Oman is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula, with long coastlines, sprawling deserts, and stunning canyons. Oman has long been a destination for business travellers and with the capital of Muscat becoming increasingly popular among corporations, the increase of business travel to the country has steadily increased year by year. The country holds a prime location for trade at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Bordered by a coastline, Yemen, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, Oman holds a strategic location in the Middle East.
The area of Oman has had artefacts found throughout the country dating back to the Palaeolithic and Neolithic eras. The latter half of the 1600s saw Oman become a powerful empire, competing with countries such as the UK and Portugal for control of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak of influence, Omani influences stretched across modern-day Iran and as far as Zanzibar.
Oman has a population of just over 4 million which is growing annually. The country’s economy is very diverse which adds to its popularity and growing economy. Up until 1998 Oman’s economy was predominantly focused on oil and gas that the country built its foundations on. However, after a slump in oil prices at the end of the 20th century, Oman set about diversifying its economy. Oman is now seeing tourism rapidly increase on an annual basis and is the fastest growing industry in the country. Festivals held in the country such as The Khareef Festival and the Muscat Festival bring in tourists every year.
Serviced apartments in Oman provide a popular form of accommodation in the country. With so many corporations and businesses now choosing Muscat and Oman to trade too as well as more and more tourism businesses setting up, business travel is growing annually.
Key Facts
Capital: Muscat
Population: 4,424,762
Currency: Rial (OMR)
Dominant religion: Islam
Language: Arabic
Time Zone: UTC +4
Main exports: Petroleum
Internet domain: .om
International dial code: +968