Joanna James
If you are wondering what the best country in the Middle East could be, the answer is none other than Oman. It doesn't have a long history as a tourist destination, but it surely is a country to explore. See whether you know about the following things before you visit Oman in real.
Omanis just love coffee. But, that's not just coffee, because they always serve coffee with dates. They love enjoying hundreds of coffee shots served in separate tiny cups. You will have these coffee moments even if you visit one of their houses because this culture represents their hospitality.
Did you know that Oman has no Coca-Cola products available in the country? Well, yes... some luxury hotels do sell Coca-Cola, but not the coffee shops and bazaars. Instead, you find Pepsi and Mountain Dew.
When most of the countries enjoy their weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Omanis have their weekend on Thursday and Friday. In all most every Muslim country, Friday is a holiday as the locals need to attend the prayers, but Thursday is not.
Liquor purchase rules in Oman are strange. You can't buy alcohol if you don't have a liquor license in Oman and under this license, you are only allowed to spend 10% of your basic salary on liquor. That means the value of the liquor license is based on your earnings.
In the city of Ibra in Oman, you find a special souq that only accepts females. So, every Wednesday, female buyers come to this souq to purchase the things they need, and men will not even be allowed to stay around. The vendors are also females and they sell everything from spices to fabrics.
Although many amazing Oman hotels are now available the likes of Al Falaj Hotel, did you know that Oman didn't have any hotels until 1970? Initially, the country was only open for business and luxury travellers, but things changed when the government decided to ease the restrictions. So, this is relatively a new destination to the global tourism sector, but Oman's future in terms of tourism is indeed promising!
The most unique feature of Omani homes is their doors. No matter how small they can be in their sizes, and how messy in their overall appearance, they have the best and the most beautiful doors! Some of these doors are even embroidered and they are of course photogenic.
Oman is known as the oldest independent Arab state in the world. The Al Said family ruled this country since 1744 and has done immense changes to the administrative structure of the country, especially when it comes to creating a strong Foreign Policy.
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