Safety in Oman

Compared to my Motherland coz thats e best example I can use.Oman is a peaceful nation, no abrupt riots, political unrests, demonstrations and careless shootings n unnecessary verbal outrages.National security is tight, even e security guards dont wear faces of "am here to attack".

Do I feel safe in Oman? NO at all.This is mainly on social n.psychological bases. Am in a foreign country, so faraway from home, Different culture; people with different perspectives and mannerism psychologically, I get that feeling of Discomfort and fear.No  real friends and friends.am in a crows where someone can easily punch u after a fake smile.its not easy..You just cant feel safe esp if you are a woman.
I dont know where in hell, rascals get our numbers-scams for wins, messages. Someone calls you n even reads out your pin number.

So many people with ulterior motives-some things you learn e hard way.so I decided, No more accepting friendship begs or whatever. I have enough friends homes.

The stalking tendency of some men-you can be in the mall and out of e blue a guy comes to you n says hello.now that idiot will follow u stall to stall like a bee, heavens that shit is scary.I thought such things only happen in movies.
Some men just need to be tied up to their tables.

I never feel safe on a taxi, majority taxi drivers are flipping annoying.they ask too many personal questions, endless yapping .I try to be patient but one of these days I mite slap someone.  So I sit with hands on e knob ready to jump off.

I have had a few experiences of racial slander but hey that's one thing you cant rinse from pple. So many perceptions about Africans esp black people .that's all ignorance, if u dont like me coz am black or African then that's your pain to attend to.

Socially and politically speaking, Oman is one of the safest countries not just in the Arabian Peninsula / the GCC / the Middle East, but across the entire world. Yes, the Sultanate is one of the most stable and safest of nations in the whole world.

Sadly, single expatriate women are NOT safe in the same Oman. Not at all.

Given the strict moral restrictions imposed by religion, no interactions between the sexes, and given the vast numbers of expatriate men living without any female companionship, single women are seen as irrepressibly desirable.

This is a subject that warrants a lengthy debate - given its many dynamics, levels, angles, and personal points of views.

Oman is one of the safest country.. you can walk out on the streets even at the middle of the night without fear of being nabbed or hurt in any manner. There have been rare and isolated instances reported but none that I or anyone I've known have personally had to face .

Oman is one of the safest and crime-free countries in the region. One can walk around streets even in late hours without fear. Rarely some theft incidents are reported but generally a very very peaceful country to live in.

Very safe even safer than any other country that I have lived in it

Oman is very safe country , very nice and humble people

Its great place to live

Okay Oman is quite safe politically wise and has a very low criminal rate Alhamdhullahi.
But for an expatriate woman.  It is not very welcoming  or safe.  There is a lot of discrimination among the Omanis folks. You become easy prey for the men. U get stalked. U get starred at like you coming from space. Frankly it is  irritating especially thinking that these is a civilized world, where starring is termed as bad manners.

Many a times I have had to hide behind my husband and kids.

Why cant the the taxi drivers  keep their hands to them selves?

And please ladies do not accept lifts from strangers!!!!

It is the safest Arab country. It has always been safe in Oman.

I arrived in this country late last year.
I am a " neophyte expatriate " who took my chances here in Oman in search for a greener pasture.
I was posted in the ( wadi ___) mountainous region of Sohar.
In my 35yrs of existence; for the very first time, I was in a foreign land staying in a house all by myself not knowing a single soul in this place.
It wasn't easy, yes, at first...  BUT
The longer I stayed here, the more safer I felt all the more now that my Family arrived a few months ago.
But even before they were here, the Omanis in the area where I worked for are very respectful and helpful that I never felt insecure.
Even the expatriates who at first scared the #%&@# out of me especially when I go home ALONE at night were all good to me.
Remember when I said " the longer I stayed the safer I felt" ?
That is because twice, I ACCIDENTALLY LEFT MY MAIN DOOR - OPEN!
First, I slept that night and found out the next morning that I FORGOT to lock my main door and worst my key was outside. ( An Indian expat lives across my flat who is very nice to me and always willing to help).
Second time: I went to work and went home for lunch ( my office is right across the road from my flat)  and remembered that I left my keys inside my room, coz yes, AGAIN - I forgot to lock the main door!
Some of you reading this will say that I am reckless and stupid and that maybe I just got lucky...
But NO- with HIS grace, I just " got lucky" with the place where I was assigned because INDEED, everyone here is nice and the place is really peaceful.
Both locals and expats live harmoniously here.
You can see for yourself...uuu

