r/geography • u/Necessary_Wing799 Geography Enthusiast • 13d ago
Oman - a country rarely spoken about. What's happening there? Discussion
Oman is located in a area we heat about a lot for an array of reasons - there are many famous and newsworthy spots close by from dubai to Doha to Iran and Yemen...... what goes on in Oman? Let us know how life is here and any relevant info on its current state....
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u/AssumptionExtra9041 13d ago
Oman is stable, is relatively rich. It is not involved as much in international politics as its neighbors and it also does not prominently commit human right violations.
So, to keep it short: (almost) everything going on in the neighboring countries is also happening in Oman but to a much shallower degree.
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u/leonevilo 13d ago
only visited once a few years ago and it was a lot like i imagined the arabian peninsula to be when i was a kid, when i was only influenced by old tales and not current news.
it's wealthy, but not in your face rich, laid back, open to the world and the good life, and quite diverse. it has some of the oldest forts and ports in the world, with settlements dating back over 10k years and remnants of trade with east africa and the indus valley dating back almost as far. some surprisingly green areas (especially after monsoon) and pretty good diving.
even in salalah you won't realize there's a civil war going on next door in yemen (i realize most of the fighting is in western areas of yemen).
i understand it's not all roses, but if the rest of the gulf was more like oman this world would have a lot less problems.
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u/gattomeow 13d ago
The distances in the Arabian peninsula are really quite vast. From Muscat in Oman to Sa'naa in Yemen is about 2400 km.
To put that into context for Benelux people (many of whom lurk on Reddit), that's about the same distance as Rotterdam to Gibraltar.
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u/BayouByrnes 13d ago edited 12d ago
For those in the US, think Grand Rapids, Michigan (middle of the state) to Miami, Florida. 1,453 miles. Muscat to Sa'naa is 1,465 miles.
EDIT: To clarify, I just used google maps and driving routes to get these distances. These are not straight line numbers.
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u/planetmoo 13d ago
For those in Australia, think around the corner to Bruce's place along the Gympie track.
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u/krombough 13d ago
For those in Canada, it's one half of Ontario over. Which is a huge difference. You go from one frozen marshy bog, to another frozen marshy bog.
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u/SureBlueberry4283 13d ago
For those on Reddit that’s 12,631,200 bananas of average length (19cm) 🍌
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u/JustInChina50 13d ago
For those in England, it's the distance between its 2 biggest cities times 15.
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u/Mysticalnarbwhal2 13d ago
Holy shit that's massive. Also hell yeah, Grand Rapids rocks!
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u/Xxuwumaster69xX 13d ago
It's massive because it's off by over 300 miles. https://www.distancecalculator.net/from-sanaa-to-muscat
The actual distance between the two cities is under 1100 mi.
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u/AssumptionExtra9041 13d ago
I never got the chance to visit it, so thanks for your insightss! I think Oman would be the first go-to place I'd visit in the middle east. Would totally agree on your conclusion :)
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u/crappenheimers 13d ago
I would strongly recommend Jordan as a first go to place in the middle east!
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u/deej312 13d ago
My barbers are all Jordanian and it's recently made my list. Seems like a fun place. How easy would it be to go to some of the other countries in the region? I'm pretty sure they don't have rail connecting them.
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u/PhileasFoggsTrvlAgt 13d ago
You'll have to fly, but flights are cheap and plentiful.
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u/young_twitcher 13d ago
What is the advantage of Jordan over Oman? Seems like everyone is going to Jordan which makes it less attractive.
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u/PhileasFoggsTrvlAgt 13d ago
Jordan has a tight cluster of absolutely amazing archeological sites that are managed as national parks and therefore very accessable. In addition to the biblical sites, the ancient cities of Jerash and Petra are worth the trip.
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u/young_twitcher 13d ago
From what I have seen online, there are so many tourists in Petra that you can barely move or see anything. So it doesn’t really encourage me to go there.
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u/PhileasFoggsTrvlAgt 13d ago
Petra is a huge site. At it's peak the city probably had a population over 20k. The entry road can be a bit tight at peak hours, but once it opens up to the city it's not crowded. If you climb to some of the high sites you'll only see a handful of people on the climb.
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u/crappenheimers 13d ago
Wadi Rum is incredible, Amman is awesome and safe to visit, there are some castles there, Petra is hella cool. Just great places to visit, very adventurous. I dont really understand why you care if other people are going there a lot? It's a very cool place!
