Looking for essential tips on driving in Oman as a foreigner? In this post, I cover all the essential information for you to navigate driving with ease during your trip.
Public transport in Oman is still scarce and Muscat’s metro is still at a project level. So, I would recommend you hire a car. After learning these 9 tips on driving in Oman, you will feel prepared to face driving in this new context.
You only need a valid driver’s license .The minimum driving age is 18 for Omanis and 21 years old if you are a foreigner. It is compulsory to wear a seat belt and using your phone while driving is forbidden.
On main roads, the limit is 100 km/hour or 80 km/hour.
When driving, keep checking the speed limit because it tends to change regularly. This is especially important as roads in Oman have speed cameras at very regular intervals (you have been warned!). These will appear as grey and black cylinders on the side of the road.
There is a grace speed limit (buffer) of 15 kilometres per hour over the maximum official speed limit. But I would not rely on this too much as it isn’t always applied.
It is not really the right lane (although officially, it is). While we have all witnessed these ‘slow-coach’ drivers who hog the central lane – and sworn secretly at them in our cars, the practice is pervasive here.
Drivers are supposed to overtake on the left but are often compelled to drive around the ‘middle lane plodders’ by zig-zagging over to the left – and to the right – in some kind of acrobatic dance.
You will discover quite quickly that while Omanis are generally calm and reserved in daily life, they can become fairly ‘energetic’ when behind a steering wheel.
Tailgating – sometimes fairly aggressive – is unfortunately common and may get your blood boiling. But do remember that hurling insults or showing explicit gestures to a fellow driver is not allowed. The other driver could report you to the police.
In certain cases, drivers resort to a discreet – and not so discreet – ‘tuuuuut’ but this is not a daily habit in Oman.
In a country that is mostly made up of desert, cars get extremely dusty and at an alarming rate. On the rare occasions when it rains, cars are left covered with brown smudges as the rain drops get tainted with sandy mud.
As a result, the ROP (Royal Omani Police force) are allowed to give out fines to drivers (10 OMR) whose cars are not clean. This deterrent pushes Omanis to diligently get their cars cleaned on a regular basis.
This is also true because, as in other Gulf countries, Omanis frequently invest in new and expensive cars.
You will find car cleaners in the car parks of most malls and the rate is very reasonable (around 1.5 OMR). You can also opt for an automatic car wash and should find one near petrol stations (around 2 OMR).
When entering your car in summer (with 45 to 50 degrees outside), you will feel like a roast chicken until the AC kicks in.
What’s more, your hands will tend to become an integral part of the steering wheel as the skin starts to stick to the simmering plastic.
A few years ago, I saw a picture on Omani social media of someone driving with oven gloves (for a similar photo, see this picture). In the photograph, the temperature showed 49 degrees. While this was no doubt a spoof, you may wish you had some if you visit Oman between June and September!
Locals will insist that the price of petrol is much higher now than it used to be a few years ago. However, with an average price of O.240 OMR per litre for unleaded 95 (0.62 dollars and 0.58 euros), this is still much cheaper than what you would pay in New York or Paris.
At petrol stations, an attendant will always serve you and you can pay in cash or by bank card.
By the way, at petrol stations, you will generally find a shop selling drinks, food and basic necessities (including an array of perfume bottles to cater for local taste!). There are also basic toilet facilities which you can either access within the shop premises or at the back of the building.
Outside of Muscat, it is not uncommon to see herds of goats crossing the road. This is also true of stray donkeys in Al Amarat (about 40 kilometres from Muscat) and camels in the governate of Dhofar.
You should especially be watchful at night as this can lead to some heavy injuries for the animals and seriously damage your car.
Seriously, Oman seems to have a ‘festival of speed bumps’ – legal and illegal ones installed by locals. You can even buy speed bump systems online!
They are sometimes indicated with a sign on the side of the road and should – technically – be painted over in yellow stripes. But in practice, this is not always the case.
At night, I have on occasion had to suddenly brake furiously while having an interesting ‘flying experience’ and hoping my car won’t break in two!
This post was all about driving in Oman to help you feel as prepared as possible. I do hope it has given you some idea of the ‘unspoken’ driving rules of the country. Enjoy your driving experience and discovering the amazing scenery around!
You may find the following useful when driving in Oman:
A phrasebook: Omani Arabic: The Quick and Easy Guide to Learning Omani Arabic by Zaher Al-Salti
WELCOME to JOUSSOUR to OMAN
Hello and welcome to Joussour to Oman! I’m Christine van den Hogen, a Franco-British writer, teacher and watercolourist. I’ve been living in the Middle East for 7 years and 4 years in Oman.
I’m passionate about helping independent travellers interested in cultures create immersive journeys.
Joussour to Oman is my cultural travel blog and it’s my hope to share my first-hand experience as someone who lives here as well as insights from local people. I want to share insiders’ tips with you so you can plan your trip to Oman efficiently and truly EXPERIENCE Omani culture when you come.
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Christine is a Muscat-based writer, watercolourist and teacher. She's been living in Oman for 4 years and she's also lived in Jordan and Dubai. She shares resources and stories to help independent travellers plan creative trips and truly experience Middle Eastern cultures.
9 responses
Estarei em Omã no final de setembro e suas informações me ajudaram muito na escolha do Hotel!
Obrigada Christine
Merci Christine pour ce temps passé à nous décrire comment se sentir comme chez toi, chez nous !
J’ ai voyagé encore !
À bientôt ✈️
C’est un plaisir, Anne. Vraiment!
Wow❤️
Thanks. If you need more information about accommodation in Muscat or other aspects of travelling in Oman, don’t hesitate to ask.
Hi Christine, thank you so much for the restaurant recommendation. I loved the food, the atmosphere and the place in general. I also talked to Khaled, the supervisor. He says hi. Thank you again. Tomorrow is my last day in Muscat. Any last minute must- see places?
Saliha from Algeria
Hello Saliha, Glad to hear you enjoyed the restaurant. In terms of Muscat, there are many options but some must-sees are Muttrah (the Corniche, Souq and Fort), Al Qurum (Shatti Al Qurum with its beach, the Opera building), and Old Muscat (the Royal Palace and gardens around, the Bait Al Zubair museum). I hope you get to see some of these. Have a great day!