58 globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2019
renewable energy generation and water management. Established in 1988,
the principal stock exchange, the Muscat Securities Market, operates with
transparency, disclosure regulations and requirements. Numerous hospitals,
clinics, universities and schools thrive in the private sector.
The country applies a multitude of assets to lure investors: the educated
and largely bilingual workforce; good health care and schools for families;
easy access to global markets through a modern infrastructure network;
and a stable, secure and predictable investment climate. Dependent on
imported goods, Oman promotes policies that welcome entrepreneurs and
small businesses. Grain and vegetable farming, gas stations and haulage,
tourism and perfume shops, electronics and home appliances, commodity
stores, bars and restaurants list among suggested venture opportunities.
Clearly, the leadership of Sultan Qaboos deserves credit as a key to
Oman’s progress. The longest-serving monarch in the Arab world, a
devotee of opera and classical music, he received his education in India
and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England. While his rule
is absolute, he is said to rely more on the business elite than on family
members for counsel. Nearing age 80 with no clear heir, the delicate issue
arises of whether his successor would maintain absolute power or take steps
to separate state powers.
Peaceful protests following the Arab Spring raised issues of job op-
portunities, salary increases, establishment of Islamic banks and expulsion
of some current ministers. But for the time being, the outlook for Muscat
includes a continued, methodical integration into the global scene.WELCOME TO OMAN:
Port of Muscat (top); and Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (bottom), which allows non-Muslims
to visit
PHOTOS: © WAUPEE - DREAMSTIME.COM, © GALINASAVINA - DREAMSTIME.COM