Oman: a very brief introduction

Oman in many ways is the best and worst of the competing worlds in the Middle East. On one hand, it has a deep and lengthy history stretching back thousands of years with numerous destinations to prove it, putting it on par with Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon as a historical/cultural tourist destination. On the other, is the booming, sprawling city of Muscat, complete with its massive real estate investment properties that make it feel more like Bahrain or the Emirates instead of an old school tourist destination. Culturally, it’s both. With its massive expat worker population and rapid development, living in Oman feels far closer to Bahrain or Saudi then it does to the “older” Middle East. Like the rest of the Gulf (GCC countries, which include, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates), Oman has a national employment program to replace expat workers with locals. Education is free, there are no taxes, the government buys you a house when you get married, and with the help of the aforementioned job program, so long as you show up to work, you get a job.

Sounds like Paradise, right? Well, yes and no. The price you pay for these benefits is you have absolutely no say in the government whatsoever. In political science, this is known as a rentier state. After the discovery and development of massive oil and natural gas reserves began to profit the local government, authoritarian kings flipped an old adage of the American Revolution on its head. “No taxation without representation” cried the masses, and the kings said, “ummmm, ok. Oh, and by the way, we’ll throw in free education and housing as an added bonus.” In reality, all the GCC countries except for Oman and Saudi Arabia gained independence when the British left on good terms in the 60’s and 70’s. Saudi Arabia gained independence in 1933, and Sultan Qaboos took over in 1970 with the help of the British. The social expectations and policing also place massive restrictions on the enjoyment of these benefits as well, but that has relatively little to do with any sort of political strength.

Another strange side effect of the governments in the region is the legal structure in place. Despite being extremely common in the GCC (again, minus Saudi Arabia), prostitution, drinking alcohol, premarital sex and cohabitation, and homosexuality are all illegal and often with harsh punishments. Yet most of the time, they are not punished. A good example is the alcohol laws in many countries. Drinking alcohol in Oman is legal for non-Muslims, but illegal for Muslims. There is a complex government system in place that requires a license to purchase alcoholic drinks in stores. Bars, found in hotels and back alleys across the country are either exempt or not forced to comply, meaning that any Omani or other Muslim may drink as much as they want so long as they find a bar. If they would rather indulge at home or on the street, which is also surprisingly common, the obvious emergence of a black market catering to lower income Muslims accommodates the rest. Prostitution is the same way. With numerous health clubs and massage parlors staffed by low income Asian women, one could guess that a happy ending isn’t hard to come by. Escorts frequenting bars are common as well for a great combination of the aforementioned vices.
Drawbacks aside, most Omanis are quite pleased with the government, and who can blame them. They have an incredible amount of provided social services, and the development of infrastructure in the past 30 years is astounding. Before Sultan Qaboos took over, Oman had been “protected” from almost all Western amenities including paved roads, electricity, telecommunications, healthcare, and education. The older generations still talk about life before, when most travel took place by foot, donkey, or camel, and when they lit their houses by candles and fires. Even rural mountain villages consisting of only a couple families have electricity, graded roads, and even within only an hour’s drive from a local school and hospital.