Independent touring and reasonably priced hotels in Oman
Question
We plan to travel from Qatar (where we live), with the car to Oman (Muscat). From there we would like to do some Wadi tours (with our own cars and without guides).
But it is very hard to find hotels in the small cities away from the coast! And as we travel with 'older' people, I don't think they would like to do some camping....
Can you suggest some wadi trips, departing from Muscat? Also, do you know about affordable hotels on the mainland of Oman?
Answer
Oman is aiming very much at high net worth tourists, and finds it hard to believe that people would want to wander and drive about on their own and not stay in exclusive resorts and hotels.
There aren't many budget hotels in the interior of Oman, one reason why we camped so much. There is the Falaj Daris motel in Nizwa, the Sohar Beach Hotel in Sohar, and the Jabal al Akhdar hotel on the Saiq plateau. Just doing a quick look for hotels on the web, I can hardly believe the prices that even the mid-range ones are now charging.
Youth hostels were opened 2-3 years ago. I don't know who runs them or whether they would be viable for accommodation. Yellow pages lists Youth Hostel Al Ashkhara on phone 25566266, but Al Ashkhara is a small fishing town on the eastern coast. I'm not sure if you're going that far. It's primarily for Omani families.
It used to be easier to find directories of hotels in Oman on the web. All I can do today is to point you to Oman Yellow Pages and the Apex Business Directory.
These are merely lists and don't support searching by town or price category. I can tell you that any phone number beginning 24 will be in the vicinity of Muscat. 25 must be Nizwa, Sur and the Interior, and 26 is Sohar and Khasab in Musandam. 23 is Salalah in the south. 25 also includes Masirah Island. The mobile numbers beginning 99 will be for establishments bordering the desert. You'll be able to work out just how many hotels there are in the Interior by looking at the numbers.
You could try the Golden Tulip at Seeb, or the Holiday Inn Muscat - Al Madinah in Ghala, which would be OK, and cheaper than some of the others. I think the Matrah Hotel on the corniche is still reasonably priced but I wouldn't bet on the facilities. The Qurum Beach Hotel near the Crowne Plaza in Qurum was also very reasonably priced, with bedroom and sitting room and facilities for cooking. Could be a bit smelly, but it was OK for a night. The Majan Continental Hotel has an interesting clientele. My husband stayed there for a week when attending the Gulf Inter-hash.
You would see something of the wadis and the mountains by driving out along the Batinah road from Muscat and turning inland at a junction/roundabout at Barka - at least, it was when I was there - and go to Nakhl where there's a splendid fort, springs and date plantations nestling at the foot of the mountains. Continue driving along that black top road to make a circular trip to Rustaq.
If you turn off-road at various points along that road, you will certainly get the feel of the place.
There used to be a very useful spiral-bound booklet called Off-Road in Oman, which was on sale in Family Bookshop in Oman. Here is a link to a listing of used copies on Amazon UK:
Off-road in Oman (Arabian Heritage Guides) (Spiral-bound) by Heiner Klein (Author), Rebecca Brickson (Author)
Several of these excursions started from Muscat. There's also a very heavy tome with the same title which was published much more recently. Hardly the sort of thing to toss into the glove box of a car.
I wish you all the best travelling from Qatar across Saudi to UAE. I guess you have the visas sorted, and know the border entry posts. I think it's best to go via Al Haffa from UAE into Oman.
Oh, and have you checked whether you can take your car across the border? I really am not sure about that. It's all to do with insurance. I did find this useful thread at Qatar Living on visas and cars.
We plan to travel from Qatar (where we live), with the car to Oman (Muscat). From there we would like to do some Wadi tours (with our own cars and without guides).
But it is very hard to find hotels in the small cities away from the coast! And as we travel with 'older' people, I don't think they would like to do some camping....
Can you suggest some wadi trips, departing from Muscat? Also, do you know about affordable hotels on the mainland of Oman?
Answer
Oman is aiming very much at high net worth tourists, and finds it hard to believe that people would want to wander and drive about on their own and not stay in exclusive resorts and hotels.
There aren't many budget hotels in the interior of Oman, one reason why we camped so much. There is the Falaj Daris motel in Nizwa, the Sohar Beach Hotel in Sohar, and the Jabal al Akhdar hotel on the Saiq plateau. Just doing a quick look for hotels on the web, I can hardly believe the prices that even the mid-range ones are now charging.
