centuries after the rise of Islam, Oman became a sultanate under a maritime empire and maintained links

See

Oman is famous for its historic forts, which are the country's most striking cultural landmarks. There are over 500 forts and towers which were the traditional defence and lookout points to deter potential invaders. Some of the best examples are in the capital, Muscat. Jalali and Mirani forts stand at the entrance to Muscat Bay and date from the early 16th century. Bahla Fort at the base of the Djebel Akhdar highlands is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has 7 miles of walls. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries when Bahla was a thriving oasis town. Oman's rugged mountains offer some stunning scenery and probably the best opportunities for driving in dry wadis anywhere in the world. Many of the wadis have made roads (often unsurfaced but decent enough) while others require serious off-roading. You can easily get well off the beaten path into remote areas. Huge desert dunes roll for as far as the eye can see at Wahiba Sands. Oman's beaches are major breeding locations

Getting there

Visas

Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) may enter Oman without a visa and stay indefinitely. A single entry visa can be obtained upon arrival at any air, land or sea terminal by citizens of the following countries:

EU citizens and other Europeans including nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City but not Cyprus and Malta. Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, China (mainland), Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Moldova, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The 30-day visa costs 20 rials, 10-day one - 5 rials. You can pay online before arrival at the Royal Oman Police e-visa website or at MCT airport where you need to get the visa from the money changers which add a 1 rial commission. Your passport should be valid for no less than 6 months from the date of arrival. Any visa fees can be paid using UAE dirhams at a rate of ten dirhams to one Omani rial. At the airports, visa fees can be paid in any Gulf Co-operation Council currency, euros, and US dollars. Oman has a common visa facility with the Emirate of Dubai. If you pass through Dubai immigration and are granted a visa to Dubai for at least 3 weeks, you will then be entitled to a free-of-charge visa for 3 weeks to Oman. You will need to show your passport stamp from Dubai to the Omani immigration officers. Visas are sold by private businesses at some ports of entry and these people may not be familia

Getting around

By plane Oman Air is the national carrier and flies regularly between the two airports in the country (Muscat/Seeb, and Salalah). Air Arabia offers flights to Salalah and Muscat from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

By bus There are regular, daily bus services connecting the bigger cities within Oman (Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Sur and Nizwa). There are several, daily bus services from Muscat to Dubai. There is one bus a day from Muscat to Abu Dhabi. For details see the pages of the Oman National Transport Company [1]. Mowasalat is a state-operated public transportation company in Oman. The company operates bus lines which connect some of the major cities in Oman.

By taxi All taxi drivers in Oman are Omani nationals as this is a protected profession. In Muscat there are call/telephone taxi services. Whilst safe and generally turn up when you want them to the costs are comparatively high. Look for "Hello Taxi" and "Muscat Taxi" amongst others. The orange-badged taxis are usually owner-operated, these are un-metered with negotiated fares before departure. If you get a very cheap price, then do not be surprised if the Taxi stops to add extra passengers unless you request for it to be private. You may ask for engaged, just say 'engaged taxi' to the driver, and you will pay for all the seats (4) and now have the taxi to yourself. Women must always sit alone in the back. This is for your own safety and comfort. There are also mini-buses (Baisa buses), the principle is you share the bus or car with others and pay a lower price as a result. This is how women living in Oman travel if they must use public transport. Women should sit next to other women if there are any in the bus. Men should move to other seats. If they do not move immediately, simply stand at the door, looki