The Middle East

With the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) due to open in 2016, the sultanate is taking a major step forward in establishing its position on the regional and global map for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). Oman lies within seven hours flying time of around 50% of the world’s population, a geographical...

Oman’s health sector has undergone a significant expansion over the past four decades. Underpinned by a series of five-year development plans, there has been sizeable government investment in facilities and services. At the same time, the sultanate is keen to increase the private sector’s role in health care provision, particularly in the...

Whether it is a night deep in the Wahiba Sands in a fully air-conditioned tent, complete with en suite bathroom and minibar, or an ocean-view penthouse overlooking a secluded, private beach, Oman has a wide range of options for the luxury traveller. The sultanate has traditionally focused its tourism efforts on the high-end market, and prices...

Fundamental to the sultanate’s long-term development plans, education and training have long been a central focus both for government expenditure and private sector investment. Over the past few decades, this focus has borne fruit in the form of some major and rapid successes.

The year 2015 unfolded as a banner one for tourism in Oman. Record visitor numbers and media coverage are tokens of the rising star of tourism in the sultanate, which is seeking to outgrow its status as niche luxury destination.

A steady increase in arrival numbers is demonstrating growth in Oman’s tourism industry, according to a new report from the country’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).