Youth hostels were opened 2-3 years ago. I don't know who runs them or whether they would be viable for accommodation. Yellow pages lists Youth Hostel Al Ashkhara on phone 25566266, but Al Ashkhara is a small fishing town on the eastern coast. I'm not sure if you're going that far. It's primarily for Omani families.
It used to be easier to find directories of hotels in Oman on the web. All I can do today is to point you to Oman Yellow Pages and the Apex Business Directory.
These are merely lists and don't support searching by town or price category. I can tell you that any phone number beginning 24 will be in the vicinity of Muscat. 25 must be Nizwa, Sur and the Interior, and 26 is Sohar and Khasab in Musandam. 23 is Salalah in the south. 25 also includes Masirah Island. The mobile numbers beginning 99 will be for establishments bordering the desert. You'll be able to work out just how many hotels there are in the Interior by looking at the numbers.
You could try the Golden Tulip at Seeb, or the Holiday Inn Muscat - Al Madinah in Ghala, which would be OK, and cheaper than some of the others. I think the Matrah Hotel on the corniche is still reasonably priced but I wouldn't bet on the facilities. The Qurum Beach Hotel near the Crowne Plaza in Qurum was also very reasonably priced, with bedroom and sitting room and facilities for cooking. Could be a bit smelly, but it was OK for a night. The Majan Continental Hotel has an interesting clientele. My husband stayed there for a week when attending the Gulf Inter-hash.
You would see something of the wadis and the mountains by driving out along the Batinah road from Muscat and turning inland at a junction/roundabout at Barka - at least, it was when I was there - and go to Nakhl where there's a splendid fort, springs and date plantations nestling at the foot of the mountains. Continue driving along that black top road to make a circular trip to Rustaq.
If you turn off-road at various points along that road, you will certainly get the feel of the place.
There used to be a very useful spiral-bound booklet called Off-Road in Oman, which was on sale in Family Bookshop in Oman. Here is a link to a listing of used copies on Amazon UK:
Off-road in Oman (Arabian Heritage Guides) (Spiral-bound) by Heiner Klein (Author), Rebecca Brickson (Author)
Several of these excursions started from Muscat. There's also a very heavy tome with the same title which was published much more recently. Hardly the sort of thing to toss into the glove box of a car.
I wish you all the best travelling from Qatar across Saudi to UAE. I guess you have the visas sorted, and know the border entry posts. I think it's best to go via Al Haffa from UAE into Oman.
Oh, and have you checked whether you can take your car across the border? I really am not sure about that. It's all to do with insurance. I did find this useful thread at Qatar Living on visas and cars.
Oman hospital telephone numbers
Question
Pls give the phone no of wadi bani ghaffer hospital in rustaq
Answer
I can't find a Wadi bani Ghafir hospital in Rustaq. But there is an Al Rustaq hospital, emergency telephone number +968-26877186
Telephone numbers of public hospitals administered by the Ministry of Heath.
Pls give the phone no of wadi bani ghaffer hospital in rustaq
Answer
I can't find a Wadi bani Ghafir hospital in Rustaq. But there is an Al Rustaq hospital, emergency telephone number +968-26877186
Telephone numbers of public hospitals administered by the Ministry of Heath.
Taqah Oil Exploration
Question:
I would like to have Taqah Oil Exploration company profile and contact detail.
Answer:
I thought I might have to give up on this because I couldn't find any reference to Taqah Oil Exploration other than its recent signing of a MoU with Range Oil and Gas Inc, a Canadian company.
Until I spotted a different spelling of the name at this page which announces signing of an agreement with Oman's Ministry of Oil and Gas in 2006.
The company is actually called Taqa. And following the trail, that shows that the name of the company is Abu Dhabi National Energy Co TAQA.AD.
The Taqa website.
Read a profile of the company at Zawya.
I would like to have Taqah Oil Exploration company profile and contact detail.
Answer:
I thought I might have to give up on this because I couldn't find any reference to Taqah Oil Exploration other than its recent signing of a MoU with Range Oil and Gas Inc, a Canadian company.
Until I spotted a different spelling of the name at this page which announces signing of an agreement with Oman's Ministry of Oil and Gas in 2006.
