Oman Air

[MeeNotYou]

I am primarily just lurking as I am exploring ATPL-I options and considering a career change. So I can't comment much on pilot specifics.

That said, my last tour in the military was a post with the American Embassy in Oman. I was there for 3.5 years.

Oman is very calm compared to its neighbors. A lot safer for an expat than most the other countries. Omanis are very laid back and tolerant of expats provided you don't openly insult islam or the Sultan or do something stupid on a religious holiday.

Schools are good but very expensive. However, OmanAir should cover most, if not all the costs. Most the private schools use the British curriculum, with some following Canadian or US curriculums.

The Sultan has instituted some pretty smart policies to maintain order, and genuinely does a good job running the country. Some of the Omanisation policies will drive you crazy, and the Ministry-centric bureaucracies are much as they are in neighboring countries; they will always be an act of futility that tests your patience at every turn.

There are plenty of expats to build a social life with. The Diplomatic community is pretty close knit, and most the Embassies have social clubs that welcome their respective nationalities, if not everyone. The oil business is huge there. Add to it the close formal relations with the UK gov, and there are plenty of expats with whom to socialize. Furthermore, you will genuinely build relationships with the Omanis; they are quite warm and welcoming and I have fostered many life-long friendships.

Life is a bit expensive compared to the US or UK. But pay often compensates for it, and you learn to adept to the local market. Lifestyle is great as pretty much everyone has live-in housekeeping/childcare. With the exception of a couple designated zones, expats are forbidden by law to own property so you will most likely be renting the duration of your stay, and the Omanis certainly know how to gauge the market - I add this as some consider owning vs renting as part of their long-term investment plan when relocating. In most cases, houses are mansions by most standards, and most are ornate. Crime rates are extremely low so you will not worry leaving doors unlocked and letting kids play outside.

As for entertainment, it really depends on what you like to do. Oman is an outdoorsmans paradise. Lots to do for those who enjoy the outdoors, especially adventure outdoors. Not much shopping or nightlife...things are pretty quiet in that regard, and most do weekend trips to Dubai to get your fix if needed. However, there are plenty western hotels and pubs to go have a drink with mates. Furthermore, and I know alcohol is a bit of a taboo discussion for pilots, but you can get a liquor license and buy and own alcohol for personal consumption at home. Entertainment for kids is a bit lacking, with billiards clubs, movie theaters, the mall, and the few playzone type establishments being it. But again, a weekend trip to Dubai to take the kids to Atlantis or another theme park is usually enough to break up the monotony.

Also, regarding your question about your wife driving. Women may drive, and shop, and go to bars, and do pretty much anything a man can do. Deserving woman are praised as business leaders. The Oman government even has some women on their governing council. Lol, you will even find skimpy bikinis on the beaches on occasion. See note below however as it is pertinent to this discussion. On another note, when discussing driving, I am not sure how old your kids are but I know plenty expats who moved to Oman with older teens and the teens were rather dissapointed as the legal driving age in Oman is 18. Kiddos will not be getting their license while in high school there (which isn't a bad thing as one of the negatives about Oman is a high traffic accident/fatality incident rate, something the goverment has been working hard to curb {with some success}).

Note: Most of the advice offered here is specific to the capital city of Muscat. English the the primary spoken language, and you can easily get by without knowing any Arabic. However, as you venture further into the areas of the country not often travelled by westerners, this picture changes. You will be hard pressed to find locals who speak anything other than Arabic, and everything is definitely more as most westerners would picture the Arab world (in terms of culture; not a reference to safety or muslim extremism). Women should definitely wear conservative clothing and a head scarf when traveling to areas not often frequented by expats or tourists. It is still safe, but you will be more cognitively aware of the fact you are an outsider.

I enjoyed my time there and may even reach out to some political and business contacts when the time comes to see if I can get an entry level pilot job with OmanAir.

As for OmanAir itself, a few years ago they had a lot of issues with Omanization and trying to balance wages between locals and expats pushed more than a few expat pilots away. Now-a-days the biggest complaint I hear is lackadaisical, if not incompetent, management and a lack of advancement opportunities. An Omani pilot buddy may have put it best "it isn't a great job, and I don't see myself being here long term. But it is great experience for a newer pilot and they pay us well enough to keep quiet" - take from it what you will.

Sorry for any grammatical errors or jumbled thoughts. It is 4am. I found this when researching another topic, but figured I would chime in before logging off for the night.