Fortifications in the town of Mudhayrib, in the Sharqiyya region, by the Wahiba sands. -- Photo courtesy of Valerie Hoffman --

Considerable geographic and climatic variety exists throughout the country, with desert along the western border and a lush monsoon climate in the south. A number of protected nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries are scattered throughout the country. Grassy parks and gardens are prominent features of Oman's cities.

Arabic is the official language of Oman and three-quarters of the population is Ibadhi Muslim. Muscat, the capital, is a relaxed, cosmopolitan city, with great concern directed at aesthetic blending of modern development and historical structures.

A view of the harbor in Mutrah, in the old part of greater Muscat. (Muscat was the name of one of the old towns that are now incorporated along with newer areas into the new capitol city of Muscat. Mutrah is one of the older towns that is now just a district of Muscat.) The picture is taken from the rooftop of the Al-Nahda hotel. In view are the fisheries, the vegetable market, the Shi'ite mosque, and one of two 16th-century Portuguese forts that are still used by the government for security purposes. -- Photo courtesy of Valerie Hoffman --

Although Oman is considered to be one of the most traditional countries in the Gulf region, it has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last 30 years. Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who was educated overseas, came to power in 1970 and began to modernize the country after decades of restrictive and isolationist policies. The number and quality of roads, hospitals, schools, and telecommunication networks were dramatically expanded, and the country opened its borders to tourism in 1987. Sultan Qaboos bin Said also has been active in international affairs, receiving the International Peace Award from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations in 1988 for his role in the Middle East peace process.

Sultan Qaboos University was opened in 1986, and currently includes seven colleges: Education and Islamic Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Science, Agriculture, Arts, and Commerce and Economics. Approximately 3,600 students attend the university, over half of whom are women.

Library of Sayyid Muhammad al-BuSa'idi, Seeb -- Photo courtesy of Valerie Hoffman --

Since 1989, 15 Fulbright grants to Oman have been awarded to U.S. scholars - one third for lecturing and two-thirds for combined lecturing/research. Previous U.S. scholars in Oman have been involved in the fields of mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, medical sciences, geology, agriculture, and literature.

CIES encourages interested applicants to make use of the following links to complement their research into potential opportunities available in Oman. Please also feel free to use the contact information at the bottom of this page to get in touch with CIES program personnel.

U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman
http://www.usa.gov.om/
U.S. Embassy website in Oman including consular information, public announcements, information on current events, and links to electronic journals.

Contact Information for the Sultanate of Oman Embassy in Washington D.C.
http://www.worldrover.com/entry/oman_embassy.html
Includes contact information for the Oman Embassy in Washington D.C., as well as links to statistics and historical information pertaining to Oman.

Embassy World website
http://www.embassyworld.com/maps/Maps_Of_Oman.html
Links to a variety of standard and interactive maps of Oman.

Ministry of Information, Sultanate of Oman
http://www.omanet.com/
Extensive site with news links, information pertaining to Oman's government, law, history, commerce, and tourism, a photo gallery, frequently asked questions about travel and living in Oman, links to Oman government organizations, and a free newsletter subscription form.

Oman 2000
http://www.omanet.com/oman2000/oman2000.htm
Linked to the Ministry of Information website, contains extensive information on many aspects of life in Oman and reports on Oman's place in the world.

Oman Infoworld
http://home.inforamp.net/~emous/oman/index.html
Detailed information on various aspects of Oman, including geography, climate, education, health care, environment, economy, culture, and Oman's national anthem. Also includes extensive tourism information.

Arab Net - Oman
http://www.arab.net/oman/oman_contents.html
Information on Oman's history, geography, business, culture, government, transportation, and tourist industry.

Lonely Planet
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/oman/
Traveler's information on Oman, including sections on events, activities, culture, and history.

World Travel Guide
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/data/omn/omn.asp
Concise information on visas, money, health, holidays, transportation, climate, and important contact addresses in Oman. Features a tool that enabling one to create and print a custom 'mini-guide' of chosen information.

U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/5435.htm
Background information on Oman including political conditions, foreign relations, relations with the U.S., history, people, government, economy, and business.

Sultan Qaboos University
http://www.squ.edu.om/

Ministry of Higher Education, Sultanate of Oman
http://www.mohe.gov.om
In English and Arabic.

Oman Studies Centre for Documentation and Research on Oman and the Arabian Gulf.
http://www.oman.org/
Website designed to facilitate the sharing of information and coordination of research on Oman. Extensive links to conferences, research, and bibliographies concerning Oman.

Oman New Agency
http://www.omannews.com/
In English and Arabic. News stories as well as pictures.

Radio and TV Sultanate of Oman
http://www.oman-tv.gov.om/
Links to live television and radio broadcasts from Oman.

Oman Observer
http://www.omanobserver.com/
In English. Oman's largest English daily newspaper.

Oman Daily
http://www.omandaily.com/
In Arabic.

Alwatan - Voice of Oman in the World
http://www.alwatan.com/
In Arabic. With local news, opinion, and sports sections.

Al Shaab
http://alarabnews.com/alshaab/
In Arabic. Online newspaper covering regional news.

Asharq Al-Awsat
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/pcdaily/06-11-2001/
In Arabic. The Arabic international newspaper.

Oman Mail-list
http://www.oman.org/maillist.htm
Instructions for joining Oman Mail-list, a forum for discussions and exchange of information pertaining to Oman.

Arab Chat
http://chat.arab.net/
Chat server with public and private chat rooms for Online discussions in Arabic or English.

The Countries and Peoples of Arabia Message Boards
http://www.hejleh.com/countries/poll.html
Very active message boards and a link to Arabia Chat.

Arab Social Science Research
http://www.assr.org/
A collection of Online research sources for the Arab World indexed by country, sources, and topics. Includes virtual libraries and links to social science research centers throughout the world.

BBC Arabic Service
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/news/
In Arabic. BBC news with audio feed.

U.S. Department of State - Middle East and North Africa
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/nea.htm
U.S. news, reports, and policy relating to the Middle East and North Africa. Also includes links to numerous Online journals.

The Countries and Peoples of Arabia
http://www.hejleh.com/countries/index.html
A huge list of links pertaining to the Arab world, including very active Message Boards.

Islamic Studies
http://www.uga.edu/islam
A well-balanced site with articles and resources pertaining to Islam, drawn primarily from scholarly research and regional Islamic sources. Contains information on Islam's history, sacred texts, art, architecture, and place in the modern world.