Oman's history tells stories of heroism, courage, wisdom, patriotism, love and devotion to homeland. This brings us closer to understanding the richness of the Omani cultural experience which has contributed to the building of modern Oman. Oman’s strategic location has played a major role in many campaigns and regional conflicts in this region. Oman overlooks the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Gulf. It also controls the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most important facilities in the region, linking the Gulf of Oman with the Arabian Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz is a gateway to all ships coming from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
The ruling Al-Busaid dynasty descends from Sayyid Mubarak al-Saidi al-Azdy, of the Banu Hiba, a clan belonging to the Hiwani tribe of Yemen. His great great-grandson, Sayyid Ahmad bin Said, was elected as Imam in 1744, after the extinction of the Ya'rubi dynasty. His son, Sayyid Said bin Ahmad, seized temporal power in 1775. Elected as Imam on his father's death in 1783, Said was himself excluded from temporal power by his own sons in 1786. He died in 1811 (or 1803), the last elected Imam of Oman. The dynasty reached its zenith during the reign of Sayyid Said bin Sultan (r. 1806-1856), when Oman became the centre of a vast sea-borne empire along the coasts and islands of eastern Africa and the Persian Gulf.
Qaboos bin Said Al Said (Arabic: قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد; Qābūs ibn Sa'īd Āl Sa'īd; born 18 November 1940) is the Sultan of Oman and Dependencies. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Sa‘id ibn Taymur, in a palace coup in 1970. He is the 14th-generation descendant of the founder of the Al Bu Sa'idi dynasty.
Oman has a long tradition of practising handicrafts, though few are of high aesthetic value. Omani handicrafts have always been functional, made for a rural population which has valued the artefacts for what they do but much less for their appearance. Nevertheless, handicraft skills are very widespread throughout the rural population. In the past they have been used to process raw materials of agricultural origin, notably from the date palm and from livestock, and also from wild trees and minerals. In addition to local resources, Omani craftsmen have worked imported cotton yarn and imported precious and semi-precious metals.
Passport
Passports, valid for at least 6 months are required by all except the following:
Oman’s economic freedom score is 69.8, making its economy the 34th freest in the 2011 Index. Its score is 2.1 points higher than last year, reflecting improvements in business freedom, monetary freedom, and government spending. Oman is ranked 3rd out of 17 countries in the Middle East/North Africa region, and its overall score is above the world and regional averages.
With the policy of economic diversification of the national economy gaining urgency in the wake of the current financial crunch, the mining sector could not hope for a more opportune moment to draw attention to itself, writes Visvas Paul D Karra
The Sultanate’s mineral resources include chromite, dolomite, zinc, limestone, gypsum, silica, copper, gold, cobalt and iron, to name but a few. Several industries have grown up around them as part of the national development process which, in turn, have boosted the minerals sector’s contribution to the nation’s GDP as well as providing jobs for Omanis.
Recommended vaccinations for travel to Oman are Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Typhoid. Depending on the season and region visited Diphtheria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and Rabies vaccinations are sometimes required. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers arriving from an infected area.
The Ministry of Health provides health care services in a three-tiered system—primary health care (health centers, extended health centers), secondary health care (regional referral hospitals), and tertiary health care (tertiary referral teaching hospitals and a university hospital).
