Introduction to Oman
Oman is a small Islamic country in the Middle East, which borders UAE (United Arab Emirates) on the Arabian Peninsula. Officially known as the Sultanate of Oman, the country is an absolute monarchy, ruled by a Sultan whose power is passed down through the male line.
Oman is officially a Muslim country, but people are entitled to practice whichever religion they choose, so long as it doesn’t interfere with public order or contradict morals. Oman is classified as a high income country, with most wealth obtained from oil, like most other Middle Eastern countries.
Oman is considered one of the safest countries in the world. It currently ranks as the world’s #25 safest country (btw, all the other countries on the Arabian Peninsula are ranked in the top 20 safest countries of the world).
Omanis are very hospitable and welcoming to visitors and the country is also very clean and beautiful.
Geography of Oman
Oman is a roughly rectangular-shaped country located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders UAE and Saudi Arabia on its northwestern border and Yemen on its short southwestern border.
Otherwise, Oman is surrounded by sea water. Its long southern coast lines along the Arabian Sea, while the northeastern coast lines along the Gulf of Oman.
While I described Oman above as a small country, on the Arabian Peninsula, it’s actually one of the largest countries, second only to Saudi Arabia. Oman is three times bigger than UAE and even bigger than tiny Bahrain, Qatar or Kuwait.
For Americans to put things into perspective, Oman is slightly larger than Kansas.
Oman is primarily a very arid country full of barren desert (80%) and rough, jagged-y dark dry mountains (15%). In the north, a wide rugged mountain range curves inland and then curves out to the coast near Muscat, where it runs very close to the sea, making a dramatic coastline. North of Muscat, there’s a wide lush coastal strip with sandy beaches, with mountains and rough desert inland.
While the country is mostly dry desert and mountainous, there are also rivers, water holes, waterfalls and wadis (oasis es) that are lush green. Just off the coast there are extensive coral reefs with all the usual reef fish and marine life. A lush coastal strip covers about 3% of the land area.
There’s a lot of beautiful and diverse geography around Oman.
Weather of Oman
Like all other countries on the Arabian Peninsula, the weather is extremely hot and dry for most of the year. Temperatures reach up to 40-50 C / 110-125 F in summer and just slightly cooler in spring and autumn months.
However, in winter, from about December through February, the weather becomes ideal with day time temperatures around 24-28 C / 75-82 C. With perpetually blue skies and sunshine, a slight breeze and drier rather than humid conditions, it’s like paradise.
Early mornings, evenings and over night temperatures are actually cool, dipping to 17-20 C / mid 60s-70 F. With a breeze, long sleeves may be needed.
Government of Oman
As noted above, the Sultanate of Oman is ruled by a Sultan who serves as royal head of state as well as prime minister and head of military. Power is passed down the royal family line through the male heirs.
The current ruler is Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. He took over quite recently, in 2020, when his first cousin, Sultan Qaboos passed away. Sultan Haitham was appointed by the royal family and by Sultan Qaboos as the next sultan.
Prior to that, Haitham spent his adult life as minister of various government departments and heads of other organizations.
The royal Al Bu Sa’id dynasty has been in power in Oman since 1749, nearly 300 years to date. Sultan Haitham is the 16th sultan in the family. Many other men in the family hold top positions in the government, while others are businessmen.
His predecessor, Sultan Qaboos was a key ruler in modern Omani history and development. He ruled Oman for 50 years, from 1970-2020, making him the longest reigning sultan in the Middle East.
Sultan Qaboos greatly modernized Oman. He built roads, hospitals, schools, and communications systems. He also allowed other Omanis, including women, to participate in the government. Under his rule, Oman joined the United Nations and the Arab League. Sultan Haitham plans to continue in his footpath.
Brief History of Oman
Humans have been living in this region for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s believed that when humans began migrating from Africa, they first passed through and settled in the Arabian Peninsula.
The world’s oldest man-made object was found in Oman! It’s a stone tool from the Paleolithic Period, estimated to be over 2 million years old – from 2,000,000 BC.
Besides that, there are many archaeological sites scattered around Oman with remains of humans dating back 100,000 years and all eras of human development.
Islam was introduced to the region in the 600s AD and has remained ever since.
Over millennia, the region was invaded by many major empires, including various Arabic tribes, Persians, Turkish Seluks, Turkish Ottomans and in more recent history,
Portuguese and British. Portuguese took over much of Oman in the early 1500s and held it until 1650, nearly 150 years. In 1650, the ruling Omani regime finally ousted the Portuguese. Today, several Portuguese forts still stand in the Muscat coastal region.
As noted above, Oman has been ruled by the royal Al Bu Sa’id dynasty since 1749.
My Visit to Oman
Since I’m in the Middle East, I’m hoping to visit all the countries on the Arabian Peninsula between December through February, aside from Yemen, which is apparently extremely dangerous for travelers right now.
I took a short one-hour flight over to Muscat from Dubai and will stay just 10 days. I’d really love to stay much longer and travel around the country. I know there are many stunning places, including wadis (oasis), canyons, mountains, waterfalls, desert and more.
However, I already have a pet sit lined up in Dubai over Christmas, which puts a quick deadline to my Omani visit. In addition, Omani tourist visas are issued for 10 days or 30 days, with the 30-day visa being a bit costly. I opted for the 10-day visa, for both reasons.
In reality, two days are taken up by my arrival day and departure day, so I really only have eight days to explore Oman. In addition, I have to visit six resorts for work, so I just have a handful of free days and a few work days.
So I’m basing myself on the outskirts of Muscat at a great little guest house for the duration of my visit. This area is close to the main points of interest for visitors, which include ‘Old Muscat’, set in scenic Muttrah Bay, where the city was originally founded; the location of the Sultan’s Palace, over at Takia Bay; and beautiful stretches of dramatic rocky coastline running southward.
Within the two historic bays, there are two major historic forts, several historic hilltop guard towers, a large traditional souk (market), several mosques, the National Museum of Oman, several other small specialty museums, the grand Sultan’s Palace, traditional houses and alleyways, beautiful Muttrah Bay and a coastal walkway.
They’re all within easy walking distance of each other and comfortable to explore in two full days. In fact, I explored those bays in my first two days in Oman and got to visit just about everything.
Happily, in this short time frame, I can get the main feel/look/experience of Oman, at least in the Muscat region of the country. I’m also hoping to join a half-day trip along the coast to see more of Oman’s beautiful coastal mountains, valleys and snorkeling areas.
Of course, I’ll also get to thoroughly enjoy visiting six ultra-luxurious coastal resorts for my job as luxury hotel reviewer, and see yet another side of Oman.
Meanwhile, please enjoy all the photos of Oman that I’m posting on FB. It’s a really beautiful place!
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
