20 Awesome Facts About Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is one of the most beautiful Arab countries located in the southwest of the Asian continent. It is also the oldest independent state in the Arab world. Oman is an exciting and all-season destination of rich history and diverse landscapes. It’s a land of towering desert dunes, palm-lined beaches, and lush verdant mountains, where ancient culture meets modern comfort. The culture of Oman is infused in the religion of Islam. Oman has developed its own subsect of Islam, which is known as Ibadhism; however, other strands of Islam such as Shi’a and Sunni are also practiced.

1. The official name of oman is known as the sultanate of Oman.
2. Oman is in the middle east and is bordered by the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf), Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea. It shares physical borders with United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, and Saudi Arabia to the west.
3. Over 85.9% of omen population of oman are Muslims, 6.5% of Christians, 5.5% are Hindus, 0.8% follow Buddhism, 1% follow other religions, less than 0.1% are Jewish, and 0.2% are unaffiliated.
4. Drinking alcohol in public or in private is illegal in the country. However, you can acquire a license from the royal oman police to drink at home and in particular hotels.
5. People of Oman like mountain dew the most and is considered as the Omani alcohol and is the top-selling beverage there.
6. The national emblem of Oman is khanjar which is a sign of bravery and manhood. It was adopted as the national symbol in the 18th century.
7. The country produces 1,015,511.57 barrels per day of oil and ranks 21st in the world. The country drills out 7.0% of its total oil reserves every year.
8. The country has a total of 5 UNESCO world heritage sites, which are the bahla fort, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn, Land of Frankincense, Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, and the Ancient City of Qalhat.
9. Oman’s top exports are crude petroleum ($32.8 billion), petroleum gas ($12.7 billion), refined petroleum ($4.24 billion), nitrogenous fertilizers ($4.14 billion), and semi-finished iron ($3.44 billion), with the majority exported to China ($30.4 billion), India ($8.15 billion), South Korea ($4.64 billion), the United Arab Emirates ($3.13 billion), and the United States ($2.71 billion).
10. Oman’s biggest imports include refined petroleum ($7.87 billion), cars ($1.88 billion), iron ore ($1.28 billion), gold ($766 million), and broadcasting equipment ($704 million), with the majority coming from the United Arab Emirates ($10.9 billion), Saudi Arabia ($4.31 billion), India ($4.22 billion), China ($3.66 billion), and Qatar ($1.93 billion).
11. Eating pork is prohibited in Islam and is not allowed to eat in oman as well.
12. Portugal dominated the oman region between 1507 and 1650. This was done because Oman was a strategically important position for the trade routes to the east.
13. Oman is being ruled by different imams and sultans uninterruptedly for over 1300 years.
14. In Oman, if the car you are driving is not clean, then you may be fined. Plus, honking unnecessarily is strictly prohibited in the country.
15. In oman, most of the buildings are painted white; this is due to the fact that citizens of oman must attain special permissions to get any other color painted in the exteriors of the house.
16. The country is the 8th largest producer of dates in the world, with an average production of 260,000 mt per annum.
17. Oman has over seven million date palms and 250 cultivars in the cultivation of date palm trees.
18. The middle eastern country is the 5th most safest and crime-free country on the globe.
19. Oman is full of castles and forts. According to some figures, there are over 500 castles, towers, forts, and other fortifications.
20. The country does not levy any income tax for the individuals, nor there is any tax on capital gains, wealth, death, or property.