Discovering Oman

Sorry, been a bit slack lately folks but have been tending to my kids for a few days and as usual that doesn't leave much time for anything else.

But anyway, today is April 7 which is election day for the three constituencies. Will be interesting to see what happens. I'll be watching from afar.

I wanted to say something about my short trip to Oman recently. I have never actually been to the Middle East apart from going on umrah once and transiting in Dubai airport a few times. So I was quite excited about going but also had some trepidation. Friends who have been to Oman say that it's their favourite place in the Gulf although that wouldn't really be saying much. But I was going to a Women in Business conference so that said something also.

It turns out that Oman is a bit different from the rest. For a start who knew that it's a great tourist destination? It's a beautiful country with deserts, moutains and the sea. You can go camping in the desert and do sandboarding, or go to the beach or just travel around and visit many old forts and smaller towns and villages.

I was there for all of two nights so I didn't see much. But Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, was pretty interesting. For one thing, the architecture all reflects their traditional buildings. There weren't many buildings more than about 10 storeys high and most were white or sandcoloured with many traditional details, flat-roofed and dome-windowed. The highways are new and wide, yet has plenty of cars. It's also remarkably clean and green, with lovely trees and flowers lining the streets. Apparently Muscat has won some UN awards for being the cleanest city in the world. I can certainly vouch that you don't see rubbish in the streets, or people loitering for that matter.

Omanis are also an interesting people. They seem to have diverse heritages, mostly Arab, African and also from Pakistan. Natasha, one of my hosts for instance, spoke fluent Urdu and Baluchi as well as Arabic, English and French. Salma, the organiser of the conference, has African Zanzibari heritage. There also seems to be a lot of Indians and Pakistanis in the shops and in the souk although I don't know if they are citizens, permanent residents or migrant workers.

It struck me that when it comes to dressing, in Oman as well as in most of the Middle East, their traditional dress dictates that both men and women cover up from head to toe, no doubt because of the climate and environment. Omani women wear black abayas, the cover that they use to go out of their homes, which is a long gown and head scarf, worn over regular clothes. But these may be beautifully embroidered on the sleeves and the edges of the scarves with sequins, embroidered flowers, even peacock feathers! Some women don't wear the abaya but just wear long sleeved tops, long skirts and headscarves, sometimes with their hair showing. Non-Muslim and foreign women are not required to wear the abaya at all, nor even to cover their heads.



Omani men wear a long white jubah which has a little tassle at the neckline which, they say, they douse with perfume. From time to time, they raise this tassle to their noses to inhale the essence. On their heads, instead of the long headcovering we normally think of as Arab, Omani men wear either a tall embroidered cap or a turban wound round their heads. The material for the turbans can be in any colour and is usually beautifully embroidered but it is a small turban which exposes their necks and ears. They also wear a small dagger, the khanjar, in their belts but really only for ceremonial occasions.

What is interesting to a Middle East novice like me is that in Oman, there isn't the segregation of the sexes that we tend to expect. I saw men and women sitting together in the coffee house of the hotel. The women who attended the conference had no trouble leaving their homes and going out to work. Indeed, one of the speakers was a senior Omani woman who was pretty much a pioneer in the telecoms industry there. I had a car and driver all to myself and I went out to the souk with him and did not feel unsafe, unlike some other places in the region.

The women who came to the conference were mostly young and working in many areas, including in banking, telecommunications and their own businesses. They spoke so well in English that I had to ask what their schooling was like. It turns out that English is an important subject in schools and in universities, it is the only medium of instruction. I asked why and they simply said they just don't have time to translate everything into Omani. And yet, their traditions and culture seem very much alive and well.

Oman is a Sultanate but the Sultan seems to be very progressive. People are friendly and hospitable and not too protocol-conscious. The conference was officiated by one of the princes but there was no grand ceremony. One of the princesses stayed for the entire proceedings and yet there was not much formality and she herself was very friendly and easy to talk to.

The inside of a shop in Muttrah souk, near Muscat.

I wish I could have stayed longer but had to rush home to catch another flight to see my children. As it happened, coming home turned into a real drama. It hardly ever rains in the Gulf but when I was there it did. Not what we in the tropics would call rain but enough for the Omanis to close their schools and have flights delayed. The result was that I missed my connecting flight home from Dubai and had to go through a lot of hassle trying to get another flight, ending up arriving home ten hours behind schedule. But that short stint in Muscat has given me a taste of what Oman has to offer as a holiday destination and puts it on my list of yet another place I need to see more of. Although I have to say, it's not a cheap place because 1 Omani rial is about RM9!!!

And oh yes, the food! Omani food is much like Middle Eastern food everywhere, with things like hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouleh. I went to dinner at Natasha's house and she had a huge buffet with lots of rice, lamb and salads and very sweet desserts. Great food but to be taken in small quantities!