About Oman
Located on the Indian Ocean in the Middle East bordering United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, Oman has long prospered off lucrative Indian Ocean trade. During the 18th century Oman was the first Middle Eastern country to sign friendship and trade treaties with the UK. This led to further development in the countries military, political and social arenas, as Oman heavily relied on advisors and investment from the UK. Despite the UK′s heavy investment in Oman it never became part of the commonwealth as a colony. During the 1970′s Qaboos bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father, and became the sultan of Oman, he has since ruled the country ever since. Qaboos bin Said al-Said has since lead the country to extensive modernization through his openness to foreign investment, and moderate foreign policy, which maintains good relationships with both the rest of the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Whenever you travel to a new country it can be daunting and because of this it is often important to have some background information on your destination. Because of this we have provided a general outline of Oman below. Please be advised that information contained in this page is subject to change without prior warning or knowledge, and as such you should consult an expert for the most accurate details.
Official Name: Sultanate of Oman
Capital: Muscat
Location: Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Size: Oman is a total of 212,460 sq km; comparatively this is slightly smaller than the UK.
Climate: Along the coast it is particularly hot and humid with cool breezes coming off the Indian Ocean, however in the center it is arid, hot and very dry all year round.
Population: The population of Oman is 3.4 million people as of July 2008
Life expectancy: Citizens of Oman are expected to live to 74.1 years of age when they are born.
Major illnesses: Northern Oman is not particularly prone to any major diseases; however the southern Salalah Region of south Dhofar is particularly prone to Tuberculosis, Brucellosis and Viral Hepatitis.
Ethnicities: There are a number of ethnicities predominant throughout Oman including Arabs, who form the majority, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan etc.) and also a small minority of Africans.
Languages: The official language of Oman is Arabic, however English, Urdu, Baluchi and Indian dialects are also widely used.
Religion: The main religion is Ibadhi Muslim, which accounts for 75% of the religious population. Other religions include, Sunni Muslims, Shi′ia Muslims and Hindus.
Government:The Government of Oman is an absolute monarch in which all power rests with the sultan.
Head of State: Qaboos Said al-Said is the sultan of Oman.
Economy :The economy of Oman is a middle income economy in which relies heavily on its oil exports. However its oil reserves are in steep decline. Recently this has been offset by high oil prices. As a result of the dwindling oil reserves Oman has been actively pursuing to develop its manufacturing and services industry. In addition Oman is also trying to establish its natural gas industry more, hoping that it will take over when the oil reserves start to dwindle. Oman is actively seeking foreign investment into its economy, in particular its tourism sector and its higher education sector.
GDP: Oman has a GDP purchasing power of $67.4 billion USD.
For more information about Oman, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.