PLACE & PEOPLE : Charming and friendly Omanis have always welcomed people from all over the world. Oman has a multinational expatriate workforce with Europeans, Indian, Pakistanis, South East Asians and Arabs. Omani men and women actively participate in public life. Arabic is the official language of Oman, though English is widely spoken in business circles. Despite the modern appearance of much of Oman, the country remains intensely traditional. In the countryside hamlets and coastal villages, day-to-day life has changed little in centuries. Men can frequently be seen sporting bright, blue, loose-fitting, floor-length shirt-dresses called Dishdashas, often with curved Khanjar knife dangling from the waist. Womens dress is far more colourful than the simple black cloaks common in much of the rest of the Gulf region. Bright printed dress is wrapped with even more colorful shawls and veils. Oman is particularly known for its curved, silver-sheathed khanjar, knives and silver jewellery.

DRESS : The national dress of Omani men is a simple, ankle-length, collarless gown with long sleeves called the dishdasha. The colour most frequently worn is white, although a variety of other colours such as black, blue, bown and lilac can also be seen. Its main adornment is a tassel (furaka) sewn into the neckline, which can be impregnated with perfume. Underneath the dishdasha, a plain piece of cloth covering the body is won from the waist down. Omani men may wear a variety of head dresses. The muzzar is a sqare of finely woven woolen or cotton fabric, wrapped and folded into a turban. Underneath this, the Kammar, a intricately embroided cap, is sometimes worn. The shal, a long strip of cloth acting as a holder for the khanjar (a silver, hand-crafted knife or dagger) may be made from the same material as the muzzar. Alternatively, the holder may be fashioned in the form of the belt made from leather and silver, which is called a sapta. On formal occasions a black or beige cloak, called a bisht, may cover the dishdasha. The embroidery edging the cloak is often in silver or gold thread and it is intricate in detail. Some men carry the assa, a stick, which can have partical uses or is simply used as a accessory during formal events. Omani men, on the whole, wear sandals on their feet. For the most part Omani women are not veiled, although the women of some tribes still wear the burqa or face mask and black cloak, the abaya. The majority of Omani women, however, wear very colourful clothes arranged in loose and flowing layers. The reds, oranges and ochre's of their gowns make a brilliant splash of colour in the old streets of the inland towns and in the fields and palm groves. They are generally not self-effacing and may be willing to talk to strangers, once the ice has been broken. But they are deeply Muslim and should always be treated with deference and respect.

CLIMATE :The climate is predominantly arid with hot temperatures for four months of the year (May to August) and pleasantly cool temperatures for the rest of the time. In the southernmost region of Salalah, which is influenced by the Indian Ocean monsoon, the temperatures are milder and the vegetation is lush jungle for several months of the year.