Muscat – Oman is among the most welcoming countries in the world for expatriates with the sultanate ranked second for general friendliness towards foreign residents, according to the Expat Insider 2022 survey.

Oman comes 12th out of 52 destinations in the survey with the country ranking best in the Ease of Settling In and Expat Essentials Indices (fifth for both). The country ranks third in the Local Friendliness Subcategory, with 89 per cent describing Omanis as generally friendly towards foreign residents (vs 65 per cent globally).

In fact, Oman ranks second worldwide for general friendliness towards foreign residents, only beaten by Mexico.

Mexico (first), Indonesia (second), and Taiwan (third) make up the top three destinations, all ranking very well in the Ease of Settling In and Personal Finance Indices. On the other hand, the bottom three destinations – Kuwait (52nd), New Zealand, and Hong Kong – all perform poorly in terms of personal finances for expats.

This is the ninth edition of the Expat Insider survey published by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community with more than 4mn members. With nearly 12,000 respondents, it is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad, providing insights into expat life in 52 destinations.

The survey offers in-depth information on expats’ satisfaction with the Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, and Personal Finance in their respective country of residence.
For the first time, the ranking also includes the new Expat Essentials Index, which covers digital life, admin topics, housing, and language.

Although Oman performs well in friendliness and Expat Essentials Indices, expats are unhappy with regard to Working Abroad (39th) and Quality of Life (38th). Oman ranks in a fairly average place for Personal Finance (21st). Overall, 72 per cent of expats are happy with their life in Oman, compared to 71 per cent globally.

A welcoming culture
It is very easy for expats to find their footing in Oman, as the country ranks fifth out of 52 in the Ease of Settling In index. In fact, nearly four in five expats in Oman (79 per cent) feel welcome (vs 66 per cent globally).
“There is a good, accommodating culture here,” says a Pakistani expat. A British expat notes that “the local people are very friendly and make you feel very welcome in the relaxed atmosphere”.

Supported and connected expats
With a friendly and welcoming culture, Finding Friends is also a high point. Oman ranks tenth in this subcategory. Nearly two in three expats in Oman (65 per cent) find it easy to make local friends (vs 42 per cent) globally). Close to two-thirds of expats (63 per cent) have a personal support network in Oman (vs 59 per cent) globally), and 73 per cent find it easy to get used to the local culture (vs 62 per cent globally).

The basics of life in Oman
Oman also excels in the Expat Essentials Index (fifth), ranking in the top ten in both the Housing (eighth) and Language (seventh) subcategories. Expats say that housing is easy to find (79 per cent vs 54 per cent globally) and to afford (57 per cent vs 39 per cent globally) in Oman.
Additionally, it is easy to live in Oman without speaking the local language (75 per cent vs 51 per cent globally). However, expat life in Oman is not completely free: 13 per cent of expats feel that their access to online services, such as social media, is restricted, nearly twice the global average (seven per cent).

Disappointing job prospects
Expats rate Oman rather poorly when it comes to Working Abroad (39th). The majority of expats in Oman (53 per cent) is unhappy with the local job market, nearly double the global average (27 per cent).

Oman ends up in the bottom ten for personal career opportunities (46th). Accordingly, nearly one in three expats (31 per cent) are unhappy with this factor (vs 22 per cent globally). An Indian expat feels that “there are no career opportunities for women”.

Mixed results for work culture
Salary is another low point for Oman, as about one in four expats (26 per cent) feel that they are not paid fairly for their work (vs 20 per cent globally). What is more, 36 per cent are also worried about their job security, compared to 20 per cent globally. Only 45 per cent feel that the work culture in Oman supports flexibility (vs 60 per cent globally), which makes the country fall behind today’s increasingly modern world of business. Still, 66 per cent are happy with their work-life balance (vs 62 per cent globally).

Difficulty getting out and about
Oman falls short when it comes to Leisure Options (46th): over one in three expats (34 per cent) are unhappy with the culture and nightlife (vs 16 per cent globally), and 15 per cent are not satisfied with the opportunities for recreational sports (vs 11 per cent globally).

It also seems hard to get to the activities, since the country ranks in the bottom ten for both affordability (46th) and the availability (52nd) of public transportation. While 73 per cent of expats find it easy to get around on foot and/or by bicycle (vs 77 per cent globally), they are happiest with the infrastructure for cars (91 per cent vs 75 per cent globally).