After much back and forth on travel rules and restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Oman reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers on September 1, 2021.
Vaccinated visitors can travel freely to Oman, with tourist visas once again available both online and on-arrival. Omani citizens and their families can return to the sultanate without being vaccinated.
From March 2022, the sultanate no longer requires travellers to have a negative PCR test result before travelling according to the country's Civil Aviation Authority.
Other Covid-19 restrictions including compulsory face masks in outdoor spaces and limits on hotel operating capacities have also been lifted.
Here's all the information you need to know if you're planning a visit.
Which airlines are flying between Oman and the UAE?
Several airlines fly between the UAE and Oman, including the national airline of the sultanate, Oman Air.
From Dubai, Emirates flies to Muscat four times a day. From Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways flies to Muscat five times per week.
Low-cost airlines Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi also fly to the Omani capital, and there are also direct flights to and from Salalah.
Other budget choices for flights between the UAE and Oman include flydubai and Salam Air.
Travelling from Oman to the UAE
Travellers flying to the UAE from Oman must follow the rules in place for each emirate. New rules mean that travellers no longer need to have pre-entry for approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship (ICE).
Vaccinated travellers no longer need negative Covid‑19 PCR test certificates to travel to the UAE. For those flying to Abu Dhabi, on-arrival Covid-19 tests are no longer required, but can be obtained free of charge after landing in the capital. No further follow-up tests are necessary.
The UAE has also dropped its green list for travel, so residents do not need to quarantine upon returning to the emirates, regardless of vaccination status.
All departing Omani citizens must have health insurance covering Covid‑19 related expenses and valid in the country they are travelling to.
Oman has reopened most land borders between the sultanate and the UAE meaning that road trips are once again possible.
Fully vaccinated travellers can drive to Oman. From Dubai, it's around a four and a half hour drive to Muscat and a five-hour drive from Abu Dhabi, depending on traffic and border control queues.
Travelling to Oman from the UAE
Oman is open to travellers who are fully vaccinated. Visitors must have received both doses of a recognised vaccine at least 14 days before travelling to the sultanate. Omani citizens and their families who are not vaccinated or have only had one dose, are also allowed to return to the country.
Travellers no longer need to register before travelling to Oman. Vaccinated travellers must carry with them a valid Covid‑19 vaccine certificate with a QR code.
Travellers must also have valid health insurance to cover medical expenses in Oman for a period of one month. Citizens from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are exempt from these insurance requirements.
What vaccines is Oman recognising for travel?
Oman has approved nine vaccines and visitors must have received both doses of the vaccine at least 14 days before travel. The recognised vaccines are:
- Pfizer-BioNTech
- Oxford-AstraZeneca
- AstraZeneca / Covishield
- Johnson & Johnson
- Sinovac
- Moderna
- Sputnik V
- Sinopharm
- Covaxin
Travellers will have to show a medical exemption certificate if they cannot be vaccinated for any reason.
Do I need a negative Covid-19 PCR test result to travel to Oman?
No, travellers flying to Oman from any destination, including connecting and transit passengers, no longer need to show a negative Covid-19 PCR test result before travel, as long as they are fully vaccinated.
Do children need to be vaccinated to travel to Oman?
All children under 18 are exempt from Oman's vaccination requirements, unless the airlines they are flying with require it. This applies to both Omani and non-Omani children, according to the latest update on the Emirates website.
What rules are in place at airports in Oman?
New rules effective from March 1 mean that face masks are only required in closed spaces, according to Oman News Agency. This includes all airports where face masks remain mandatory.
Authorities also advise checking-in for flights online to cut down on face-to-face contact at the airport. It is also recommended to avoid carrying phones or other items in your hands when navigating check-in and security checkpoints.
Only passengers with valid air tickets are allowed entry to airports in Oman, so those departing from Muscat or Salalah cannot bring friends or family to the airport with them.
Do I need to quarantine if I travel to Oman?
There is no more mandatory quarantine for passengers who meet the entry requirements, including being fully vaccinated.
Can I transit in Oman?
Oman is open for transit. Travellers flying via Muscat to another destination no longer need a negative PCR test to transit.
All transit passengers landing at airports in the sultanate will have to pay a 3 Omani riyals ($8) departure fee before catching their next flight.
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Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
