Overview
- Ruler: Sultan and Prime Minister Haytham Bin Tariq bin Taimur Al-Said
- Government: Absolute Monarchy
- Dialling Code +968
- Population 4.975 million
- Regulatory Body: Oman Medical Speciality Board (OMSB)
- Religion Ibadi Islam.
- Capital: Muscat
Oman formally known as the Sultanate Oman is the oldest independent Arab state in the world, with its current dynasty formed sometime in the 17th century with its power peaking in the 19th century and their control and influence stretched all the way to modern day Iran and Pakistan. Oman gained its independence in 1951 from being a British protectorate. It is oldest settlement Al Wattih, which dates to 10,000 years ago in 8,000 BC is also one of the world’s oldest settlements. Unlike some of the other nations in the region, during the Arab spring Oman remained stable and peaceful. Oman is also one of the cheapest countries in in the region with a far lower cost of living than that of the Emirates or Qatar.
Healthcare
In 1970 only 13 doctors covered the 724,000 population of Oman. Today there are now 75 hospitals that are internationally accredited and 226 primary care centres. Life expectancy has jumped from 50 in 1970 to 76 today. The former ruler Sultan Qaboos made universal healthcare a goal for the nation and by 2000 healthcare in Oman was ranked at number 8 by the WHO. Free primary care healthcare has al increased the quality and efficiency of healthcare in Oman. Most of the hospitals in Oman are in the public sector under the patronage of the Ministry of Health with a few good private facilities such as Muscat Private Hospital, the first private facility in the country to receive JCI to accreditation.
The Job
Working in the healthcare sector in Oman will be very much like working in one of the most advanced healthcare systems you have worked in already. Clinical governance and outcomes will resemble those in the UK and US. Your colleagues will be trained in places like these places and there is a growing number of Omani consultant physicians and surgeons.
Life outside the hospital
Oman is seen by most as the most welcoming, safest, and stable country in the region. Accommodation is easily arranged but is often paid for in quarterly or annually, which is something that should be prepared. Muscat is a small city, and the expatriate community is pretty tight-knit so networking is slightly easier than in some of the other nations in the gulf. As with other nations in the region things move a little more slowly as the system is hierarchical meaning that there will often be an Omani making the decision. There are several international schools there which expats can send their children to. With Muscat sitting on the Indian ocean and being one of the oldest cities in the world there is always something to see. Oman’s age allows for there to be a much more settled “soft” culture with things such the Royal Opera House.