Sohar and Muscat - A Review of Oman

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If you’ve never been to the Middle East, starting with Oman may just be the best idea you have.

An interesting country worth exploring

Officially known as the Sultanate of Oman, this is an Arab country located on the south eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Here, I explore my travels throughout a very packed five day business trip which saw me exploring two cities, Sohar and Muscat.

Led by an absolute monarch, the hereditary leader of Oman since 1970 is Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said and it’s interesting to note that historically, Muscat (the capital) was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Two other interesting points of note are the fact that Oman is categorised as a high income economy and ranks as the 70^th most peaceful country in the world.

My Trip

I spent three nights in Sohar and two in Muscat for this trip which took place at the end of November 2017. I had flown into Muscat via Dubai on Emirates and then travelled directly to Sohar by car (about 4 hours). So most of my travel was confined to the two cities and took place during the evenings.

The landscape

Oman shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It also shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. Sand everywhere, you can’t help noticing a uniformly brown landscape, peppered by hills here and there. There are few areas with shrubs or greenery which is something to get accustomed to if you come from a tropical place like Malaysia where the lush greenery forms a big part of the overall landscape. Both Sohar and Muscat seem relatively flat in terrain although I did see a few hills in Muscat itself.

The quality of the highways and roads is remarkable. The ride is exceptionally smooth and there are no potholes or bumps in the road at all. There is a lot of development in terms of housing across Muscat city. Lots of houses as well as apartment blocks everywhere but the one noticeable element is the lack of high rises. Apparently, something the Sultan is against, this is very evident when you get to a high point anywhere as you have a wide city vista to enjoy. Amazing views!

Sohar feels like a smaller town but it is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. It looks very industrial and largely, this is a result of the development of the Sohar Industrial Port during the 2000s.

When I took a trip into Sohar town in the evening, I was disappointed that there was not much to see or do. There was an inordinate number of gold and jewellery shops (which I found a little odd and intriguing) and shoe shops. There were also a handful of restaurants. There were not that many people out and about but then again, it was a weekday. It felt like the kind of place where there was not much to do after hours. Unlike Sohar, Muscat had the makings of a typical bustling city. Big highways everywhere and large new malls peppered the cityscape. There were lots of shops and eateries.

Weather

Dry and cool, humidity is very low. Some Omanis shared that I was visiting during the winter months (I was over there at the end of November when the temperature was between 24 -28^°C), hence the cooler weather. The temperature is said to soar during the summer months between June and August. While you can cover your head should you wish, it’s not mandatory for foreigners.

Language

I met people through the course of my work and they were largely Omani, Indians and a mix of Caucasians from different parts of Europe. Omanis speak mainly Arabic but English is commonly spoken in business circles.

Food

Food is one of the most interesting elements for me for any trip and what struck me as curious on this one was the influence of Indian cuisine. Briyani is featured quite a lot together with curries, chicken and mutton/goat primarily because of the large Indian population. Seafood is not easy to find on menus. In the hotels, you get a mix of Western and Indian food. I can’t say I saw a lot of Arabic food in the places I went to.

For someone who is used to finding lots of green leafy vegetables as part of my local cuisine, I was curious to see what range of vegetables I may come across in Oman. It was largely carrots, cucumbers, tomato and corn. Leafy vegetables were confined to lettuce.

I would say my gastronomic experience in Oman, across both cities was largely (and strangely) Indian. I didn’t really get the opportunity to sample much Arabic food. The restaurant across the road from my hotel in Sohar appeared to be Arabic but on entry, I discovered it was Pakistani. The food was delicious and inexpensive.

One thing I am unsure about is the whole dining experience. In malls in Muscat, you see women and men out and about, at eateries etc. But in Sohar, my experience was different. At the Pakistani restaurant, I went in with a male friend and attempted to sit down in the main seating area only to find ourselves ushered into a side room and once in, to have the door closed behind us. Total privacy or something else? I guess men and women are not typically expected to be seated together.

People

I found Omani people to be very pleasant and warm. In the course of my trip, I had connected with new people in advance, the majority of whom were from the Human Resources sector, in order that we might meet up and get introduced. To my surprise, I discovered that many Omani were open to the idea of meeting a complete stranger and we shared many ideas about what was happening within their own organisations, their career journeys as well as the business and political landscape.