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u/farronsundeadplanner 13d ago
You two are friends and have never touched each other and will not do so in the future.
Also, would research other women's experiences traveling there. It's probably safe, especially in tourist areas, but they have some similarities to their neighbors in this regard.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/oman/report-oman/
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u/JessicaSmithStrange 13d ago
I've just looked through the disability section on the travel advisory, as well.
I'm feeling a bit anti social, so I think I'm going to go back to lurking now, because this has been asked and answered about 10 times in the space of 2 minutes.
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u/farronsundeadplanner 13d ago
Sorry if my comment was overly intense or anything. Just wanted to be clear on how careful some people need to be (unfortunately).
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u/JessicaSmithStrange 13d ago
It's not that.
I'm actually seriously unwell right now, and when I got something like 10 replies in quick succession, my brain locked up.
I should have checked on the disability situation anyway, as well, so I'm glad to have the advisories.
I'm a part time wheelchair user, so while something like the Parthenon can be made more accessible at a cost to historical authenticity, I do expect to have to get creative if I get to go anywhere, especially since I know the struggle with any sort of narrow spaces, because of my home town.
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u/leonevilo 13d ago
fair question, but i couldn't say for sure having travelled as a hetero couple. i seem to remember rumors about the previous sultan being gay and quietly lifting most sanctions against lgbt people. i'd guess there's a "don't ask don't tell" dl policy like in dubai, where it's nobodys business what you do behind closed doors, but outside you don't show affection.
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u/sitbar 13d ago
As someone who has lived there for many years - I really don’t think it would matter at all. Obviously don’t be making out in public or whatever but no one’s gonna bat an eye at you two just existing
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u/JessicaSmithStrange 13d ago
That was more of a problem when we were teenagers, and were pda'ing all over the place,
We're a lot more mature nowadays, just because that's how it works.
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u/One_Necessary3121 13d ago
The most recent Sultan was openly gay…..it’s probably a don’t ask don’t tell type of place
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u/rorenspark 13d ago
Do you know if following Ibadi Islam helped with the stability?
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u/Maleficent_Resolve44 13d ago
They're just irrelevant really geopolitically. Not many people live there and they're less wealthy than the other gulf nations. Not much to do with ibadism I think. Qatar and the UAE are also internally stable nations but they have a much bigger impact on world affairs.
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u/Yvisna 13d ago
I wouldn’t say they are irrelevant, just little known to the general public. Oman is a very important country for that region because, being neutral with everyone, it is something like the place where other countries go to dialogue and reach agreements. That is, it is something like a diplomatic link, similar to what Switzerland is in Europe.
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u/mogg1001 13d ago
Probably, by default it keeps them out of the Sunni-Shia dispute as they’re an uninvolved party.
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u/MoonMan75 13d ago edited 13d ago
It is kinda funny because the Ibadis are a off-shoot of the Khawarij, an absolutely insane sect of Islam which was responsible for starting tons of chaos in the early days of Islam. Imagine them as the original ISIS. They were despised by all the other Muslims and eventually crushed. However, they recruited from the impoverished and oppressed, so they have always stuck around in the background and manifest in different forms throughout Islamic and Arab history. There's some modern scholarly work which presents a different view of the Khawarij which is interesting.
Anyways, the Ibadis are a distinct sect, but in reality, they are almost identical to Sunni Muslims, with a few Shia influences. The main differences is political, the Ibadis have differing ideas on the caliphate and have some disputes with the Sunnis over esoteric Islamic philosophy.
But overall, I don't think following Ibadi Islam helped with the stability. Oman had a conflicts in the 1960s-1970s where thousands died. So it has a unstable history. The stability today just comes from Oman being pretty irrelevant overall, it likes to be a neutral party in most major conflicts, they are a dictatorship, and economically/social stable.
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u/alkhemisz 13d ago
They are rich but not the show-off type like their neighboring country. I think i saw video about them taking different approaches in developing their building than other arab country, like keeping the traditional arabic architecture rather than building modern skyscrapers
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u/LyLnXo 13d ago
The division of wealth is also much less extreme.