The company is actually called Taqa. And following the trail, that shows that the name of the company is Abu Dhabi National Energy Co TAQA.AD.
The Taqa website.
Read a profile of the company at Zawya.
Do Omani employers have to provide health, life and disability insurance?
Question:
Is it imperative that all employers in Oman provide health insurance to their employees (both Omanis and expatriates?)
What about Life Insurance and DIsability insurance caused due to employment accidents as well as disability insurance caused due to reasons other than employment injuries?
Who provides for these?
Answer:
From Oman's Labour Law which applies to expatriates:
Article 33:
As far as I am aware, expatriates are covered neither by disability nor life insurance paid by the government or compulsorily by the private employer. That would probably be something that the individual would have to sort out for her or himself.
New regulations issued by the Ministry of Manpower were announced in the first week of July 2008. Oman makes employers accountable for safety
Is it imperative that all employers in Oman provide health insurance to their employees (both Omanis and expatriates?)
What about Life Insurance and DIsability insurance caused due to employment accidents as well as disability insurance caused due to reasons other than employment injuries?
Who provides for these?
Answer:
From Oman's Labour Law which applies to expatriates:
Article 33:
The employer must provide his employees with access to medical facilities in the establishment and he shall, if the number of his employees in one place or one country exceeds one hundred, employ a qualified nurse for providing medical aid and shall assign a doctor to visit and treat them in the place prepared by him for such purpose. The employer must provide the employees with the medicine required for the treatment, all of which must be free of charge. If the number of the employees is more than five hundred the employer shall, in addition to what is mentioned above, provide his employees with all other means of treatment in cases, the treatment of which call for the assistance of specialist doctors or surgical operations or the like and also required medicine free of any charge, except me costs of dental, opthalmic and maternity treatment.The Public Authority for Social Insurance website advises on social insurance benefits for Omanis and what employers must provide for Omanis.
If the employee is treated in a government hospital or a private clinic, the employer must pay the costs of treatment, medicine and impatient care, in accordance with the regulations and financial rules applied in such hospitals, subject to the provisions of the Social Insurance law.
As far as I am aware, expatriates are covered neither by disability nor life insurance paid by the government or compulsorily by the private employer. That would probably be something that the individual would have to sort out for her or himself.
New regulations issued by the Ministry of Manpower were announced in the first week of July 2008. Oman makes employers accountable for safety
Do wadis reach the sea?
Question:
I am a PhD student from London studying palaeoclimatic change offshore southern Iran and northern Oman. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me as I’m struggling to find any information elsewhere. The wadis you mention on your website Wadis bani Awf, Sahtan and bani kharus draining Al Hajar to the north, do they flow into the Gulf of Oman or do they not reach the sea? I am looking at sediment cores just off the coast in the Gulf of Oman and was wondering if in wetter periods in the past (e.g. Holocene wet period) the wadis in flash flood (or permanently) would reach the ocean and leave a signal in the sediment?
Thank you for your help, your website has been most helpful as an introduction to the area.
Answer:
Wadi bani Awf and Wadi Sahtan lie south of the Nakhl-Rustaq road, but still drain northwards from the Al Hajar mountains towards the Gulf of Oman. They join to become Wadi bani Ghafir which in turn drains into Wadi Hawqayn.
Both Wadi bani Ghafir and Wadi bani Kharus might be called perennial wadis in places in years of plentiful rainfall, but instead of surface water draining to the sea, the water infiltrates into shallow groundwater aquifers. These wadis drain northwards across the Batinah Plain which is 20-30 km wide in the area of study that you name and many coalesce. Extremely coarse alluvial deposits are highly characteristic of the foothills to the south of the Batinah because of the force of the water flow. Fine sediment collects in pockets where water has formed pools and then evaporated. Even near the coast, deposits may be highly pebbly and coarse.
I have seen shallow water flow in Wadi bani Ghafir in September 1994, upstream from (ie south of) the main coastal road.
Had you considered trying to obtain satellite imagery of the region following the cyclone of 6th June 2007? The coastal roads along the Batinah were inundated by flash floods racing from the mountains through all the wadis. Unfortunately, the imagery may be masked by cloud. Most of the water would have gone down by just a week later. At the time, it was possible to monitor water flow using Google Earth imagery.