Let me share another story of how well I was taken good care of here:

December 25 of last year at around 4 am, my door was shaking so hard that I was awaken. Take not that it was my first night in my flat ( I was staying inside the accomodation before that) and the new place I transferred in was NOT furnished at all. It barely  has anything on it. I was sleeping on the floor using a thin mat with towels and a thick blanket i bought from carrefour because it was cold.
ALL the walls have OPEN windows for the AC slot. I only bought my AC this summer when my family came.
Anyways, I was woken up by the hard shaking/banging on all my doors and to say that I was TERRIFIED that time would be a EUPHEMISM.
Ever heard of the phrase " paralyzed with fear" ? ... Coz it happened to me
It took almost a minute for me to recover and when I started to move, I immediately grabbed my phone thinking that someone was outside my door and trying to forcibly open it.
YES! I called my landlord at that hour!
And YES! He answered my call and was on his way to " rescue me" at 4am!!!
And YES It was STUPID of me to call him at that hour because as soon as I put down the phone and RECOVERED my wits ( if I had any) I realized that the sound was merely created by the strong winds because my walls have HOLES ( for the AC) in it!
I was so embarrassed and called my landlord again to apologize...

So, is OMAN safe?

NEED I SAY MORE?

yu72 wrote:

Okay Oman is quite safe politically wise and has a very low criminal rate Alhamdhullahi.
But for an expatriate woman.  It is not very welcoming  or safe.  There is a lot of discrimination among the Omanis folks. You become easy prey for the men. U get stalked. U get starred at like you coming from space. Frankly it is  irritating especially thinking that these is a civilized world, where starring is termed as bad manners.

Many a times I have had to hide behind my husband and kids.

Why cant the the taxi drivers  keep their hands to them selves?

And please ladies do not accept lifts from strangers!!!!

I do agree with you.taxi drivers go to the extent of touching your hair.
I had this terrible incident, we were packed in a small pickup and was unlucky to sit next to e driver, this old man, way older than my father would pretend to pull e gear n touch me.I was so pissed, I just had to get off.

Then men of this tendency of hissing n whistling to women, its just so annoying.
Then some women think every foreign woman wants to take their men.the attitude my goodness but then I blame it on e culture that restricts them from different sex interactions

Hi Mariamns and yu72,

I couldn't agree more with you both on what you have spoken - out of your personal experiences.

Most expat women who take public transport (not out of choice, but out of necessity) face harrowing experiences regularly at the hands of the local drivers. Touching, groping and fondling are all regular and routine bane which the poor expat women have to endure. It is really very sad and unfortunate that the local drivers think that these expat ladies who hail public transport as easy pickings. The basic reason for this malady can only be depravity and nothing else, on the part of the accused.

The problem is so rampant and widespread that it was even carried as a cover story in a local tabloid recently. Most expat women who must take public transport, when enquired, said that they would prefer to sit right behind the driver's seat, so as to avoid their unwanted wandering fingers.

Muscat, Oman is the 6th city/country I have lived in outside my home country of Canada and as a woman who has not had to take public transit, I feel rather safe. But safety... and the perception of it, are truly relative. Last week, I hosted a friend in my favourite Canadian city, and as we walked (due to a bus diversion) through the seediest part of the city, we witnessed the police cleaning up after what looked like a violent crime, the people passing by made me clutch my bag a little tighter and walk with care... I couldn't wait to get past the area known by police as the "Lane of Shame".