The community of Indians in Oman includes Indian expatriates in Oman, as well as Omani citizens of Indian origin or descent. It is said that the Indian community is regarded as among the most prosperous communities in the country and that Indians constitute almost 20 percent of Oman’s total population. It is evident in the types of restaurants and people I saw in both towns. I also repeatedly heard that Indians were very much involved in commerce and business.

For those going for the first time, I would suggest a few tips to help ensure a pleasant experience across the board.

First, do your research. Read up on travel blogs, the local newspapers and talk to Omanis or those who live/work there to find out more about the culture, weather, cost of living and travel. In many ways, it helps to set the scene before you arrive and ensures you are better prepared.

Living in Malaysia, I am already accustomed to the Muslim call to prayer five times a day. In the Middle East, religious practices are therefore incorporated into daily life rather than just on a single day. So, if you are aware and mindful of this, you can coordinate around it.

In Malaysia and across many Western cultures, men and women typically greet each other with a handshake. But I knew, from past experiences with Middle Eastern men, about the practice of not shaking the hand of a woman. So I was prepared for this, only extending my hand when the other gentleman offered a handshake.

Second, find local meetups or explore your connections to see how you can meet a local or a foreigner who has been based locally for a long time. For at least two months prior to my trip, I reached out and made new connections with both Omani men and women, largely from the HR line of work. Rather than explore local meetups, I organised my own meetup but if you can’t, just join existing ones if you don’t want the work and hassle of organising your own. All the people I connected to were not people I had previously known but they were open to me reaching out. Further, some of them were also open to the idea of meeting up while I was there. I ended up meeting quite a number of people when I went over, in one on one meetups.

Transport

As I was there for work, I either had transport provided or relied on taxis. But in my limited experience, I would say that travelling is expensive. A short 15 minute ride within Sohar or Muscat costs OMR 3 - 5 (USD 8 -13). I didn’t notice any public transport in terms of buses or trains. So as a rule, it is best to negotiate with your taxi driver in advance so you can fix the rate.

Currency

The local currency is the Omani Rial represented as OMR. It is a very strong currency. A typical meal at a mid range restaurant can be expected to cost anywhere from OMR 4 – 6 (USD10 – 15). Taxis as I have indicated above, is also expensive.

Hotel Reviews

My stay in Sohar was at the Royal Garden Hotel. It was a pleasant, well-maintained hotel close to the port. There is one restaurant and at present, no alcohol is served on premises. They do have plans to get a liquor licence in the future however. The staff are pleasant and helpful, rooms very neat and clean. No complaints about the hotel at all, although they do get confused about room service orders at times. So, it pays to be extra clear and repeat your orders when you decide on room service.

My stay in Muscat was at the Best Western Premier Hotel, which was in the city, close to the main business district and many shopping malls. A beautiful hotel, compact in many ways but lovely and meeting the needs of travellers. Helpful staff, an extensive and varied breakfast buffet and close proximity to malls and other touristy highlights, this hotel was wonderful in many ways. Staying here for only a night was too short in many ways.

Interesting nuggets

· Tourist visas – these are 30 day passes which you get on arrival but cost OMR 20 (USD52) per person which I found expensive for a country which the World Travel and Tourism Council says is the fastest growing tourism destination in the Middle East.

· Dress sense – the majority of men I met wore the national dress called a dishdasha. This is a collarless gown with long sleeves, typically in white and paired with sandals. Most women are dressed in hijab, which means they are typically in black from top to toe. It is best to dress conservatively, having your arms and legs covered.

· Restaurants – unless you can read Arabic, it’s quite hard to tell what cuisine you have in a restaurant just by viewing the restaurant from the outside.

· Very clean cities – a noticeable element across both cities visited is the cleanliness. You don’t see litter and public spaces, malls, offices and roads are all noticeably clean.

· Omanis are approachable and welcoming – for a first timer, who had no ground contacts bar one and being a woman, I found that generally Omanis are approachable, friendly and welcoming especially in a business capacity. This was such a pleasant surprise.

· Airport – the current airport is nothing to shout about. It is small and functional, with a few eateries and shops. Not many areas to sit and relax if you have to wait long periods but there is a new airport currently being built and expected to open soon.

Overall, this was a great country to explore. Lots of promise and possibilities. I would share three aspects that make it interesting as a land to explore further - cosmopolitan, great weather and welcoming people.

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