Sohar experienced intensive flash flooding in severe rainfall in 1988. The waters surged down Wadi Hawasina and out to sea. Similarly, wadis in Muscat became raging torrents last year and the water certainly reached the sea.
I am a PhD student from London studying palaeoclimatic change offshore southern Iran and northern Oman. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me as I’m struggling to find any information elsewhere. The wadis you mention on your website Wadis bani Awf, Sahtan and bani kharus draining Al Hajar to the north, do they flow into the Gulf of Oman or do they not reach the sea? I am looking at sediment cores just off the coast in the Gulf of Oman and was wondering if in wetter periods in the past (e.g. Holocene wet period) the wadis in flash flood (or permanently) would reach the ocean and leave a signal in the sediment?
Thank you for your help, your website has been most helpful as an introduction to the area.
Answer:
Wadi bani Awf and Wadi Sahtan lie south of the Nakhl-Rustaq road, but still drain northwards from the Al Hajar mountains towards the Gulf of Oman. They join to become Wadi bani Ghafir which in turn drains into Wadi Hawqayn.
Both Wadi bani Ghafir and Wadi bani Kharus might be called perennial wadis in places in years of plentiful rainfall, but instead of surface water draining to the sea, the water infiltrates into shallow groundwater aquifers. These wadis drain northwards across the Batinah Plain which is 20-30 km wide in the area of study that you name and many coalesce. Extremely coarse alluvial deposits are highly characteristic of the foothills to the south of the Batinah because of the force of the water flow. Fine sediment collects in pockets where water has formed pools and then evaporated. Even near the coast, deposits may be highly pebbly and coarse.
I have seen shallow water flow in Wadi bani Ghafir in September 1994, upstream from (ie south of) the main coastal road.
Had you considered trying to obtain satellite imagery of the region following the cyclone of 6th June 2007? The coastal roads along the Batinah were inundated by flash floods racing from the mountains through all the wadis. Unfortunately, the imagery may be masked by cloud. Most of the water would have gone down by just a week later. At the time, it was possible to monitor water flow using Google Earth imagery.
Sohar experienced intensive flash flooding in severe rainfall in 1988. The waters surged down Wadi Hawasina and out to sea. Similarly, wadis in Muscat became raging torrents last year and the water certainly reached the sea.
International schools in Muscat
QuestionWe may be moving to Oman and I am checking out schools for my children who are in Elementary school.
How would you rate TAISM vs ABA?
Answer
Both ABA and TASIM are international schools. It is 8 years since I lived in Oman, but both my children were happy at ABA which is a multi-ethnic school with international status. In 2000, over 50 nationalities were represented at ABA.
TAISM started through dissatisfaction by the US Embassy on staffing policies at ABA and provision of facilities. I spoke at the meeting where both sides aired views on the future of ABA.
Broadly, a group of predominantly American parents, supported by the US Embassy, wanted to raise fees substantially at ABA in order to build more facilities, whereas ABA took a more gradualist approach.
All the American parents had their children's school fees paid for by their employers. A majority of parents whose children went to ABA were obliged to pay school fees themselves.
The US Embassy withdrew its sponsorship of ABA in order to promote and build TAISM. The British Embassy now sponsors ABA (at least, that WAS the position.)
I do not know what the current level of fees is, nor statistics on the cultural cross-section at either TAISM and ABA. Originally, I imagine that TAISM had a largely American school population with an American slant on education.
Both will probably have excellent standards of education. When my son was at primary school at ABA, his class size was 16 students. The facilities far outshone what is available at any state school in the town where I live now in UK.
I am sure both schools would welcome the parents of potential pupils to visit.
How would you rate TAISM vs ABA?
Answer
Both ABA and TASIM are international schools. It is 8 years since I lived in Oman, but both my children were happy at ABA which is a multi-ethnic school with international status. In 2000, over 50 nationalities were represented at ABA.
TAISM started through dissatisfaction by the US Embassy on staffing policies at ABA and provision of facilities. I spoke at the meeting where both sides aired views on the future of ABA.
Broadly, a group of predominantly American parents, supported by the US Embassy, wanted to raise fees substantially at ABA in order to build more facilities, whereas ABA took a more gradualist approach.
All the American parents had their children's school fees paid for by their employers. A majority of parents whose children went to ABA were obliged to pay school fees themselves.
