Did you know that in Oman, if you run a red light, you can face a fine of 500 rials (about USD $1300) and four days in jail? Yup. They take their red lights seriously here.
This is just one of the many, many things I’ve learned about life here in Oman. I’ve been in Sohar for two weeks now. I’m adjusting, slowly, and will be really settling in and doing more exploring as soon as my home is ready to move into. I can’t wait for that. But in the meantime, here are a few of my first impressions of Oman.
Some traffic laws are quite harsh, others less so. Using your phone while driving will get you a fine of 300 rials and up to 10 days in jail, but everyone seems to do it anyway. A speeding ticket only costs 10 rials (approx. USD $26) but they won’t stop you until you’re at least 10km/h over the limit, which is already 120km/h on the highway. The fine goes up with your speed and at around 180km/h it might be 50 rials and a night in jail. On the other hand, I was also told that if you’re stopped by the police, it’s probably just because they want to chat!
Omanis drive fast and somewhat aggressively, and all over the highway a bit. They turn and change lanes without signaling, cross the centre line, and pull out in front of me without warning. They come up behind me and stay close until they can pass or I get off the road. There are speed bumps everywhere that are not always really visible. A small child ran out in front of me; thankfully I was going quite slowly. I’m learning that I can’t let my attention stray for even a minute when I’m on the road.
And yet the special ‘learner’ cars are everywhere. I can’t even believe how many people seem to be learning to drive in this town. You’d think they’d be better drivers with all the learning that is going on.
People are super friendly and helpful. My coworkers have all gone out of their way to help me out, understanding that moving here is a huge adjustment. As soon as word got out that I was looking for a place to live, random people from throughout the college started trying to help. My new landlord tells me that anything I want to do to the place, I can; it’s my house now. And yesterday a friendly Canadian that I met just two days before spent 7 hours with his pickup helping move my furniture!
Omani hospitality is one of those where they offer food and drink constantly, and you can’t say no. In my first week here my boss took us all out to his camel and goat farm in the desert for a barbecue, and after a chicken leg, a lamb kebab, and a rather large kofta I still was given yet another piece of chicken, despite my protests that I couldn’t possibly eat it. So I ate it. Another day I was told that I needed juice, no arguments accepted. And I think every day there has been food at work; baklava or pastries or fresh homemade donuts or birthday cake (mine!). Just maintaining my weight is going to be difficult, never mind losing a few pounds!
Almost every Omani is Muslim, and mosques are everywhere. Surprisingly, I’ve barely noticed the calls to prayer, except when they play them in the supermarket. I am getting used to things getting done Insha’allah (God willing), which means patience is key here. There’s absolutely nothing you can do to speed up the process when Allah is in charge.
Sohar is quite spread out. Aside from a few areas there’s a lot of empty space and I can imagine the future construction filling these in as people discover what a nice place it is.
It’s dry and dusty but there are surprising amounts of green in Sohar. Trees and palms are everywhere, but you also don’t have to go far to see dry brown scrubland. And being next to the ocean, the air is quite humid, so that every time I go outside I have to wait a few minutes for my glasses to unfog.
It’s hot, but everything is air conditioned so it’s not unbearable unless you’re forced to be out in it, which you never really are. In fact the other day at work I was so cold that I had to go outside to warm up! They do tell me that a few weeks ago it was much hotter though, and that at the hottest time of year if you are wearing metal earrings and get in your car (which has been sitting in the sun) the earrings will heat up enough to scorch your ear before you can get the air conditioning going enough to cool it down. Crazy, right?
I’m getting used to covering up; at work it’s legs and chest completely covered and arms covered to the elbow, with shorter sleeves ok outside of work. A scarf has become my constant companion, always by my side ready to cover up my upper chest and neck as soon as I step out of the car. I might be erring on the conservative side, but I’m still finding my way with clothing here, testing out various items to see what I’m comfortable in.
So those are just a few of my first impressions of Oman; two weeks’ worth of my thoughts and questions answered. I’ve only just begun exploring and learning about this place so I’m sure I’ll have more to tell you soon!
So tell me, what do you want to know about Oman, Sohar, living here, or what I do? Let me know in the comments and I’ll try to answer in a future post!
Did you enjoy this post? Please pin it!
>Every Omani is Muslim
Yeah….I think you may need to revise that. There’s dozens of us(! Dozens!) Who’ve been granted citizenship by His Majesty and we’re of different religious backgrounds.
It’s one of thousands of other things that make this place stand out as an example in an otherwise troubled region.
Ah I’m so sorry! That’s what I was told but I’m glad to hear there’s some diversity (Dozens!). I’m so new here that I’m definitely still learning a lot. Thanks for the correction!
