Don't visit the Sultanate of Oman. Tourism in Oman is extremely dangerous.
Do not trust tourist information about Oman that you may have received from official sources.
Photo: Wild camels eating garbage in the streets of Muscat, the capital of Oman
WARNING: This is a serious travel advisory regarding tourism in Oman
If you are a tourist, traveler, bird watcher, scuba diver, honeymooner, fisherman, photographer, off-road adventurer, geologist, naturalist or other visitor planning a trip to Oman, think again. Tourists visiting Oman during 2005 (foreign nationals from Europe, Russia, and the United States) have been arrested, jailed, interrogated, refused contact with embassies, family and friends, and detained for up to six weeks in Oman without being charged with any crime or misdemeanor.
Valuable personal possessions worth many thousands of dollars, including cameras and video recorders, personal photographs and business records, laptop computers, cash and checks, radios, binoculars, luggage, GPS units and much more have been stolen from United States, German, Latvian, and Russian citizens by high-ranking Omani government officials.
Passports belonging to foreign visitors have been confiscated by Omani government officials for no reason, and tourists have not been allowed to leave the country.
If you are a tourist planning travel in Oman this could happen to you
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Photo: U.S., European, and Russian citizens detained in an Omani hotel room for six weeks by government officials
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Photo: A bug (listening device) hidden under a coffee mug and planted in a tourist's hotel room by Omani officials
Personal statement from a recent visitor to Oman:
"If you visit Oman, you may be arrested, cell phone confiscated and thrown in jail. Not allowed to call anyone including friends, help, attorney, embassy, consulate, family or anyone who may give a damn about you. You will not even know what you may or may not have done wrong. Not given the chance to defend yourself or even face your accusers. Not given a trial or a representative of the court system to at least give you a clue what's going on. The Omanis won't even tell your embassy what's going on until you are deported and black-listed for forever (forever is a real real long time).
The Omanis can, at their will, deem you guilty and deport you, just so these thieves don't have to give your possessions back. They do this to keep the publicity to a minimum so as not to harm their tourism (the next suckers to come along might be you!)."
— John B., United States citizen, amateur geologist, and tourist, arrested and detained in Oman for six weeks during 2005, without charge. All of John's personal possessions were stolen by senior Omani officials. Nothing has been returned despite an official complaint to the U.S. State Department