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u/alkhemisz 13d ago
Yeah i only saw informations from internet. But from what i can see they are more grounded and friendlier than the rest of Arab peninsula
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u/wiseroldman 12d ago
I watched a YouTube video comparing Oman to Yemen. The video noted that Oman historically is a lot more religiously tolerant than their neighbors and this has given them stability. When you’re not constantly killing each other over religious beliefs, you can focus more on important things like developing your country. Who knew right?
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u/six_feet_above 13d ago
Yup they have national building codes restricting height, colors, styles etc. Driving through the capital city of Muscat is surreal. Like a film set.
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u/alkhemisz 13d ago
Yesss! Makes you wonder why the rest of their neighbors dont do the same approach. Arabic architecture is beautiful
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u/zoinkability 13d ago
Probably a question of values. The other countries' leaders value western-style glitz, Omani leaders seem to value traditional arab aesthetics.
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u/TundraForager 13d ago
From what my Omani friends have shown me, a more chill UAE/Saudi, pretty rich people, though they don’t really think it, less garish large developments like the Royal Opera house, beautiful place, lots of Subcontinental “migrant workers”. Omanis are pretty chill with life, pretty content with living in a non-representative monarchy
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u/supapoopascoopa 13d ago
Absolute monarchy, sharia law, no free press or ability to criticize the government, torture, no due process rights
I give them credit for being peaceful but it only seems chill with respect to it’s neighbors.
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u/Physical-Arrival-868 13d ago
As a citizen of Oman Sharia law is not the absolute law of the land, it is seen as a guidance for our own laws. Also dynamics in Oman don't necessarily rely on free press, it's a paternalistic dynamic where we still have trust in our institutions to hold people accountable and resolve the concerns of the population, and until now, that's worked. People constantly criticize the government, you just can't criticize the sultan publicly, however it is common to find people trashing the ministry of education, the police, or the ministry of labour for policies they disagree with. Recently, media laws have relaxed in Oman, and we are having steady progress being made towards a freer press. Despite what democratic states may believe, In Oman as is the case with many non-democracies the people are not constantly in opposition with the state, and healthy communication between the two does exist.
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u/supapoopascoopa 13d ago
This is educational, thanks. I can see the appeal though it still seems very fragile as you depend on the good intentions of a single person.
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u/Physical-Arrival-868 13d ago
That's true, we had bad sultans in the past. I guess every system depends on the good will of people though, and Donald Trump doesn't seem to have any left 😅
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u/Just_RandomPerson 13d ago
Ok, but Americans only have themselves to blame, and it's only 4 years. Also, impeachment should be a thing... If you have a bad sultan, there's nothing you can do and it's not your fault.
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u/ScalsThePenguin 13d ago edited 13d ago
White American guy here. Dude I left there yesterday. Spent 2 weeks driving all through that country. You don't have any idea of what you're talking about.
Hung out with locals, migrants, and expats. Male and female. Otw to the airport the driver was literally talking shit about the sultan.
I don't understand why people think reading a couple selected web articles, or YouTube videos is adequate enough to make an opinion. It's embarrassing.
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u/sitbar 13d ago
If you’ve lived there or spent any time there you would know that it is actually really chill there.
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u/la_bata_sucia 13d ago
Is it chill for the women and the migrant workers? Asking seriously
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u/Continental-IO520 13d ago
Yes. My mum used to work there. It's a lot better than the neighbouring countries
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u/RaoulDukeRU 13d ago
They have a rainy season in the South, that is unique on the Arabian peninsula. People from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are going there then and make a "vacation in the rain".
Us Northern, Eastern and Central Europeans are fleeing the rain and make vacation in the South of Europe and North Africa to flee from the rain and "soak up" some sun (good for the vitamin D balance, bad for our skin) and Arabs travel to get rain, haha. I really had to literally lol when I saw the happy people enjoying the water. With women in completely soaked abayas. In contrast to our women in tiny bikinis lying on the beach.
What also makes Oman unique is that its the only Islamic country where the rulers and most people follow the Ibadi school of Islam (with only some tiny minorities in North Africa).
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u/Physical-Arrival-868 13d ago
I'm a Omani, to give you the rundown on my beautiful country let's start with culture.
Culture: Oman is a relatively conservative population, religion plays a big part in people's lives and family is at the heart of dynamics, where the heads of different tribes are called sheikhs and are an important part of dynamics. Currently, Oman's cultural scene is booming with a lot of independent artists, filmmakers, social media personalities, singers, and poets from Gen-Z making a significant impact on how Oman is viewed abroad. This is noteworthy as Oman as a contemporary culture only really began to reflect on itself in the past decade or so.