The US Embassy withdrew its sponsorship of ABA in order to promote and build TAISM. The British Embassy now sponsors ABA (at least, that WAS the position.)
I do not know what the current level of fees is, nor statistics on the cultural cross-section at either TAISM and ABA. Originally, I imagine that TAISM had a largely American school population with an American slant on education.
Both will probably have excellent standards of education. When my son was at primary school at ABA, his class size was 16 students. The facilities far outshone what is available at any state school in the town where I live now in UK.
I am sure both schools would welcome the parents of potential pupils to visit.
Making sarooj
Question: I would like to know how sarooj was mined and the baking process, what was added (crushed shells? gravel? binding agents?) and how sarooj production varied over time.
Answer:
It has taken me quite a while to trace some information in English.
I found it ultimately in a book by Maria Biancifiori, written in Italian originally. She finished the book in dedication to her brother Giuseppe, who worked on the restoration of Omani monuments from 1985 until he died in 1991. The title of the book is 'Works of Architectural Restoration in Oman.'
It is now out of print and only comes on to the second hand market rarely. You could try looking for it at www.abebooks.com although theoretically, you ought to be able to contact the Ministry of (National) Heritage and Culture for the information. I do not know whether the ministry would have the information available in English.
This extract comes from page 24 of the chapter on Materials and Techniques. The writer noted that it had been essential to speak to older members of the community who were the only ones who remembered the technique.
"The Ministry of National Heritage and Culture in Oman took care of the production of about 50% of the sarooj necessary for the projects described.
The raw material is the clayey earth taken from a date palm plantation, usually not far from the site of the building to be restored; in fact, the use of local earth is necessary in order to obtain in the restoration a structure and colour as similar as possible to the original.
This salt-free earth is mixed with water and made into flat cakes.
'Making sarooj is quite a procedure, but one which everyone enjoys - almost like children making mud pies.'
The cakes are put in the sun to dry and then carefully stacked, separated by wadi pebbles, on an enormous, carefully constructed pyre of date palm trunks. The whole structure is then covered with earth to form an airtight seal and the pyre is lit. The firing process lasts about a week. When the fire has died down, the mound is left for a few days to cool. The external layer of earth is then removed and all the residue, including the ashes, is ground to a powder which, when mixed with water, becomes sarooj.
When dry, sarooj takes on various tones of yellow ochre according to the zone of production.
Chemically, sarooj is similar to a hydraulic cement."
Sarooj with higher silicate content is a much better product for restoration. Early efforts to use cement plaster were very unsatisfactory, so cement is not a substitute for sarooj.
There is no indication of the exact chemical composition of clays used as the basis for sarooj, and neither is there a description of the temperatures required for baking the sarooj bricks, nor the amounts of water and ground sarooj needed to make the plaster.
Answer:
It has taken me quite a while to trace some information in English.
I found it ultimately in a book by Maria Biancifiori, written in Italian originally. She finished the book in dedication to her brother Giuseppe, who worked on the restoration of Omani monuments from 1985 until he died in 1991. The title of the book is 'Works of Architectural Restoration in Oman.'
It is now out of print and only comes on to the second hand market rarely. You could try looking for it at www.abebooks.com although theoretically, you ought to be able to contact the Ministry of (National) Heritage and Culture for the information. I do not know whether the ministry would have the information available in English.
This extract comes from page 24 of the chapter on Materials and Techniques. The writer noted that it had been essential to speak to older members of the community who were the only ones who remembered the technique.
"The Ministry of National Heritage and Culture in Oman took care of the production of about 50% of the sarooj necessary for the projects described.
The raw material is the clayey earth taken from a date palm plantation, usually not far from the site of the building to be restored; in fact, the use of local earth is necessary in order to obtain in the restoration a structure and colour as similar as possible to the original.
This salt-free earth is mixed with water and made into flat cakes.
'Making sarooj is quite a procedure, but one which everyone enjoys - almost like children making mud pies.'
The cakes are put in the sun to dry and then carefully stacked, separated by wadi pebbles, on an enormous, carefully constructed pyre of date palm trunks. The whole structure is then covered with earth to form an airtight seal and the pyre is lit. The firing process lasts about a week. When the fire has died down, the mound is left for a few days to cool. The external layer of earth is then removed and all the residue, including the ashes, is ground to a powder which, when mixed with water, becomes sarooj.
