Working in Oman

Introduction

Oman, known as the Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeastern quarter of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Its land borders are with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It has been viewed as strategically important due to its position at the mouth of the Gulf. Oman's coastline is more than 2100km long (1300 mi) with a 19km (12mi) wide costal plain, which blends into hills then to a Plateau. The average altitude is 305m (1000ft). The hills are mostly barren and the plateau is only fit for cultivation at oases. The land area is 212,457 sq km (82,030 sq mi).

The capital of Oman is Muscat.

The official language is Arabic, however English is also widely spoken.

Currency

The currency of Oman is the Omani riyal (OMR)

£1 GBP = .756 OMR

Time zone

GMT + 4 hours

Climate

Oman is hot and dry with temperatures from 18°C to 34°C (64°F to 93°F).

Summers are extremely hot, with coastal temperatures reaching 46° C (115° F) higher in the interior. The summer winds in the interior can cause large sandstorms, which cause periodic droughts. Winters are warm and the average annual temperature in Muscat is 29° C (84° F).

The average rainfall in the country ranges from 76 to 102mm (3 to 4in) annually.

There are large climatic variations in the county hence the variety of plants range from coconuts in the south to roses and grapes in the north.

Monsoons deposit about 760 mm (about 30 in) of rain annually on the south side of the mountains and about 150mm (6 in) along the coast in the coastal plain and mountains of Dhofar and the winds can endanger shipping in the south.

Population

The population of the sultanate is around 2.7 million almost entirely Arab with the exception of .5million non-nationals. 9% in urban areas and 91% in rural locations

The most populous cities are Muscat and Matra.

Official holidays

The dates for the holidays vary every year according to the Gregorian calendar according to the lunar year.

Eid al-Fitr
vEid al-Adha
New Islamic year
Eid al-Adha

Media

The local English language newspapers are the Times of Oman and the Oman Observer. Foreign newspapers and magazines are available in the larger hotels in Muscat and are usually about three days old.

Television

The TV broadcaster in Oman is the state-owned Oman TV. Oman TV broadcasts two channels Arabic and English. Oman TV has a daily news programme in English at 8:00pm and shows English-language films two or three nights a week. Both channels are available via satellite. In Oman you can also watch CNN, BBC, STAR, Zee TV, Canal France, MBC as well as other channels via satellite.

Radio

The Sultanate of Oman FM Service is the local English-language radio station run by Radio Oman the official state broadcaster and is operated by the Ministry of Information. It broadcasts daily from 7:00am to 9:00pm with news at 7:30am, 2:30pm and 6:30pm. Broadcasts can be heard in the Sultanate of Oman from UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The BBC World Service is also available, on a range of frequencies

Things to do:

In Oman there are a number of activities run by clubs, hotels or other sporting groups. Choose from fishing, diving, rafting, sailing, cricket, chess, bowling, darts, golf, karate, ice skating, motor sports, rugby, softball, squash and tennis. 'Oman Today' a monthly magazine published by Apex Publishing - although this publication's restaurant and similar listings are limited to the Capital Area.

There are a wide variety of restaurants in Muskat serving a variety of cuisines - including Indian, Chinese, Thai, Arabic, Italian, French, Lebanese and European.

There is a lifestyle magazine/handbook entitled Oman Today, which is published every two months and is widely available. Each issue has listings of clubs, activities, restaurants and entertainment.