I love the challenges of moving to new places 🙂 Enjoy Jenny and I look forward to more stories from Oman 🙂
Thanks Amy! It is definitely a challenge here, but thankfully I have tons of support. Looking forward to your visit! 😉
interesting first impressions… welcome to Oman and the Omani blogosphere… nice to see someone writing from Sohar.
Thank you Omani Princess! I’m glad to be here!
Moving there in August!
Hi Eric! Welcome to Oman! Are you coming to Sohar specifically or elsewhere in Oman? What are you going to be doing here?
You still there in Sohar?
Hi Jenny! Browsing about Sohar on the internet I came by your blog, and I have to say that is fascinating!
I can’t wait for your next post about Sohar…any plans to write it soon? I’m about to move to Sohar, and I’m like devouring all kind of information about it
Again Great blog…congratulations
Thanks Francisco! Sorry for the delay on replying. I do have plans to write another post about Sohar (sort of an ‘Intro to Sohar’ post) but I’m not sure when I’ll get to it. Too busy enjoying the lovely winter weather! In the meantime though, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! I’m happy to help. When will you be arriving here?
Looks like the Omanis made your move easier for you. Is Oman a good destination for solo female travelers?
Hi Therie, yep they sure helped me out a lot! Oman is fine for solo females, but you should be aware that it is not necessarily a cheap place to travel. You could do it cheaply if you were camping (not really recommended for solo females), taking public transport (fine, but there isn’t heaps of it) and buying your own food from supermarkets. The easiest way to get around is to rent a car, and that gets expensive. I haven’t had any problems on my own in terms of safety, although I do make sure to cover up and am cautious about where and when I walk alone. Hope this helps!
Hi Jenny, Thanks for sharing about Sohar. I’m from India and working in Shanghai now. I’m gonna move to Sohar probably on October first week. I’m afraid I have nothing to do, hang around or no entertainment in Sohar in weekends and in my free time. Have any good places to visit, shopping malls, cinema, health clubs like that?
Hi Mobin, sorry for the delay, I was on holiday and completely missed this message!
Sohar has a small shopping mall, a cinema, health clubs, coffee shops, and a lovely corniche with a long beach where you can walk in the morning and evening (when it’s not so hot). And you’ll make friends, I’m sure! What are you going to be doing in Sohar?
Hello Jenny are you still in Sohar?
Yes I am. Are you coming this way?
hi jenny.
im moving to sohar as a mechanical technicial.
im from south africa and with all the crazy stuff going on here i decided to move there with my wife and 2 kids.
what would you say is enough money to live there and send kids to school.
Hi Morne,
It’s really hard to say, as it depends on how you like to live. Accommodation for maybe a 3 bedroom place I think will cost you at least 200 rials per month, but the fancy complexes with gates and pools and such are probably about double that. If you’re staying a while it’s best to buy a car, and of course it depends what kind of car you want! As for school, I don’t know because I don’t have kids, but try contacting ABIS (Al Batinah International School) or Sohar International School and find out what their tuition costs. I hope that helps!
Hi Jenny, I hope you still there in Sohar. I intend to move to Sohar in two weeks time. Little bit nervous.
Hi Charmaine,
Yes, I am still in Sohar. I am sending you an email about it now!
Hi Jenny! Thanks for the post – I’ve worked all over Oman but not Sohar. I’m thinking of going there next – if you have time, I’d like to pick your brain a little in an email!
Hi Annette, I’ve actually been meaning to write an in-depth post about moving to Sohar, but haven’t gotten to it yet. So in the meantime, go ahead, ask me anything!
Hi Jenny, lovely blog, really enjoyed it. Just a quick question – I am trying to find out about local camel races either in Sohar or Barka. It’s nearly impossible to find any accurate information on the Internet and unfortunately the few people I know in Muscat don’t have a clue. I read in a forum somewhere there are races in Sohar every Saturday? Just wonder if you or maybe your work colleagues might know as your boss is most likely in touch with the local camel farming community and they are the most likely people to have accurate information. Wonder if you can help?
Hi Helena, I feel your pain! I agree that it is extremely difficult to find information about camel races anywhere in Oman. When I find out it seems to be mostly by luck, and very last minute. Of course for the past few weeks I believe there haven’t been any due to the mourning period, but they should be starting up again around February 21. But I do have a few suggestions.
Are you set on either Sohar or Barka? I’ve also been to camel races in Musannah and Khabourah in the past.
In Sohar, I believe they are every second Saturday in the early morning. However, I never seem to know which Saturday is the second one! If you are based in Sohar I can ask for you to be added to a whatsapp group of moms here, where occasionally we are notified about camel races. There’s a waiting list though, so you might not get added for a while. Once the mourning period is over, I’ll ask there about which Saturday the camel races are on.
