Oman - UAE Surroundings
Northwest neighbour of UAE
Oman is located in south west Asia. It borders the UAE on the northwest, to its south and east lies the Arabian Sea, to its west lies Saudi Arabia and to its southwest lies Yemen, and the Gulf of Oman to its northeast.
Most of the central part of Oman is a dessert and the north and southeast coast sport mountainous regions. The climate as you can guess is humid along the coast and hot and dry in the central region.
Most of Omans population resides in Muscat. Oman is home to many expatriates. It houses about 600,000 expatriates. Most of them hail from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Egypt, Jordan or Philippines. Approximately 70% of the populations are Ibadi Muslims. Hindus, Christians and other minorities add up to just 2%.
The importance of education has been noted in Oman. The government too has stressed on the importance of education and its influence on the countrys economy. In 1986 Oman set up its first university. It was names as the Sultan Qaboos University. Many other secondary institutions were set up as well. On an average about 200 scholarships are given to study abroad.
The numbers of colleges and courses have grown to meet the educational needs of the growing population of Oman. The government has continued to promote education and fund incentives to ensure that these educative institutions continue and that adequate education is provided to the masses.
Tourism
Oman is well known for its various attractions, Beaches, desserts, wadis, mountains etc. Jebel Shams is Omans tallest point and it provides a great place for outdoor camping. Most of the big major malls are all located in the capital of Oman, Muscat. Some other fun activities include sand skiing, mountain climbing and ofcourse the famous camel racing.
Another fun event to attend is the Muscat festival. It is usually held at the beginning of the year. During this festival Muscat is buzzing with life and energy. You can see the traditional dances, concerts and some theme parks are opened. The city is full of joy and all wrapped up in celebration and bubbling with joy and enthusiasm. Indeed this is a lovely time to visit Oman. There is one another event that is as much fun as the Muscat festival, it is the Khareef Festival. This festival is held in August in Salalah, Dhofar. Salalah sports the same amount of enthusiasm as Muscat. Added to all the joy around, the snow clad mountains in Salalah add to the beauty of the festive season.
