Our Oman weather guide will help you in planning your trip to this beautiful country. Click here to view the current weather in Oman.

Omantel (Oman Telecommunication Company) holds the monopoly over landline telephones. It is also the sole Internet service provider. The Omani government holds 70% of the shares of Omantel and the remaining 30% has been held by the public since 2005. Mobile services are provided by Omanmobile, a division of Omantel. In 2005, Qtel (Qatar Telecommunication Company) was granted a licence permitting it to provide mobile services under the brand name Nawras.

The country code of Oman is 00968.

The currency of Oman is the Omani Rial (OMR). 
1000 baiza = 1OMR
Notes come in denominations of OMR 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50. In addition, notes also come in denominations of 100, 200, 250 and 500 baiza. Coins are minted in the denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 baiza.

To view the currenct exchange rate, click on this link to OANDA.com - The Currency Site.

220/240 volts AC, 50Hz.

To view a complete list of Oman embassies around the world, including foreign embassies within Oman, check out this link to EmbassyWorld.com.

Population: 3.2 million (July 2007 est.) 
Total Area: 309,500 sq km (119,500 sq miles).
Capital: Muscat (620,000)
Time Zone: GMT + 4

To view the current time in Muscat, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.

Many eons ago, Oman lay submerged under the ocean. Fossilized shells present in the expansive gravel deserts of the central plains of Oman bear testimony to this fact. The south-eastern coast and the northern regions of Oman are enclosed by mountain ranges. The highest mountain range of Oman, Al Jebel Al Akhdar is situated in the north of Oman. Most of the country’s important cities, like Muscat, Sur and Matrah, also lie in the north. Another major city, Salalah, is located in the south of Oman. The interior parts of Oman have a dry and hot climate while the coastal regions have a hot and humid climate.

Oman has two exclaves, Musandam and Madha. Musandam is a peninsula that lies strategically on the Strait of Hormuz. It is separated from Oman by the United Arab Emirates. The gateway to Musandam on land is Dibba, which comprises a chain of small towns. It can be accessed by sea through a group of fishing villages.

The other exclave, Madha, lies halfway between Musandam and Oman. As per a boundary settlement effected in 1969, Madha stretches over an area of around 29 square miles (75 square kilometres) and comes under the Musandam governorate. Fujairah Road, which is part of the United Arab Emirates, lies a bare 32.8 feet (10 metres) away from the north-eastern corner of Madha.

Within Madha lies the Nahwa, an enclave that belongs to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is located about 5 miles (8 kilometres) to the west of New Madha town, on a dirt road. Nahwa is a small settlement of about forty houses, a clinic and a telephone exchange.

Though no special vaccinations are required to enter Oman, do ensure that you are up to date with your routine vaccinations. Visitors entering Oman from yellow fever infested areas must get vaccinated within six days of entering the country. There are incidences of dengue fever and malaria. So do beware of mosquito bites. Brucellosis presents a risk in the southern regions of Oman. Health care in Muscat is of a fairly high standard. Omani citizens receive free healthcare, but visitors are advised to take medical insurance as healthcare for foreigners is expensive.

Water and food in Muscat is safe but it is safer to use bottled water and sealed pasteurized milk in places outside Muscat.

The Portuguese came to Oman almost ten years after Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea route to India. They remained in Oman for one hundred and forty years (from 1508 to 1648) and built a city with fortifications in order to protect their sea routes. Vestiges of the colonial architecture of the Portuguese are found in Muscat even today. In 1690, the Imam of Oman, Saif Bin Sultan invaded the east coast of Africa and was thwarted by the Portuguese garrison at Fort Jesus. He finally captured it in 1698 after a two year battle and went on to evict the Portuguese from the north coast of Mozambique and Zanzibar. Zanzibar was very important as it was the main slave market in East Africa. Consequently, Sa’id Ibn Sultan, the greatest nineteenth century ruler of Oman, made Zanzibar his residence from 1837 and built many magnificent gardens and palaces there.

Arabic is the official language of Oman while English is the second language. All writings and signs appear in both English and Arabic. Omani natives also speak Balochi (as spoken by the Baloch people of Iran and West Pakistan) and certain other Arabian dialects, which are connected to the Semitic languages of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Owing to the historical connections between Oman and Zanzibar, French and Swahili are widely spoken in Oman, while the influx of Indians during the nineteen eighties and nineties has resulted in the wide use of Hindi.

To view a map of Oman, click on this link to WorldAtlas.com.

Hospitality is an integral part of Omani culture. A visitor to an Omani house will invariably be greeted with a small cup of weak cardamom-flavoured coffee and a bowl of dates, which take the place of sugar. Do remember to shake the cup three times to indicate that you have finished. Different types of halwa and other sweet dishes are served on important occasions and celebrations like Eid.

The Sultan of Oman has prohibited covering of the face in public. Women are, however, required to wear the abaya (a long sleeveless outer garment) and the hijab (a traditional head covering worn in various styles). Some women cover their hands and face as well. On important holidays like Eid, women wear the traditional, vividly coloured, mid calf length tunic and pants.

Follow the link  to view a current list of public holidays in Oman.

99% of Omanis are Muslims. 50% of these belong to the Ibadhi sect, 40% to the Sunni sect and 7% to the Jafari jurisprudence sect. Shias form a well integrated but small group of less than 5% of the population and are found mainly in Muscat and the coastal regions in the north. Ibadhism, which is different from both Sunnism and Shi’ism, is the predominant form of Islam in Oman. The Sultan of Oman belongs to the Ibadhi sect.

The remaining population is made up of expatriates who are either Hindus or Christians. A small section of them belong to other minority communities.

Visitors to Oman are required to hold a passport that is valid for at least six months. The following two categories are exempt from this requirement:
1) Citizens of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain holding national identity cards.
2) Visitors holding a Macau (SAR) travel permit. 

All visitors to Oman, except those who are citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council States, need a visa to enter Oman.