Oman officially called the Sultanate of Oman is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam enclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

Although Arabic is Oman's official language, there are native speakers of different dialects, as well as Balochi, or offshoots of Southern Arabian, a Semitic language only distantly related to Arabic. Swahili is also widely spoken in the country due to the historical relations between Oman and Zanzibar. The dominant indigenous language is a dialect of Arabic and the country has also adopted English as a second language. Almost all signs and writings appear in both Arabic and English.

In November 2010, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) listed Oman as the most-improved nation over the last 40 years from among 135 countries worldwide. According to international indices, Oman is one of the most developed and stable countries in the region (Wikipedia).

Oman is a country of enormous diversity and natural beauty, which, while it has much to attract the discerning traveler, had until recent years been largely overlooked by international tourists. The government was anxious not to promote the Sultanate to tourists until it was ready to accommodate them. Now, with an enviable infrastructure securely in place, a wide range of international hotels and a wealth of things to see and do, Oman is ready to offer its traditional hospitality to visitors from around the world.

With a coastline of 1700km, Oman offers some of the cleanest, most stunning beaches a visitor could hope to see. Few beaches are private, except some attached to the beach resort hotels, or those adjoining military or official property. Weekend picnics and barbeques are popular on the beach. Many coves are perfect for snorkeling and with fairly gentle shelves, are good for children (Ministry of Information, Sultanate of Oman).