Sultanate of Oman
Western Asia
Incense · Desert · Proud
Oman (officially Sultanate of Oman) is a country located in Western Asia. Its capital city is Muscat, with other major cities including Salalah and Sohar. With a population of approximately 4.5M, the main language spoken is Arabic. The country covers an area of 309,500 km². The official currency is the Omani rial (ر.ع.). Traffic drives on the right side.
Oman is the only country that still uses the same trade routes as ancient Arabia — the Frankincense Trail, along which Omani frankincense was traded to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Muscat serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Oman, positioned in Western Asia. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Salalah, Sohar, Sur — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Muscat was built around a natural harbour between two dramatic rocky headlands — the Portuguese fortresses of Al-Mirani and Al-Jalali dating to 1507 still anchor the old harbour — while Sultan Qaboos's 1970-2020 reign transformed the sultanate from an almost entirely closed kingdom (fewer than 10 kilometres of paved road in 1970) into a country of modern highways, universities, and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque's vast marble-floored courtyard.
With a population of approximately 4.5M, Oman is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Arabic, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Oman is reached via the dialling code +968. Omanis built a distinct identity from other Gulf states through a trading seafaring tradition — Omani merchants controlled the East African Zanzibar coast from 1698 to 1964, and the country's dhow building and navigation heritage connects to India, East Africa, and the Persian Gulf in a maritime culture that predates Islam in these waters by a thousand years.
Oman spans 309,500 km², in the Western Asia subregion of Asia. Geographically centred around 21.0°N, 57.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Asia convention.
The official currency is the Omani rial (ر.ع.), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Oman's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+04:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Oman's national identity. Football is Oman's primary modern sport, but falconry and camel racing represent the traditional aristocratic and tribal sporting cultures of the Arabian Peninsula that Oman shares with its Gulf neighbours — the sport of falconry being listed by UNESCO on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in a joint nomination from 18 countries including Oman.
The highest point in Oman is Jebel Shams, rising to 3,009 metres above sea level. Wadi Shab in Oman's Al Sharqiyah region is a canyon of emerald pools connected by a trail that includes a 5-metre swim through a cave opening into a grotto waterfall — one of the Arabian Peninsula's most extraordinary natural landscape features, existing in a country where the Hajar Mountains' wadi system creates green valleys in a landscape of otherwise extreme aridity.