When dry, sarooj takes on various tones of yellow ochre according to the zone of production.
Chemically, sarooj is similar to a hydraulic cement."
Sarooj with higher silicate content is a much better product for restoration. Early efforts to use cement plaster were very unsatisfactory, so cement is not a substitute for sarooj.
There is no indication of the exact chemical composition of clays used as the basis for sarooj, and neither is there a description of the temperatures required for baking the sarooj bricks, nor the amounts of water and ground sarooj needed to make the plaster.
Amnesty in Ramadan and at Eid Al-Fitr, 2006
Question
I noticed the Sultan of Oman has given amnesty to 95 Omani inmates for Eid and 405 inmates for Ramadan. Are you aware of a source to obtain a list of names for those released?
Answer
Sadly, no. It would have been nice to see statistics for the type of previous conviction, and also the nationality of all those released, although I note that you quote Omani inmates. Were any expatriates released and were they deported subsequently, for example? But it's nice to see an amnesty.
I would imagine that foreign diplomatic officers in Muscat might have a good idea.
I noticed the Sultan of Oman has given amnesty to 95 Omani inmates for Eid and 405 inmates for Ramadan. Are you aware of a source to obtain a list of names for those released?
Answer
Sadly, no. It would have been nice to see statistics for the type of previous conviction, and also the nationality of all those released, although I note that you quote Omani inmates. Were any expatriates released and were they deported subsequently, for example? But it's nice to see an amnesty.
I would imagine that foreign diplomatic officers in Muscat might have a good idea.
Weather in Salalah
Question
How is it in Salalah in dec. january???
Answer
Here are the average weather figures for Salalah for December and January from Yahoo Weather.
Note that the Muscat Festival runs from January to February. The Khareef Festival in Salalah runs from mid-July to end August. The festival websites are usually in Arabic.
This is the BBC page showing average weather conditions for Muscat.
MSN weather pages have a lot of information. This is the weather and climate for Salalah.
How is it in Salalah in dec. january???
Answer
Here are the average weather figures for Salalah for December and January from Yahoo Weather.
| December | 29.0° C | 19.0° C | 0.00 cm rain |
| January | 28.0° C | 18.0° C | 0.00 cm rain |
Note that the Muscat Festival runs from January to February. The Khareef Festival in Salalah runs from mid-July to end August. The festival websites are usually in Arabic.
This is the BBC page showing average weather conditions for Muscat.
MSN weather pages have a lot of information. This is the weather and climate for Salalah.
Research on property development market in Muscat
Question
I am looking for certain info regarding Oman.
Primary and secondary research on the property development market in Muscat covering:
Number and scope of developments by category, type ,location, scope, value and delivery date
An overview of the impact of the above on the Bandar Jissah project strategy, target market/scope and timing of delivery
A study of the existing residential, commercial and retail stock against planned projects and the impact on market pricing and take up projections over the next 5 years.
An overview of the logistical and strategic impact of planned developments on primary and secondary infrastructure, human resources and delivery mechanisms
Answer
The short answer is that I don't know if this research exists.
If anyone out there does know, please leave a comment, or contact me.
I am looking for certain info regarding Oman.
Primary and secondary research on the property development market in Muscat covering:
Number and scope of developments by category, type ,location, scope, value and delivery date
An overview of the impact of the above on the Bandar Jissah project strategy, target market/scope and timing of delivery
A study of the existing residential, commercial and retail stock against planned projects and the impact on market pricing and take up projections over the next 5 years.
An overview of the logistical and strategic impact of planned developments on primary and secondary infrastructure, human resources and delivery mechanisms
Answer
The short answer is that I don't know if this research exists.
If anyone out there does know, please leave a comment, or contact me.
Publication of Royal Degrees in Official Gazette 26th June 2006
All Royal Decrees are published in Arabic, in the Legal Gazette, by the Ministry of Legal Affairs:
Ministry of Legal Affairs
P. O. Box 578
Ruwi
PC 113
Tel: +968 24605802 / +968 24605697
There is also an index, presumably also obtainable from the Ministry, but I'm not sure if it lists the decrees in English as well.
The Arabic version of a Royal Decree always takes precedence over any translation.
I checked all this with a legal firm in Muscat. The company does not know if there is an online version, but I would doubt it.