Religion: Oman's state religion is Islam, unlike Saudi Arabia, Iran, and most of the Muslim world however, Oman follows a sect called ibadism, a unique mix of tolerant conservative values with strict guidelines for it's followers coupled with an emphasis on coexistence with other people's. Ibadi's are a minority in the country however, with the majority of the population following sunni islam. The Ibadi values can directly be seen in the governance and foreign policy of Oman
Governance: Oman is an absolute monarchy with the Sultan as the head of the executive, legislator, and head of state. There are two councils that coordinate for legislation before it is ultimately approved or rejected by the sultan, the council of ministers and the people's consultative council. The current sultan is Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said, who became sultan after the death of his cousin Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said.
Foreign Policy: It is widely assumed that Oman is somewhat detached from regional politics as initiatives by the country tend to not get covered, however, Oman is a very active regional actor. Many of the peaceful developments in the region have the state's fingerprints all over it. Oman is known regionally as a mediator, it's unique sect puts it in a position to mediate sectarian differences between Sunni and Shiite populations. Some of the foreign policy achievements of Oman include: - The Iran Nuclear Deal - Ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia - The Saudi-Irani rapprochement - The reintegration of Qatar (2017)
Oman is one of around 28 countries in the world to have a Free-Trade Agreement with the United States, illustrating Oman's capability in managing friendly relations with the U.S. but also with Iran. This is not due to being passive however, Oman's peacemaking is at the center of it's religious beliefs as a nation, and also at the center of it's foreign policy. The major foreign policy objective of Oman is to achieve regional peace through dialogue with all parties and a non interventionist policy.
History: Oman is commonly known as one of the oldest countries in the Arab world, it's people came from Yemen and settled where it is now. It has one of the oldest monarchies in the world, dating back to the 18th century where the Al-Said family expelled the Persian empire from Oman and established their rule over the country. Oman was colonized by the Portuguese and Iranians and in turn colonized Iran and East Africa. Oman was one of the last states to outlaw slavery, banning the act in the 1960's under heavy pressure from the British.
Geography: Oman has a variety of biomes and terrain throughout the country with Muscat, Sur, and Sohar acting as coastal hubs of trade between the Hijar Mountains and the Sea of Oman, moving to the interior the land becomes mountainous with Nizwa (the old capital) acting as the heartlands of the state. Moving south Oman becomes an arid land covered in the dunes of the Empty Quarter, a desert shared with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In the South East Salalah acts as the second largest city in Oman and also it's favourite holiday destination, with greenery and waterfalls reminiscent of South East Asia, Salalah is the go to place during Monsoon season where you can enjoy coconuts, mango, and hot tea while escaping the heat.
I hope you all enjoyed learning more about my country, Oman is known for it's hospitality so I highly recommend visiting when you get the chance, you will be treated like family the second you land.. but my advice... Avoid muscat in the summer lol.
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u/Necessary_Wing799 Geography Enthusiast 13d ago
Thanks for this detailed info, appreciate you taking the time to respond and so eloquently at that. Great information and perspective.
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u/Ambitious-Laugh-7884 13d ago
hope you don't mind a quick question, starting in a few weeks I'm cycle touring in Oman wondering if its considered rude to wear shorts and tee shirt when entering restaurants or supermarkets during the day while I'm on the road.
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u/Physical-Arrival-868 13d ago
Hey, great question! It depends, it's generally considered inappropriate in malls and supermarkets to wear shorts, however it depends on the restaurant, if it's like a cafe or something small it will be fine. Anything that's dine in or doesn't have plastic tables, probably not the best choice
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u/orangefunnysun 13d ago
I lived in Oman for a year - and it is one of my favorite places. So many amazing memories because of the unique experiences. Only in Oman could I walk out of a movie theater at 11 pm in summer, you know expecting it to be cooler, but NOPE. It was like walking into the furnace. From AC to an oven. It was a full body experience that said - oh wow, I don’t think I’ll ever feel this level of heat again, and it has been 14 years, and I still confident about that statement. Lol.
