When I started telling some people I was moving to Oman, the answer I got a couple of times was, "Omaha? Nebraska? Why on earth are you moving there?" Since this part of the world isn't exactly familiar for most Americans, I figured I'd do a little briefing here on the country and its culture (cribbed heavily from Wikipedia and useful maps/pictures I could find online - none of the pictures are mine, since I try to avoid taking pictures of people here out of politeness).
Location
For starters, Oman is located on the Arabian Peninsula and bordered by Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Yemen is too dangerous to visit right now and Saudi Arabia is off limits for me, though we can drive about 4-5 hours up to the UAE to visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
As you can imagine, it's hot as balls in the summertime (this week we're 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit), though the south of the country does get rain and breezes in the summer that make it unique for Arabia.
A Little History
Oman is a Muslim country, though most Omanis are not Sunni or Shi'a, but rather Ibadi Muslims and the national language is Arabic. Unlike its Arabian neighbors, Oman was a major seafaring power from the 17th century and the Omani Empire extended down the coast of Africa and into parts of southern Iran. This meant that during a time when most people living in Arabia were hunkered down in their tents herding their camels, Omanis were out conquering different cultures and peoples. Not only did this expose Omanis to other cultures, but it also helped shaped Omani culture -- it's easy to see African elements in the national dress here as well as tell which Omanis originally came from East Africa. It also helped keep Oman more open and progressive than some of its neighboring countries (ahem, Saudi Arabia).
Also, interestingly enough, Oman was never entirely controlled by a foreign power and Oman has been self-governing since the 1700s, which is a marked contrast to most of the rest of the Middle East.
Economy
Oman does have oil and gas (which is why I'm here), though not anywhere near the amount of some of its neighboring countries. Oman has lagged behind its neighbors (with the exception of Yemen) in development and wealth, partially due to its previous Sultan. Sultan Qaboos deposed his father in 1970, but prior to that time his father really closed off the country and many of my colleagues here told me how bad things were here prior to 1970. In fact, many Omanis lived abroad until Sultan Qaboos took over and opened the country up, which is partially why he's so well loved by Omanis.
Despite its slow start, Oman has really developed over the past 40 years and has tried to diversify its economy so as not to be solely reliant upon oil and gas. Muscat is very cosmopolitan and feels like a major city, though it's important to remember that not so long ago many Omanis were living in villages and did not have much exposure to the West or "modern" conveniences. You occasionally get a glimpse of that when you talk to people or when you realize that many of my coworkers go home to their villages on weekends.
Expats make up almost 50% of the population here, and so in recent years there has really been a push for Omanization, which really means training the local populace to do the jobs that expats have done. While I may not always agree with the measures taken to achieve Omanization, I think it's a great effort to integrate Omanis into the workforce so that they don't follow in the steps of some of their neighbors, like the Emiratis, many of whom don't work and maintain their lifestyles from oil revenues. There are measures in place to force companies to hire locals and purchase locally made goods and ever-changing visa regulations affecting expats. There are some expats who feel as though our presence isn't welcome based on these regulations, but in reality Omanis are not yet in a position to fill all the roles that expats currently do.
(Due to recent changes in visa regulations, there is a huge debate occurring in Oman right now regarding Omanization. I wanted to give a simple overview of the life here without getting into the weeds on the issues).
Finally, most Omanis speak English very well. While I'd like to learn Arabic, many Omanis I work with primarily speak English since they were schooled in the West (even with their families) and others are excited to speak in English to strengthen their language skills. And all of the signs here are in both Arabic and English, making driving around fairly easy.
National Dress
Omani men typically wear a
dishdasha, which is a collarless, ankle-length gown that is typically white (although they do come in a variety of colors and also sometimes have colored stitching around the neck and wrists) and sandals on their feet. On their heads they either wear a
mussar, which looks like a wool turban (see the second picture below), or a
kummah, which is a stitched cap (pictured below). For Omanis who work in government, it is required that they wear the
mussar, though in my office most tend to wear the
kummah.
I'll admit, it takes a little getting used seeing guys in the office wearing sandals and flip flops, though I'm always jealous when we're outside in the blazing sun and the
dishdasha seem so much more comfortable. I have no idea how they keep them so white, though I did finally ask someone what they wear under them (fabric wrapped around their waists like a towel).
Unlike in some of the other Arab countries, the men here can really personalize what they wear since the
dishdasha come in a variety of colors and there's even more opportunity for personalization when it comes to the colored stitching or the various hat options. For formal occasions, men will add a dagger at their waist.
Omani women typically wear the
abaya, which is a black, floor-length robe with a scarf covering their hair and necks. Traditional Omani dress is much more colorful and is apparently still worn at some functions, but the
abaya gained popularity probably due to its ease and the fact that the women in the neighboring countries wear
abayas. (
Note:
I haven't actually seen Omani women's traditional dress in person yet, though I'm eagerly awaiting the opportunity to attend an event where I can see traditional dress!)
What About Expat Dress?
As an expat we are not required to wear
abayas or
dishdashas (actually, I think it would be quite rude if we did attempt to wear the local dress), though we are expected to dress modestly. For both men and women, this means covering shoulders and knees. Other than ditching my tank tops and shorts, I dress pretty closely to what I would have back in the US, particularly in the office. I find that on weekends it's a little bit of a struggle to dress appropriately to run errands (I have one pair of linen pants that I've been wearing the hell out of) because it's just too hot to contemplate most pairs of pants. So my weekend attire is pretty much linen pants/maxi skirt and a lightweight t-shirt. And lots of sandals since wearing closed shoes is pretty miserable and sweaty.
Beaches are a little more of an issue. It would be inappropriate to wear a Western bathing suit on most public beaches, so many expats tend to become members at some of the hotels here in order to use their private beaches. I have yet to go to the beach since I have my own pool, though considering how clear and blue the Indian Ocean is, I know I'll need to find a beach to go to sooner or later.
I'm still learning about all things Oman, but let me know if you have questions. Even if I don't know the answer I'm happy to ask, since that's how I learn all sorts of useful information (like what men wear under their
dishdashas). And my coworkers are used to me asking all sorts of weird questions...