This could change if government plans to offer services digitally go through. There is no forecast date for this.
The law firm suggested that if anyone wanted a translation of a Royal Decree, it could recommend a translator.
-----Original Message-----
Can you tell me if the RDs you post here are published in the Gazette and if so where I could access the Gazette online?
Ministry of Legal Affairs
P. O. Box 578
Ruwi
PC 113
Tel: +968 24605802 / +968 24605697
There is also an index, presumably also obtainable from the Ministry, but I'm not sure if it lists the decrees in English as well.
The Arabic version of a Royal Decree always takes precedence over any translation.
I checked all this with a legal firm in Muscat. The company does not know if there is an online version, but I would doubt it.
This could change if government plans to offer services digitally go through. There is no forecast date for this.
The law firm suggested that if anyone wanted a translation of a Royal Decree, it could recommend a translator.
-----Original Message-----
Can you tell me if the RDs you post here are published in the Gazette and if so where I could access the Gazette online?
Oman Pension Fund contact details 3rd April 2006
Question
What are the telephone numbers or fax numbers of:
1) Royal Guard of Oman (RGO) Pension Fund
2) Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI)
3) PDO Pension Fund (Petroluem Development Fund)
4) Ministry of Civil Service Pension Fund
5) Internal Security Services Pension Fund
6) Diwan of Royal Court Pension Fund
Answer
International dialling code: +968
Royal Guard of Oman Finance Department
Finance Department 24 623888; 24 623429
or 24 637333 for switchboard
--------------------
Public Authority For Social Insurance
Switchboard 24 7713757
The Executive Vice President 24 7713981
Director of Investment Dept 24 7713817
-------------
PDO Pension Fund
P.O. Box: 81
P/C. 113
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman
Fax: 968 24677162
-----------------
Civil Service Employees Pension Fund
Switchboard 24 696000; 24696035
Director General of Civil Service Employees Pension Fund 24 698484
Investment Expert 24 695121
Director of Administration & Finance Affairs 24 693624
Director of Pension Calculation Dept 24 695340
Director of Pension Dept 24 695010
-----------------
Internal Security Service
All offices in Muscat 24 600800
pension fund not specifically quoted
----------
Diwan Of Royal Court Pension Fund
Pension Fund 24 737240; 24 737239; 24 736929
Executive President 24 738245
---------------------
If in doubt, you could ask:
Ernst and Young
PO Box 1750
Ruwi
PC 112
Muscat
6th floor
Bank Dhofar Building
Muttrah Business District
Muscat
Phone: 24 703105
Fax: 24 702734
Email: muscat.om@ey.com
www.ey.com/me
"I have read your book and much like it." ~Moses Hadas (1900-1966)~
What are the telephone numbers or fax numbers of:
1) Royal Guard of Oman (RGO) Pension Fund
2) Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI)
3) PDO Pension Fund (Petroluem Development Fund)
4) Ministry of Civil Service Pension Fund
5) Internal Security Services Pension Fund
6) Diwan of Royal Court Pension Fund
Answer
International dialling code: +968
Royal Guard of Oman Finance Department
Finance Department 24 623888; 24 623429
or 24 637333 for switchboard
--------------------
Public Authority For Social Insurance
Switchboard 24 7713757
The Executive Vice President 24 7713981
Director of Investment Dept 24 7713817
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PDO Pension Fund
P.O. Box: 81
P/C. 113
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman
Fax: 968 24677162
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Civil Service Employees Pension Fund
Switchboard 24 696000; 24696035
Director General of Civil Service Employees Pension Fund 24 698484
Investment Expert 24 695121
Director of Administration & Finance Affairs 24 693624
Director of Pension Calculation Dept 24 695340
Director of Pension Dept 24 695010
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Internal Security Service
All offices in Muscat 24 600800
pension fund not specifically quoted
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Diwan Of Royal Court Pension Fund
Pension Fund 24 737240; 24 737239; 24 736929
Executive President 24 738245
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If in doubt, you could ask:
Ernst and Young
PO Box 1750
Ruwi
PC 112
Muscat
6th floor
Bank Dhofar Building
Muttrah Business District
Muscat
Phone: 24 703105
Fax: 24 702734
Email: muscat.om@ey.com
www.ey.com/me