Oman has always been held in a different light to some of its neighbours in the Gulf.
Parts of it have become a haven for visitors from India, who travel there when temperatures get too high at home.
It also attracts impressive figures thanks to its offer of unique tourism, based around nature, culture and history rather than glamour concentrated in skyscraper-dominated cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that a decision has been made to build six new regional airports, in addition to two that have already opened in the past seven years.
According to Oman Civil Aviation Authority’s chairman, Naif bin Ali al Abri, the new airports are scheduled to open in 2028/29, as part of its plans to expand domestic travel and inbound tourism.
In 2023, Oman welcomed over three million international tourists, an incredible 41.2 percent increase from the previous year, according to Zawya. 81,987 flights arrived and 92,931 flights departed from India.
Passenger numbers are forecast to reach 50 million by 2040, CAPA reported, with the majority currently arriving at the two main airports at Muscat, the capital, and Salalah in the south.
Oman plans to invest $31 billion (£24.3 billion) in its tourism sector by 2040 to attract more international visitors.
While the location of all the sites has not yet been confirmed, one will be at Ras Al Musandam, locally known as Ruus Al Jibal, which is an Omani exclave in a multi-governmental area (with the UAE) overlooking the Straits of Hormuz.
The Straits are strategically important, and Ras Al Musandam is only 62 miles from the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, which raises the question of co-usage with the military, though no specific mention of that outcome has been made.
The Musandam airport is expected to be completed in the second half of 2028. It will have a single runway, taxiway and a terminal, together with a service and hangar area suitable for handling aircraft up to the size of the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320.
Other sites are believed to include Masirah, an island off the Omani Indian Ocean coast close to Duqm, already the site of a military airfield.
Regarded as a “safe” country in a turbulent region, additional airspace has also been added to Oman as airlines try to avoid more troubled countries.
Oman is a diverse and accessible tourist destination with natural beauty, cultural treasures and a traditional atmosphere. The capital, Muscat, has a historic district home to whitewashed buildings, a grand mosque and two forts, but the tourist authority prefers to focus on its spectacular mountains, wind-blown deserts and pristine coastline.
A previous focus on up-market resort and hotel development has been replaced by one of three and four-star establishments, indicating a shift in socio-economic preferences towards more budget-friendly tourists.
On the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the Musandam Peninsula has striking landscapes, while the natural Bimmah Sinkhole has turquoise waters and limestone cliffs.
The winter months between November and March are the best time to visit Oman, with daytime temperatures averaging between 25 and 30C and highs of 27C in December. In the summer, temperatures reach scorching levels of 40C or above.
Oman was voted the seventh top country globally as a travel destination for tourism in 2022 by Lonely Planet.
