English Teacher in Oman
Muscat
November 2011
Background
I first arrived in Muscat on
a plane from Sudan, teaching English in Khartoum in September 2008. I came from a developing country
filled with political strife, injustices, and poverty. Arriving in Muscat was a
bit of culture shock.
I encountered quite the opposite than what I've just
experienced in Africa. Progress, development, grandeur, cleanliness were some
things that struck me as I was picked up by a driver in Mercedes, fit for
leaders of states, and taken to my hotel in Muscat.
The Muscat Holiday Inn was a four-star hotel, and at least from my point of view, endowed with luxury. That was my first date with Muscat, a huge city surface wise, but a small population, fit for the rich, yet with many nooks and crannies where the old and traditional has not been replaced with progress. Sultan Qaboos took power 40 years earlier when Oman was an ungoverned desert of Bedouins. It had one hospital, 3 schools, 10 km tarred roads, no police and men still went to the neighboring village to kidnap a wife for himself.
When my wife and I decided on a second teaching term in Oman during the 2011-2012 academic season, the Muscat Holiday Inn became a definite option to house our stay in Muscat, especially after a traumatic start to our employment in rural Rustaq. As soon as we received our first salary, we went down to Muscat for a weekend retreat at the Muscat Holiday Inn.
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| Enjoying the swimming pool at dusk |
About Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an
Arab country on the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a
strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country
shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi
Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with
Iran and Pakistan.
From the late 17th
century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and
Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in
the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of
Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today
part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th
century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom.
Historically, Muscat
was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also
among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean.
Oman is an absolute
monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of
the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in
the Middle East and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.
Oman has modest oil
reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as
the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the
preceding 40 years.
A significant
portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain
agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbours’ solely
oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy
(Wikipedia).
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| Nature scenery near Rustaq where we lived and worked as English Teachers |
About Muscat
Muscat is the capital and largest city
of Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat.
The total population of Muscat Governorate reached 1.4 million as of September
2018. The metropolitan area spans approximately 3,500 km2 and includes six
provinces called wilayats.
Known since the early 1st century CE as an important
trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous
tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese Empire,
the Iberian Union and the Ottoman Empire at various points in its history. A
regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far
as East Africa and Zanzibar.
As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman,
Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians and the
Balochis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970,
Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the
growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society. Muscat is termed as a
Global City.
The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape
of Muscat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in
the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz.
Low-lying white buildings
typify most of Muscat's urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah,
with its corniche and harbour, form the north-eastern periphery of the city.
Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum, liquified natural gas and
porting.
The city referred to as "Muscat" is, in fact, three
smaller towns which have grown together over time. They are:
- Muscat
- often referred to as the "walled city", Muscat proper is the
site of the royal palaces.
- Matrah
(Matruh) - originally a fishing village, and home to the maze-like Matrah
Souq.
- Ruwi
- generally considered the commercial and diplomatic centre of the city.
This tripartite division will sometimes cause the visitor an
inconvenience, as distances between sites, can be very long.
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| Sultan Qaboos yacht in Muttrah harbour - Muscat |
Road scenes Rustaq to Muscat
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| Highway to Barka after heavy rains |
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| Highway to Barka after heavy rains |
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| Views from the taxi - Highway to Barka after heavy rains |
The Hotel
A contemporary, business-friendly airport hotel in thriving Muscat
For a successful business or leisure trip to Oman's picturesque capital, the Holiday Inn Muscat Al Seeb places you where you need to be.
It's just a fifteen-minute drive from Muscat International Airport to the hotel's stylish lobby, where guests find a warm welcome and a relaxing vibe.
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| The Muscat Holiday Inn hotel building at dusk |
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| Entrance foyer and reception area |
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| Entrance foyer and reception area |
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| Seating area in the hotel |
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| Petunia flower containers outside the hotel |
Our room
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| The 6th floor - We were in room 607 |
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| Our room furniture |
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| Yeah a weekend away from Rustaq |
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| Watching TV |
Views
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| Views of Seeb, Muscat from the 6th floor |
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| Views of Seeb, Muscat from the 6th floor |
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| Views of the hotel swimming pool from the 6th floor |
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| View of other surrounding hotels and apartments |
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| Close-up of the crane on a nearby construction site |
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| Bowling alley across the street - Views of Seeb, Muscat from the 6th floor |
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| Views of Seeb, Muscat from the 6th floor |
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| Views of Seeb, Muscat from the 6th floor |
The Swimming Pool
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| Hotel pools |
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| Hotel baby pool |
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| gym entrance |
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| Pool area |
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| Enjoying a swim in the pool |
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| Enjoying the swimming pool at dusk |
Meals at the Hotel Restaurant
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| Hotel chef and breakfast buffet |
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| Place settings |
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| Breakfast buffet |
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| Breakfast buffet |
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| Breakfast buffet confectionary |
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| Breakfast buffet - Fruit and yogurt |
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| Hotel chef at the omelet-making station |
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| Breakfast buffet - cheese selection |
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| Breakfast buffet - Cereals |
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| Ansu at the breakfast table |
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| Our Filipino waitress |
Takeaways from McDonald's
Only Breakfast was included in our stay, so for dinner, I took a walk to restaurants near the hotel. Ansu wasn't up for the walk and stayed in the room watching TV.
I found a McDonald's and took our meals back to the hotel room to enjoy.
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| Restaurants near the hotel at night |
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| Entrance to the McDonald's |
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| McDonald's |
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| Counter menu |
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| TinTin happy meal |
Seeb City Centre
We took a taxi from the hotel one evening and went to Seeb City Centre, did a bit of window shopping and ended up having steak dinner and milkshakes at our favorite restaurant in Oman, Chili's.
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