A young woman in graduation attire standing outdoors among trees, smiling at the camera.

Universities

Universities

Written by: Michaela Eckmüller Last updated at: May 21, 2025

Even at the time of his rise to power, Sultan Qaboos had a clear vision of how he wanted to make his country and its people future-proof. And indeed, in almost 50 years of governance, he succeeded in ushering in and advancing an era of development and modernization in Oman. Improving educational opportunities in the country is a key contributor to Oman's success. An important building block for this are the universities. The only state university in the country is Sultan Qaboos University, which was opened in 1986. Today, in addition to this, there are various private universities in the country.

Sultan Qaboos University

In 1986, the first students were admitted to the university. Even then, the university was equally accessible to women and men. And indeed, the educational offerings were utilized diversely by young women in the past. This is evident in the fact that in the modern generation, more and more women are represented in the leadership positions of the country in the fields of politics and management. Today, Sultan Qaboos University has eight faculties:

  • Engineering
  • Medicine
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Arts and Islamic Studies
  • Law
  • Business
  • Natural Sciences

In the 2010/2011 academic year, the percentage of female students was just under 50%. By now, there is a male percentage as the share of female students is over 50%.

Private universities

In addition to the state university, which will be followed by another state institution in the coming years according to the Sultan's announcements, there are five private universities in Oman:

  • Sohar University
  • Nizwa University
  • Dhofar University
  • Buraimi University
  • German University of Technology in Oman

Discover Oman with experts who have called it their home

Your dream holiday, tailor-made by experts.

We don't just know Oman from books, we visit the country several times a year to experience the culture, landscape and people first-hand.

From your first enquiry to your return home, we are there for you personally - by phone, email or WhatsApp, whenever you need us. Our trips are as unique as you are: individually planned and provided with exclusive privileges and high-quality arrangements that will make your trip unforgettable.

You might also like this

Traditional pottery shop in Nizwa Souq with clay pots and a palm tree in Oman.

Nizwa Souq

3 min read

The market of Nizwa is definitely worth a visit. You are most likely to get an impression of the life and hustle of an Arabic souq if you visit the market in the morning hours. The area where the various market sections are located is well-organized, but still offers a great variety of goods and offers. The souq, located to the east of Nizwa Fort, is completely surrounded by a wall and thus clearly distinguishes itself from the other districts. The market is divided into six areas. These are the West Souq, the East Souq, the fruit and vegetable hall with associated buildings for meat, fish, an...

An older man with a white beard, wearing traditional Omani attire and a cap, sitting against a textured wall with a pillow behind him in a market.

Life Expectancy in Oman

2 min read

In the Arab world, the life expectancy of people is usually not comparable to that of Western Europe or North America. There are various reasons for this. However, in Oman, life expectancy has come remarkably close to that of the Western world in recent decades. In 2015, it was 76 years – the average of both genders. Comparing life expectancy to just about 30 years earlier, it was only 41 years. A change as striking and rapid as the overall development of the Sultanate on the Persian Gulf. Why has life expectancy improved? There are several answers to this. The simplest is: The government of...

An airplane takes off from an airport runway during sunset with several aircraft parked nearby.

Salalah Airport

2 min read

The international airport of Salalah is located behind the airport in Muscat, the second largest in the country. The airport is about 10 kilometers from the city center and lies a little north of Salalah. From here, one can choose both domestic connections to Muscat and other regions of Oman as well as European destinations. History of the airport The airport of Salalah was opened in 1977. It was the time when Sultan Qaboos had just begun to implement the first significant improvements in infrastructure development. The very first reforms and construction projects benefited from the steady f...