Oman is also where I saw the milky way fir the first time. I visited the ancient city if Ubar. Experienced the zero-gravity place in Salalah, held a starfish when the tides went out… and had tea with an elder Omani who only wanted to talk and share cultures….Oman is a hidden gem.
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u/dhruvlrao 12d ago
I will say that out of all the Gulf citizens I've interacted with, Omanis are by far the kindest to me as a non-Arab.
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u/painter_business 13d ago
Everyone that visits likes it a lot
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u/emielver 13d ago
Thats true, i went 3 years ago. Its a beautiful country with really nice people there.
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u/GrazingGeese 13d ago edited 12d ago
Everyone male maybe . My mom wasn’t allowed into some restaurants while visiting feom Dubai.
EDIT: asked my mom, asked my brother. This 100% happened. Here's an excerpt: "Mom, did you get denied access to restaurants?"
"Yes I did."
"Do you mean there maybe was a family section and a men's section you weren't allowed into?"
"No, I wasn't allowed into the only restaurant in the village."
"Were you scantily dressed perhaps?"
"Shocked No! I always dress conservatively (she lives in Dubai and knows the deal), brother's name always went to get food for me wherever we got, I didn't complain it's just the way things are in some places. I don't know how it is in Muscat, maybe people are less conservative there."
And she added she didn't see any women, claiming they weren't allowed out of the house. This sounds wrong to me, maybe she didn't see any women for other reasons, but that's not here nor there. Feel free to deny, divert, question, I don't care, my family's experience is valid and legitimate.
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u/sitbar 13d ago
I don’t believe this lol sorry. What reason would she have had to be denied? That makes no sense
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u/Which_Environment911 13d ago
i am omani, before spreading misinformation, can you point which restaurants didn't allow her?
most of my family arent even hijabis, and a lot of omanis are like that. there is barely any restrictions on women
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u/EbbFit4548 13d ago
As my Emirati friend put it, Oman is the guy sitting quietly in the corner of the bar while all the other guys brag about how big their dicks are knowing confidently he’s got the biggest one. Its a very Swiss like nation where quality of life and neutrality trumps regional belligerence. They were a backroom for Saudi Israeli talks for years.
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u/MysticSquiddy 13d ago
Similar to the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia in a way, just not as significant. Has its own oil exports, not to the same degree as the rest. Has decently wealthy people, not as wealthy as the rest.
Where it differs is where it spends its money. Unlike Saudi and the Gulf states, where they spend a good part of their money on post-modern architecture, Oman's infrastructure developments have a noticeably higher degree of traditional to them, mixing its past with its present.
Outside of this, Oman doesn't have a majority sector of Islam, being split about evenly between Sunni and Ibadi (which Oman has by far the highest community of).
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u/wjbc 13d ago
Oman is different from other Arab Gulf States because it maintains a good relationship with Iran. Oman has been called the Switzerland of the Middle East because it remains neutral in regional conflicts.
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u/IveATrennaPra 13d ago
Because of this, the former sultan was helpful to the US when negotiating the release of prisoners from Iran. Here’s a brief account from the Brookings Institute. Brookings Institute on Sultan Qaboos
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u/Sergey_Kutsuk 13d ago
Salalah
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u/Pietpatate Cartography 13d ago
Loved it. Beautiful country, lovely people, could do with a bit less rubbish on beaches and nature in general.
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u/ApolloThneed 13d ago
Dated a woman who immigrated from Oman to the US. She was super normal and her family was welcoming and easy to get along with. Didn’t end up working out but I was very impressed with how quickly and easily they took to American culture
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u/Just-a-torso 13d ago
The sultan who died a few years ago was gay but, even though it's a strict Muslim country, everybody was cool with it because he made them all filthy rich.
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u/Ok_Cartographer_8638 13d ago
I had Omani customer for 3 years, during their stay the Sultan died. They were really heart broken. I never saw same genuine reaction, admiration, and love toward a leader of nation.
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u/toolfanboi 13d ago
I heard the Sultan of Oman lives in Zanzibar now
(that's just where he lives)
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u/shogun_oldtown 13d ago
Quoting the yt channel 'Geography Now'- "Oman is like everyone's favourite aunt in the Arab World"
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u/Ok-Push9899 13d ago
I think of it as the Botswana of the middle east, but with loads more money. They keep their head down, they have good governance, and they watch all their neighbours turn themselves inside-out with strife, intrigue, and dubious political alliances.