In Muscat, although I had my wallet pick pocketed from Muscat City Centre at the start of Ramadan, I generally feel safer. (I don't equate feelings of safety with those of comfort... As a woman, I am of course, more comfortable in my own country where I don't have to worry about what I am wearing or about places where there are communities of men inclined to stare at women). In Muscat, I still walk with care through areas of local souks (where more of the staring occurs) and avoid places which are less populated and not well lit at night (the care I would take anywhere), but stress less about things I worried about in other places (whether likely or not) violent crimes (any large North American city), gangs of wandering youth up to mischief (I was knocked off a sidewalk by teenaged thugs and threatened in London) scarily aggressive taxi drivers (Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan and other cities of the world - although judging by the posts of others, perhaps I have just been lucky in Oman), or drunken misconduct OUTSIDE of drinking establishments (any given Friday night on the streets/trains between Tokyo and Yokohama).

and i forgot , the hootings when u r as  much as taking a walk for exercise.  It is quite embarasing and very irritating.

Expats.

After 18 months in  Muscat and driving and camping around in the country we feel safe. We are not aware of any crime.

Giel and Amanda.

Oman it's safe and nice country we have wise ruler ppl here very humble and friendly u can walk outside anytime country develop faster .

The safety level was never felt acceptable range during last 17 years of my stay here.  Last week I was in Ruwi and one Young Tall man asked me for some money.  He was drunk and with our of his sense he started pushing me as i try to avoid him.  He shouted go back to your home country.  leave this place for us and such with some of be bad words.  I with my ailing wife and kid, just rush away from him otherwise he tries to hit me and the people there just watched helplessly.

Other time during the hot summer day, I offer lift to one young lad walking on a long way outside Rusayl toward Jifnain (taxies are rear there).  After he enter the car, i noticed that he is carrying a lighter and Cigarette.  I try to stop him for smoking and he pretends to lit many times and laughed.  when i asked him where he want to descend, he did not replied and when i stopped after some distance near Jifnain, he said just drive and take me to Brudge Al Sahwa Park.  I told him this is not taxi and i given him lift where he was heading not to take him in opposite direction.  He did not take notice.  After that I told him to go away but he refused to descend and tries to lit again.  I came out of car and started a Police call ,,  Suddenly he came out of car and stood near by.  the duty police noted the location i am calling once i told them the total story and told me that they are coming.  i announce this to this man and he went to other direction.  after half an hour waiting, i called police many time but they did not take the line.

than i started to my office direction after purchasing the items and saw this man is just walking along the road.

hope that in future i will never offer the lift or help to any person here.


so you can advise.

Oman is definitely a safe place to live but not as safe as it used to be.
In short - things've changed a bit, there's crime but still the rate's quiet low, controllable/cureable.

Let's not mix between safety and security,I am sure here our nice lady meant security. Yes I after I had travelled to ,lived  and worked in most civilized  ,developed,underdeveloped,and developing countries I found Oman , in general the safest on Earth. I suggest that everyone before travelling anywhere reads about the destination country. and asks the experienced friends /relatives the FAQs and behaves accordingly. this helps save a lot of troubles. So we learn  to ask the necessary short clear questions only,also answer shortly and  clearly .We don't blame others if we look or sound like suspects , and of course one might exceptions but in OMAN it is one in a thousand cases

I spent 18 months in Muscat and felt very safe. Handbag in shopping trolley while I wandered off to get something from another aisle on several occasions, not robbed. My experiences include early morning walks on the beach (Shatti Al Qurum) before dawn, alone and never being harassed. The occasional annoyance of being wolf whistled or inappropriately propositioned outside Lulu was met by a stern look from me directly at the "offender" who was usually startled into silence. Before I got a car I used 3 taxi drivers referred to me by colleagues, two were Omani who referred to me as sister, never propositioned or behaved inappropriately. I once got into a taxi before looking at drivers face - outside Lulu, laden with groceries. I realised he was not my regular driver when he asked me "where to?". I made him stop and take me back. He did so immediately and didn't charge, I felt such an idiot. I also drove around and visited areas alone. Once when I stopped outside one of the Sultans palaces and found it cordoned off a passing Omani gentleman stopped to ask if I was okay and if my car had broken down. When I explained I had hoped to visit the palace he explained it was shut as there were foreign dignitaries in residence. I loved my time in Oman, the people are so welcoming and under different circumstances I'd still be there today. I've visited once since I left, picked up from the airport by one of the taxis I used before, arranged by text from UK saying please pick up on this day at this time and there he was, patiently waiting when I cleared immigration and customs. No bad experiences in my time there.