My #1 best source of this info though, is FSO Muscat (a photography club). They actually have a whatsapp group dedicated to camel and horse events and sometimes bullfights. They don’t know everything, and often it’s bigger events rather than the weekly ones in Sohar, but most of the camel races I’ve been to are via that group. It’s been very quiet lately, but like I said, it should start up again soon. If you want, I can ask for you to be added to that. Just email me your whatsapp number at jennyfaraway1@gmail.com.
If you don’t want to be added to the groups, I can still try to remember to forward you any information I find out, but I can’t promise anything. In the busy groups sometimes I just miss it!
Hi Jenny, thank you so much for the swift reply! Really appreciate it! I am flexible with regards to locations, anywhere along the Batinah coast, all the way between Muscat and Sohar is good for me, I’ll travel to Nizwa and surrounding areas as well (I happened to drive by a camel race track just outside Nizwa on my way to Al Sharqiyah so they must have races there too), so I’ll happily take Musannah and Al Khaburah if I can catch a race there! =). I’ll private message you my whatsapp details, thank you so much for your help, I am really grateful. If anyone else needs any info, the Oman Royal court affairs and camel racing federation do seem to publish schedules for the big races and festivals but probably not the regular small local races, but only in Arabic which makes it a bit tricky for a non-Arabic speaker like me!
Really enjoy your blog, keep writing and happy travels! Lots of love. Helena
Hi Jenny,
Greetings from Qatar!
Well written piece(s) – you should be conducting workshops on travel writing !!
My wife and I (both ESL professionals) have been in the GCC for 13 years – 2 years in Muscat and 11 in Doha. Thinking of Oman again and…as it doesn’t seem to be easy getting positions in the capital we may find ourselves in other locations (Sohar, Ibra etc.).
Quick question – is it possible to survive without a car in Sohar? Or is it time I put my life long dislike of the idea of driving and start taking lessons? 🙂
Cheers and thanks in advance !
Kiran
Hi Kiran,
Sorry for the delay in replying! I used to get an email whenever someone commented, but it seems like that isn’t happening anymore for some reason. Anyway, I think it is possible to survive without a car in Sohar, depending on where you live and if you don’t mind taking taxis. It would help if you had a few regular drivers who knew you. Of course if you live quite centrally you could walk everywhere, but I’m sure you know that in the summer months that would be quite awful! There were, at one point, two public bus lines that started up here, but I haven’t seen any lately so I’m not sure if they re-started after COVID shutdowns. And a co-worker of mine who didn’t drive complained that the two bus lines didn’t actually cross each other anywhere! Having said that, she survived ok without driving for several years here, but I know that she relied on friends and colleagues a lot for rides, and for a time had a regular driver to get her to work and back. And other times she was just stuck at home. I do think having a car would be easier, but I also know that the procedure to get a driver’s license here (if you’ve never had one) is not an easy one.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you find yourself in Sohar, and we can meet for a coffee if you like. 🙂
Hi r still in Oman
Hi Sam,
Sorry, I don’t check these very often these days! I was in Oman at the time you sent the message, but I’m not anymore. I was there for a long time though, so if there’s something I can help you with just let me know!
Hi Jenny are you still in Sohar?
Hi Kurt,
No, I’m not. I left in April 2022. But if you have questions, I may be able to answer!
Sorry for the delay in replying, I don’t check this very often!
Jenny,
How did you get a job in Oman? Is it easy for a US citizens to get a job?
What was your impression about working in Oman?
Were you comfortable driving in Oman?
Hi Ian,
Sorry for the delay in replying. I don’t check this blog much these days!
I got my job through a friend who already worked there. I have no idea about US citizens, but I don’t think it’s any harder for you than for other nationalities. One thing to look out for though, is Omanization. For a long time, about half the population of Oman has been foreigners, brought in to work, but the government is trying to change that now. That means that slowly, jobs that foreigners once almost exclusively occupied are being ‘Omanized’, meaning that foreigners can’t have those jobs anymore. There are more and more positions being added to that list all the time. There are still LOTS of foreigners working there, but I’d do some careful research before going, because you don’t want to sign a contract for a year or two, discover you really like it, but then find your job has been Omanized and you have to leave.
As for driving, it’s fine, I drove all over the place. Watch out for Google Maps being a little bit wrong sometimes, and for it telling you to take roads that can actually only be managed by a 4WD (unless you have a 4WD, in which case, go nuts!). The drivers can be a little crazy and aggressive at times, but you do get used to it.
I hope that helps! Feel free to comment again or email (if you want a quicker answer) if you have any more questions!