Want to move to muscat Oman
Aug 17th 2016, 10:33 pm
#16
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 6
Re: Want to move to muscat Oman
Tourists visas are 20 Omani Rials for 30 days, single entry. You can renew this once at the airport for another 30 days. After this you must leave the country and return. Most people drive to Hatta, where the border is to the UAE and then just do a u-turn and drive back into Oman. Or you can fly to Dubai/Abu Dhabi for a day/weekend.
No spousal visa unless you're married. You can't work on a tourist visa, the authorities are also cracking down on people who do. Lots of expat wives have left recently because their little home run cottages industries are being shut down by the police.
I have heard of people coming over with their partners and finding jobs, but it doesn't happen often. Oman has a policy called Omanisation, this means that companies have to really justify and prove that they need an expat to do a job before a visa is granted. If the job can be done by an Omani and there is an Omani willing to do the job then you simply won't get the visa.
With work like plumbing, as already mentioned, there is an army of foreign labor workers here already doing that. They are far cheaper than you and me, their work might not be as good but that's not how things work out here. You might find a managerial position in one of the construction companies out here or perhaps an engineering company. There's a lot of construction going on, both commercial and residential. I have friends who work for Carillion, perhaps that's worth looking at.
With the current price of oil don't hold your breath. The expat population of Muscat has been decimated by redundancies in the last 12 months. Government spending has reduced significantly and many of the big companies are tightening their belts. You might get lucky though...
Let me know if you have any specific questions. I've been living in Muscat for just over 2 years now, it's a great city and most things about are the country are positive.
The exchange rate back to GBP is also pretty good
No spousal visa unless you're married. You can't work on a tourist visa, the authorities are also cracking down on people who do. Lots of expat wives have left recently because their little home run cottages industries are being shut down by the police.
I have heard of people coming over with their partners and finding jobs, but it doesn't happen often. Oman has a policy called Omanisation, this means that companies have to really justify and prove that they need an expat to do a job before a visa is granted. If the job can be done by an Omani and there is an Omani willing to do the job then you simply won't get the visa.
With work like plumbing, as already mentioned, there is an army of foreign labor workers here already doing that. They are far cheaper than you and me, their work might not be as good but that's not how things work out here. You might find a managerial position in one of the construction companies out here or perhaps an engineering company. There's a lot of construction going on, both commercial and residential. I have friends who work for Carillion, perhaps that's worth looking at.
With the current price of oil don't hold your breath. The expat population of Muscat has been decimated by redundancies in the last 12 months. Government spending has reduced significantly and many of the big companies are tightening their belts. You might get lucky though...
Let me know if you have any specific questions. I've been living in Muscat for just over 2 years now, it's a great city and most things about are the country are positive.
The exchange rate back to GBP is also pretty good
Aug 17th 2016, 10:36 pm
#18
Just Joined
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 6
Re: Want to move to muscat Oman
Manual jobs in the Gulf are done by third-world nationals (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis etc) who are happy to earn in a month what you'd probably want for a day. They'll live/sleep 4+ to a room, and get a trip home once a year if they're lucky.
If you want to work again in a jewellery shop, how's your Arabic?
People don't (can't) move to the Gulf and find a job, unless they're the spouse of someone who's already got a job in order to go there.
Sorry, but that's the way it is.
If you want to work again in a jewellery shop, how's your Arabic?
People don't (can't) move to the Gulf and find a job, unless they're the spouse of someone who's already got a job in order to go there.
Sorry, but that's the way it is.
Aug 18th 2016, 4:00 am
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2015
Location: Abu Dhabi via Barcelona
Posts: 1,478
Re: Want to move to muscat Oman
To be fair, other than being able to understand the pissed arabs in the bars, it won't make any difference. Also, which Arabic language are you learning? Gulf Arabic is different to Northern Africa and even Levant. So be sure you're learning the right "strain".
Aug 19th 2016, 7:56 am
#20
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Re: Want to move to muscat Oman
My comment was actually tongue-in-cheek. Unless you have a rare gift for languages you won't get business-level proficient in a short time, and it's more than just language -- you'd likely have to interact with a range of nationalities who not only speak different Arabic, but the cultural nuances are, arguably, more important in any customer-facing role. It might -- just might -- give you an edge in addition to a skill-set that is rare in the country, but I don't think that alone (or nearly alone) will help greatly. There are exceptions, of course, any if you have a real go-get-it mentality you will no doubt succeed. Good luck.
Aug 22nd 2016, 11:36 am
#21
womble
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,675
Re: Want to move to muscat Oman
When I first moved to Muscat, all the guys (Omani) in my team spoke Swahili as their first language, English as their second and Arabic as their third. I could read Arabic better than they could after a couple of years of learning.
Aug 29th 2016, 1:04 pm
#22
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: Want to move to muscat Oman
Go and visit as a tourist. Ask around. Maybe you can find a local who wants a "Building Consultant" ??? Oman has the advantage over Saudi that it is possible to go there as a tourist.