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u/throwawaythreehalves 13d ago
Oman used to be a bit of an international player and a trade hub. They used to rule Zanzibar in Tanzania and Gwadar in Pakistan for example. Think of them like the super advanced aliens you see on sci-fi shows who retire from the hubbub of politics to just chill. Omanis are a chill people.
On the other hand, they do have some pretty sizeable British investment. Not necessarily financial but in terms of leadership, military and espionage. Some consider them to be a low key British colony. They are not, but they definitely have some level of.. collusion. Perhaps for those reasons, they also prefer to stay out of the limelight.
Finally everyone who has been to Oman has come away saying it's beautiful and stunning. There's even a pretty active twitter account who keeps telling people to move to Oman lol.
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u/OStO_Cartography 13d ago
They rigthfully shunned the Emirates' and Arabian gaudy gianticism and vanity projects, and have spent many years turning their country into a very peaceful, beautiful, and traditional tourist destination. Their architecture in particular is stunning.
If you truly want to experience Middle Eastern hospitality, history, and culture, visit Oman.
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u/buckinsand 13d ago
.... oh they have their share of vanity projects too (Al Mouj immediately springs to mind).... and they have taken a page or two from UAE / Qatar with investments in high profile 5 star projects (ie. Al Anantara, Alila, Jebel Akhdar, Chedi, Al Bustan Palace ... to name just a few). These are scattered across the mountains, Muscat and Salalah.
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u/probablyisntavirus 13d ago
Southern Oman is a fascinating place, in the late summer the Khareef monsoons get trapped between the Indian Ocean and the plateau nearby Salalah, leading to the desert bursting out in magnificent green! This is a photo I took in August when I visited Salalah and Mirbat!
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u/paradoxstax 13d ago
Sultan Quabus bin Said literally turned the country from a backwards coastal fishing state to a well functioning relatively rich state. He also fought off nomadic bandit groups, while building good infrastructure. In my opinion he was the best absolute monarch who ever existed.
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u/conflicteddiuresis 13d ago
He even had his own perfume line. What more could one want in a monarch
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u/OtherwiseMenu1505 13d ago
Oh man, where do i start?
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u/CoyoteTall6061 13d ago
Yemen, not much to say
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u/Hexdoctor 13d ago
A weird cognitive dissonance between practicing a form of Islam that specifically believes in meritocratic election of leaders and being a monarchy. Other than that, pretty chill compared to the surrounding region.
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u/The_Syndic 13d ago
Did a bit of work for an ex-SAS guy who was over there in the late 60s during the Dhofar War. They sent the SAS over to support the Sultan who was fighting a war against Marxist rebels. The rulers have a lot of connection to Britain, go to British universities, train at Sandhurst (Army Officer School) etc. He had some fascinating stories.
Seems to be the most "civilised" and stable of the Arab countries.
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u/FlyinCryangle 13d ago
Just spend a week there. Beautiful country with lots of nature. Best word to describe it is “peaceful”. It felt special to me and my wife and we would 100% visit again
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u/Time_Pressure9519 13d ago
Right now Omanians are looking at their phones.
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u/RaoulDukeRU 13d ago
Like all people on the Arabian peninsula. Many have their phones hanging around their necks (like a necklace).
If you think that people in the West use their phones all the time, visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar or Kuwait. They're one with their phones!
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u/bumder9891 13d ago edited 13d ago
I've only been to Muscat so I'll compare that to other gulf cities I visited.
Muscat (and Oman overall) is far more authentically Arabic like the way we imagine old Arabia of the past. There are some fascinating souks that look like something out of Aladdin. It's definitely a contrast to the hyper modern cities of Qatar, Saudi, UAE, Bahrain etc. Muscat is low rise and far more laid back. Buildings are only about 7 stories at the highest and it's very spread out.
Muscat is flanked by bare, rugged mountains that drop straight into the sea. It looks like the moon when you're flying in. Bizarre currency that is really high value so one rial is worth like $2.60. It's strange taking a taxi for 15 Rial thinking it's not bad, only to realise it's about $40. Extremely hot and humid since it's on the sea.
Muscat is arid, barren and hot. Apparently southern Oman is more tropical. Oman feels more homogeneous than the UAE which is more diverse, I encountered far more native Omanis compared to the UAE where locals are the minority.
Oman has the friendliest locals in the gulf IMO.
