Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country in West Asia. It is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and overlooks the mouth of the Persian Gulf. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, while sharing maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Muscat. Oman has a population of nearly 4.7 million and is the 124th most-populous country. The coast faces the Arabian Sea on the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by United Arab Emirates on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.
Muscat is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was 1.72 million as of September 2022. The metropolitan area spans approximately 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) and includes six provinces called wilayats, making it the largest city in the Arabian Peninsula by area. Known since the early 1st century AD as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese Empire and the Ottoman Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar. As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign traders and settlers such as the Persians, Balochs and Sindhis. Since the accession of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society. Muscat is termed as a Beta - Global City by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Qaboos bin Said Al Said was Sultan of Oman from 23 July 1970 until his death in 2020. A fifteenth-generation descendant of the founder of the House of Al Said, he was the longest-serving leader in the Middle East and Arab world at the time of his death, having ruled for almost half a century.
Sohar is the capital and largest city of the Al Batinah North Governorate in Oman. An ancient capital of the country that once served as an important Islamic port town on the Gulf of Oman, Sohar has also been credited as the mythical birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor. It was historically known as Mazūn (مَزُوْن).
Sultan Qaboos University is a public university located in al-Seeb, Oman. Established in 1986, it is one of the two public universities in the country and is named after Qaboos bin Said al-Said, the Sultan of Oman from 1970 until 2020.
Ibra is the second largest city in the Ash Sharqiyah Region of Oman. It is located about 170 km from Muscat and has a population estimated at 55,000 people.
Said bin Salim Al Shaksy was an Omani businessman who was the founder and chairman of The Shaksy Group. Al Shaksy has been a member and Managing Director of several Joint-Stock Companies, including Al Bank Al Ahli Al Omani SAOG, Oman Fisheries Co. SAOG and Oman Hotels Co. SAOG.
Omanis are the nationals of Sultanate of Oman, located in the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Omanis have inhabited the territory that is now Oman. In the eighteenth century, an alliance of traders and rulers transformed Muscat into the leading port of the Persian Gulf. Omani people are ethnically diverse; the Omani citizen population consists of many different ethnic groups. The majority of the population consists of Arabs, with many of these Arabs being Swahili language speakers and returnees from the Swahili Coast, particularly Zanzibar.
Women in Oman now pursue careers and professional training, moving from their previous and traditional role at home to the public sphere. In Oman, 17 October is celebrated every year as the Omani Women's Day with various pro-female events.
The Foreign Ministry is the government body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for organising and directing Oman's relations with other countries and with regional and international organisations.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MOHT) is the governmental body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for promoting and preserving Omani heritage and tourism.
The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation (MoHESRI) is the governmental body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for supervising high education institutes and the development of high education policies in the Sultanate.
The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs (MARA) is the governmental body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for overseeing all matters related to awqaf and religious affairs.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is the governmental body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for the educational system preceding university education. The Minister of Education in 2024 was Madeeha bint Ahmed bin Nassir al Shibaniyah.
Haitham bin Tariq Al Said is Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman.
The Royal Office is one of the most senior and therefore powerful ministries in the Sultanate of Oman. It is a government body that has most influence in national security and intelligence issues and the minister in charge has been the de facto national security advisor to the Sultan. The Palace Office also acts as a foreign liaison focus on all international intelligence and security matters.
Hilal bin Ali bin Hilal Al-Sabti was born on October 27, 1972. On June 16, 2022, His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq has issued a Royal Decree appointing Dr. Hilal bin Ali bin Hilal Al Sabti, as the new Minister of Health. He succeeded His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Saidi on this new role.
Azza bint Sulaiman bin Saeed Al Ismaili is an Omani politician and entrepreneur who was appointed the position of Minister of Technology and Communications in the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, from October 2019 to August 2020.
Hamoud bin Abdullah al-Harthi was a prominent politician from Oman.
