Fast Facts

Area	309,500 Km².
Population (2005)	2,509,000 including 666,000 expatriates.
Language	Arabic (official), English (widely spoken), German & French (most hotel staff).
Capital	City of Muscat.
Natural Resources	Petroleum, Natural Gas, Copper, Fishery, Agriculture.
Local Time	GMT +4.
Currency	Omani Rial, which equates to $ 2.58.
Business Hours	Government: Private Sector: 07:30 - 14:30. 08:00 - 13:00 then 16:00 to 19:00.
Shopping Hours	09:00 - 013:00 then 16:30 - 24:00.
Electricity	220 - 240 Volts at 50 cycles.
Dress Code	The dress code is fairly liberal in Muscat, although decency is still expected. Women should wear, for example, tops with sleeves, and long skirts or trousers. Men are required to wear long trousers and shirts with sleeves. Shorts, Sun tops and Swimwear should be restricted to the beach or pools. Hats and scarfs give good protection from the sun.