Modern Era
Modern Era
The Portuguese began to establish small settlements, which were exemplary of the strategy in the Middle East. Yet even here, the Portuguese struggled to establish them long-term. Time and again, they had to defend themselves against the Ottomans, English, Persians, and Dutch. In 1650 AD, it was the Yaruba dynasty that initially unified Oman and expelled the Portuguese. This dynasty had a significant influence on East Africa, bringing great wealth through the slave trade and trade with India. A civil war, lasting about 25 years and resulting from power struggles, allowed the Persians to reemerge before Ahmad ibn Said successfully pushed them back. Since 1746 and until today, the Said dynasty has ruled with the current ruler Haitham ibn Tariq. In 1798, Great Britain gained influence in Oman through a treaty with the Sultan of Muscat and the East India Company. In 1840, Sultan Said decided to move his seat of government to Zanzibar. Despite British influence, this was a flourishing time in history, but after his death, there were disputes in the succeeding generation, leading to the division of the realm into Oman and Zanzibar in 1856. From that point on, the economy went downhill. Maritime trade collapsed, aided by the opening of the Suez Canal and the advent of steamships. Until 1970, the father of the current Sultan kept his country in isolation.
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European Expats in Oman
As a European expat in Oman, one has chosen a country that makes it comparatively easy for foreign workers and immigrants. Oman is a country that has been undergoing an enormous economic upturn for years. This also means that there is still a great demand for skilled workers from other countries in the country. Especially the advancing development of the industry in Oman, which aims to ensure increasing independence from the oil and gas sector, continuously brings interesting contracts to companies from all over Europe in Oman. The assembly and commissioning of industrial plants can take sever...
Rub al Khali
The largest contiguous sand desert in the world, the Rub al Khali desert, also covers parts of southern Oman. 650,000 square kilometers of sand and stone – there is not much more to be found here. The desert is so inhospitable and so poor in oases that it is hardly inhabited. No wonder it is called ‘the empty quarter’, for that is exactly what ‘Rub al Khali’ means. Almost a third of the Arabian Peninsula is covered by it. It spans the territories of four countries: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates. The largest desert on Earth has a lot to offer In the Rub al Khali lies...
Literacy
That the topic education is given such high importance that nearly a quarter of the civil expenditures of the state budget flows into the education system was not always the case in Oman. Until 1970, there were only Quran schools in the country, primarily focused on imparting religious values, as well as three public schools. These were boys' primary schools, with one located in Muscat, in Mutrah and in Salalah . In the entire country, only 909 students were taught by around 30 teachers. It was only in the following years that a school system was established, which is provided free of charge t...