Since the accession of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in 1970, Oman has undergone significant political, economic and industrial reform, particularly in industry, communications, transport and education. Schooling to secondary level is free for everyone and the adult literacy rate stands at 86.7%. Higher education is still relatively young (the first university, Sultan Qaboos, opened in 1986) and with 55% of the population under 20 years old, demand for tertiary education is growing.
The sultan is the head of state and head of government and is advised by the Council of Ministers which acts as a Cabinet. All Omanis over the age of 21 are eligible to vote, the last elections in 2007 attracting 390,000 voters – 100,000 more than the previous elections in 2003.
Oman continues to play a fundamental role in promoting regional stability. In 1981, it was a founder member of the Gulf Cooperation Council and has played a leading role in regional security issues. Throughout the last three decades, the country has been of strategic importance to the West as a staging post for Anglo-American military, naval and air operations during the assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Close ties have been maintained with the UK since 1798, when a treaty of friendship was concluded, and British influence remains strong. Prior to this the sultans of Muscat often came into conflict with the colonial powers in the region, particularly the Portuguese, who first settled in the 16th century, in an attempt to protect their eastern trade routes. However, Oman’s rich history goes back much further than that, with archaeological excavations showing that much of the civilisation in Oman predates the Arab period. The region embraced Islam during the lifetime of the Prophet.
Predominantly Muslim, including Shi'ite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and the Ibadi strand of Islam, the latter practised by 60% of the population (the only country in the world to do so). There are facilities for the worship of other religions. Around 13% of the population are Hindu.
Social conventions:Shaking hands is the usual form of greeting. A small gift, either promoting your company or country, is well received. Dignity and respect are key in Omani culture and public criticisms are rare. As far as dress is concerned, it is important that women dress modestly beyond the hotel grounds, ie long skirts or dresses (below the knee) with covered shoulders; men should wear trousers and shirts with sleeves. Tight-fitting clothes should be restricted to hotel restaurants to avoid giving offence, although this is not strictly followed by some Westerners. Shorts should not be worn in public and beachwear is prohibited anywhere except the beach. Collecting seashells, abalone, corals, crayfish and turtle eggs is also prohibited. Dumping litter is forbidden. It is polite not to smoke in public, but generally no-smoking signs are posted where appropriate; smoking is banned in public places in Muscat. Homosexual behaviour is illegal.
Photography: Visitors should ask permission before attempting to photograph people or their property. 'No Photography' signs exist in certain places and must be observed.
Arabic is the official language. English is widely spoken. Swahili is also spoken by Omani descendents from East Africa. German and French are spoken by some hotel staff while Urdu, Farsi, Hindi and Tagalog are widely spoken by Oman's large expatriate workforce.
