Oman - a country rarely spoken about. What's happening there?

[u/Necessary_Wing799]

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....

[u/leonevilo]

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.

[u/leonevilo → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/Physical_Foot8844 → u/leonevilo]

The previous sultan was gay and educated in the UK iirc.