I met with an expat water and soil expert today who blamed many of Oman’s political problems on her culture. Not in a critical or mean-spirited way. More in the I’m-depressed-and-I’ve-lived-here-13-years-and-I-just-don’t-expect-any-changes-soon, kind of way. His beef with culture lies with the political implications of Oman’s famed hospitality and moderate inclination ...

In my post-New Year party haze I missed this story, but expat blogger Lord of the Fiord just pointed out that on Jan. 2nd 2010 the Oman Authorities dropped charges against the Omani reporter A'Sem Al Sheedi for slandering the reputation of the ROP, after he refused to name his source for ...

OK.Everyone FREAKED out in the UAE when it seemed the ol' 'visa run' from the UAE was ended, after a rather unhelpful PR piece by the UAE Government Visa guy just confused everyone. "no re-entry??? But I fly in and out every day!. WTF??"Ah. Exactly. The UAE Visa guys clarified: It only ...

Over the last few weeks, I have been meeting guys at various companies and here is my experience on the coffee/tea hospitality extended towards visitors by the hosts.Various scenarios:1. Water plus tea/coffee2. Water plus tea/coffee plus juice3. Water plus tea/coffee plus juice plus biscuits4. Absolutely nothingI can vouch for the ...

First of all, separate and awesome thanks to Andy, Red, Suburban, Geet, Mr. President and Balqis. Your few words mean something. Words have become wayyy too cheap in the modern word, but you (atleast the bloggers) know the power of words. I felt some of that. But alas, your push, while ...

On the waterfront boardwalk in Mutrah, an engraved plaque proudly proclaims Oman’s legacy of “ferocious wildlife.”   Endangered leopards may still survive in Oman's Dhofar region.   Until recently, I had assumed that the wildest cats still extant in Oman are the ones that live in my neighborhood dumpster. But some scientists believe that bigger ...

Ah, Blue City.Or as the BCC1 PR chaps prefer, the post-AAJH name of 'Al Madina A'Zarqa'Photo: Blue City's aspiration before the global real estate crash.We've had a history here at Muscat Confidential. You can check the back posts if you're new. But good news for Blue City investors and bond ...

Dearest readers, I need help.I get a lot of emails from people who for some reason think I offer a private employment and immigration advice service. I don't.The questions usually include "what's the cost of living in Oman?"Now the answer to that is as long as a piece of string. ...

The year is almost over (hijri and miladi!) and I don't know where the time has gone. Since Eid, I have been in a time warp, or maybe I'm still coming off of the consumption of too much meat and other substances that can cause trouble in excess that dominated my Eid vacation. In ...

Ahead of the fall semester, the Ministry of Education Oman and Intel® Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce the 'Intel® ...

Oman and India today agreed to deepen their trade and investment partnership, including investing about USD 3 billion by Muscat for revival of fertilisers ...

1 (Bloomberg) -- Nawras, the phone company controlled by Qatar Telecom QSC, plans to sell 40 percent of its shares in Oman's first initial public offering ...

PETALING JAYA: The national football team preparing for the Guangzhou Asian Games went down 0-3 to Oman in a friendly in Doha on Friday. ...

The Sultanate of Oman has outlined its 2010 Ramadan and Eid program, which will run until September 9, 2010. The Oman government expects such events to ...

Masirah, an island off the south-east coast of Oman, is the latest area of the country to open up to tourism. Visitors who venture beyond the capital, ...

The Omani racer, who celebrated his 29th birthday last Tuesday, made a major impact on his first ever run at the challenging 1.27-mile Scottish track during ...

Junior free safety Erik Oman made two of the Eagles' four interceptions and also caught a touchdown pass. Watterson built a 27-0 halftime lead and played ...

"Over 2 million customers in Oman are now enjoying great value and award winning customer service from Nawras, and that number is continuing to grow as more ...

Oman (Muscat) - Mohammed bin Hamoud al Toobi, Undersecretary of the Tourism Ministry opened at Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa today a joint ...