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u/son_of_titian 13d ago
I met a guy from Yemen and we got to talking about travel. I asked him where I should go if I wanted to see the Middle East and he immediately said Oman.
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u/Cobralore 13d ago
Oman is the chill guy of the middle-east. They have money but they dont want to participate in the skyscrapers dick measuring contest.
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u/TobeRez Political Geography 13d ago
While the UAE is pumping its wealth into modernisation and high-rise buildings, Oman uses its wealth to preserve its culture and traditions. Its a really nice country to visit and if you respect their values and culture you will have a great time there. Everyone is welcome.
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u/ScarlordI 13d ago
I don't know much about them tbh, but if I remember correctly, in the northern part that connects to the UAE, there are enclaves that they share with the neighboring country. It's pretty interesting.
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u/Lironcareto 13d ago
And they have their own chilled flavor of Islam.
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u/TrueInspector8668 13d ago
Now picturing a range of Islam drinks, from "Chilled Omani" (light blue can) all the way to "Aggressive Wahhabi" (black with white lettering)
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u/Qudpb 13d ago
Deadly snakes, don’t go hiking on flip flops on those mountains. 10 years ago a buddy living in Dubai went hiking there (on flip flops) got bit by a snake, turned the entire leg black, hurt like crazy, used all anti venom in the Arabian peninsula (helicoptered in from all over) took a while, almost lost his leg, all good now.
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u/gattomeow 13d ago
Most of the population will be in an around Muscat and on the southern coast near Salalah. Musandam (that exclave north of Fujairah) is a popular destination for Omani and Emirati rock climbers.
For cyclists, there are nice scenic routes around Nizwa. When you go further south-west there are big empty stretches of straight roads. The south is fairly green and lush during the rainy season.
In terms of languages to get by - most people will speak Arabic and English - in fact, alot of the workforce is foreign and often prefer to use English amongst themselves. Hardly anyone speaks Portuguese or French.
Oman also used to have external territories - Gwadar, which is now part of Pakistan, and concessions on the east coast of Africa.
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u/destiny_crab 13d ago
Oman is incredible. Went on a two week rock climbing trip there a few years ago. It's everything Arabian countries should be, and I'd highly recommend visiting before tourism ruins it. Beautiful wet canyons to swim, cliff jump, and canyoneer in, amazing rock for climbing and deep water soloing, great scuba, incredible history everywhere, safe, and you can generally camp anywhere too.
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u/mglyptostroboides 13d ago
Geologically, it's very interesting. I did a research project on the Oman Ophiolite in college. It's a very interesting topic, but I can only say so much without doxxing myself. Wikipedia has a wonderful article on the topic, though.
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u/CrimsonTightwad 13d ago edited 13d ago
Ibadis, much more tolerant and tranquil form of Islam, compared to bloodthirsty and savage Wahhabi and Salafists that surround them. Oman is their refuge and bastion from them.
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u/slutty_muppet 13d ago
It's known for its authoritarian, British-backed monarchy that they defended in the Dhofar War. A documentary about it was the first one directed by an Arab woman to be shown at Cannes.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hour_of_Liberation_Has_Arrived
https://jacobin.com/2023/09/oman-dhufar-anticolonial-revolution-60s-70s-british-imperialism-history
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u/BadChris666 13d ago
It has followed a fairly moderate political agenda and keeps ties with most nations. However internally, there is little protection for civil liberties. Women are discriminated in numerous areas. Censorship and self censorship is routinely practiced. You are not allowed to hold any public meeting without government permission. Criticism of the Sultan or government is illegal. Homosexuality is criminalized.
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u/lomosaltado333 13d ago
I talk about it all the time, but that’s because I’m always playing the “countries that start with the letter” game, and it’s the only country that starts with O
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u/Upbeat_Psychology915 13d ago
Visited there, just a wonderful place. The Omani people were so very nice. Not flashy, not artificial like the UAE.
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u/GoDeacs7 13d ago
Went to Oman with my wife a few years ago. A few days on the beach, a couple days camping in the desert, and then a few days up in the mountains. Amazing place. Rented a 4x4 and drove almost 1000km over the course of our trip. Super friendly people and incredible natural beauty.
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u/etzel1200 13d ago
TFW you’re a mostly stable and successful Arab Muslim country and the world basically forgets you exist because of it.