18mg

Introduction

I went on a week long business trip to Muscat, Oman in the first week of December, 2009. This was my first visit to the Middle East. I really enjoyed my stay! Now the jet lag, long travel hours (about 18 hours from my home town in Tampa, FL) etc. were draining and I did get sick for a couple of days after coming back to the USA. But let’s stick to the point here. I had a great time in Muscat.

Visa

If you are a USA citizen you can buy a tourist visa at the Muscat airport upon your arrival. I paid OMR (Omani Sul Rial) 6 (OMR 1 = US $ 2.6 approx. OMR 1 = 1,000 Baiza) for the visa. The visa payment counter accepts US dollar bills. I was issued a payment receipt. I then went to another counter to show this receipt and got my passport stamped with Omani visa. The entire process took me about 15-20 minutes.

Cell Phone

I located a Nawras kiosk inside the airport right near the Muscat airport exit. There was no line (I got lucky). The sales person spoke fluent English and was entertaining as well. He told me that he used to work in the Detroit area for several years. I bought a Nawras SIM card for OMR 3. This also came with OMR 3 air time. You can buy additional air time when you need it. It cost me 200 Baiza during off-peak time (before 6AM and after 6PM) to call USA. The rate is more during peak hours (6AM-6PM). All receiving calls are free. Once I ran out of talk time, I have up to one year to buy additional minutes and keep the number and the SIM card. After that I must buy a new SIM card (and get a new number). I loaded the SIM card into my old and faithful Nokia 6000 GSM phone and was talking to the folks in the USA within minutes. The phone was really helpful to keep in touch with my USA and local team members during my stay in Muscat.

The City

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Muscat. The hotel is about 15-20 minutes away from the airport during non-rush hours. My transportation from the airport to the hotel was provided by the client. On my way back, the taxi fare from hotel to the airport was OMR 25 including tip. There’s a good bar, one Italian restaurant and a really nice breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet at the hotel. Expect to pay between OMR 13-25 for a buffet. The hotel has a big outdoor pool with a poolside bar and a hot water (about 80 degrees) jacuzzi (among other amenities). I have used both and highly recommend the experience. The hotel is lavishly decorated with ornate designs and gold colored tones.

There’s a life-like statue of a Bedouin on a horseback in the middle of the hall. The statue turns very slowly so that if you are not paying attention it can suddenly feel like someone is pulling a trick on you. The hotel staff was courteous and helpful during my entire stay. Grand Hyatt deserves and gets a straight A from me.

The area around the hotel is dotted with beautiful houses with carefully manicured private gardens. I saw several foreign embassies in the neighborhood. There’s a beach right next to the hotel. I noticed something unusual – there’s almost no sea-shells on the beach. Instead there are colorful round polished stones of various sizes scattered across the beach.

The temperature in Muscat ranged from high sixties to low eighties when I was there. I found the city to be very clean with well planned roads and highways built to international standards. I saw colorful and well maintained landscapes all around the city. Muscat is not only a “functional” city with international businesses, hotels, shopping centers and restaurants but also a beautiful city with its own character. Kudos to the people who have designed the city and now maintain it. I tried hard but could not visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The Grand Mosque looked stunningly beautiful with its huge dome and the towering minarets. I will try my luck next time. I was dazzled by another city land mark – the magnificent golden door of Bank Of Oman.

The People

Omani women wear thwab, a type of full sleeved robes over trousers called tiidi or sirwal. The thwabs are typically decorated with golden and silver threaded designs. Women cover their heads with a long shawl made of light cotton material called waqaya. Men wear collarless white (other colors that I have seen are black and brown) ankle length gowns with long sleeves called dishdasha. They also wear kummar, a type of round embroidered cap. They wrap and fold a piece of square and colorful piece of cloth called muzzar in a turban under and over kummar. Outside work, (at the hotel where I was staying) I have seen Omanis carry silver daggers called khanjar with their traditional dress.

Shopping

With high expectation, I entered the famous souk (market) at Muttrah on my second day in Muscat. The souk is located right next to the harbor. The taxi driver charged me OR 6 from the hotel to souk. However, as a result of bargaining, the return trip cost me only RO 4! But I was a little disappointed. The Muttrah souk looked very much like the New Market on Lindsay Street in Kolkata, India. Similar types of stores, items, setup, alleys and haggling over prices. The majority of the sellers was from India. I recognized several of the items they were selling are from India and other countries. For example, a kummar I liked was made in China! It was also cheap (RO 2). Several of the silver khanjars I examined were of flimsy quality. This was again a little disappointing. I was hoping to see and buy Omani artifacts made by the local craftsmen. However, handmade items are way more expensive. A handmade kummar’s asking price was RO 30 at the souk. The asking price of a handmade khanjar, at the Grand Hyatt hotel’s gift shop, was RO 200. Whereas, the non-handmade (China?) ones were selling for RO 30-RO 60. The asked and final prices of items varied wildly, 50% was certainly not uncommon. I bought an Arabic headdress for RO 4 reduced from the asking price of RO 8 at the souk.  Gold souk was the high point of my visit. Beautifully designed gold ornaments in the glass showcases in store after store dazzled the eyes of the onlookers. Gold in Oman sells at a typical purity of 22 carat and is genuine.

You can buy top quality Cuban cigars at the Muscat airport and smoke shops in the city. The average price of a pack of Cuban cigars (3-5 cigars) can vary between RO 7 to RO 30 or more. A box of Cuban cigars’ starting price is around RO 80-RO 90.  Please remember that Cuban cigars are illegal in the USA.

Commuting and Work

Traffic can get challenging at certain parts of the city during the morning and afternoon commuting hours. I saw several traffic accidents along my way to the office. They all seem minor fender bender type, except for a couple. All vehicles are left-hand drive. The driving is on the right side of the road. The maximum speed limit on the highway is 120 km per hour (75 miles approx.). It is 100 km per hour (62 miles approx.) within city limits. Speed limit is generally enforced. All road signs are in English and Arabic.

The work week starts on Saturday and ends on the following Wednesday. I saw a significant presence of Indian workers especially for jobs like construction, road maintenance, cooking, janitorial and office service work. I also saw several expats from the USA and Europe who are in primarily in managerial and skilled professional jobs. I found both Omani men and women (I would say the break up is roughly 70% and 30%, although actual statistics may vary) in the workplace. Women seem to be equal as men in the professional setting. Three things about the young Omani workforce struck me as impressive. First, they are technology savvy. Second, they speak good English. Third, they are really polite and respectful. If the government and private sector can harness these young people’s talent and energy, I can see a self-sufficient, prosperous and globally competitive Oman in the near future.