A quiet road in a mountainous area of Oman with street lamps and some buildings on the side.

Roads in Oman

Roads in Oman

Written by: Michaela Eckmüller Last updated at: May 21, 2025

The infrastructure in Oman is modern and has now been well developed. When the oil business was started in 1967, it was hardly present. However, a good infrastructure was necessary to bring the progress that Sultan Qaboos envisioned for Oman and which he has continuously advanced since coming to power in 1970. In this respect, most roads in the country were only built in the 1970s or later.

Expansion of the road network

The road network in Oman is about 60,000 kilometers long. Almost every small town in the country is now connected to the network of paved roads. In recent years, 2000 kilometers of highway have been built to simplify transportation within the country. The well-developed roads, which lead through deserts and remote wadis to connect urban centers and small towns, are viewed differently. While supporters praise the progress and simplification of travel that the expansion of the roads brings, opponents criticize the ecological damage that is caused.

Means of transportation

The days when people in Oman rode camels through the desert to get from one place to another are long gone. Most Omanis own a car. Newer models, mostly from Japan, are driven. Jeeps are also frequently encountered on the roads. After all, there are still areas where one must switch to off-road driving. Off-road tourism, which was once one of the main branches of tourism in Oman, is being restricted by the ongoing expansion of the road network, as guided bus tours can now easily reach remote places.

Discover Oman with experts who have called it their home

Your dream holiday, tailor-made by experts.

We don't just know Oman from books, we visit the country several times a year to experience the culture, landscape and people first-hand.

From your first enquiry to your return home, we are there for you personally - by phone, email or WhatsApp, whenever you need us. Our trips are as unique as you are: individually planned and provided with exclusive privileges and high-quality arrangements that will make your trip unforgettable.

You might also like this

A lush green valley with a flowing river surrounded by rocky hills and mountains under a clear blue sky.

Wadi Tiwi

1 min read

When you explore Oman from the coastal roads you will continually encounter a typical natural attraction of the country. So-called wadis stretch along the coastal strip. Wadis are dry riverbeds that flow into the sea. These valleys are home to a unique flora and fauna and resemble dreamy oases. Wadi Tiwi is located just 3 km from the town of the same name. Wadi Tiwi is densely vegetated and its mountain formations contrast fascinatingly with the vegetation. Over a distance of about 10 kilometers, you can explore this palm-rich wadi from above and enjoy a great view of its shape. Several small ...

A view of deep canyon with steep rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation in a desert landscape.

Geography

1 min read

The Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. To the northwest, the country borders the United Arab Emirates, to the west Saudi Arabia, and to the southwest Yemen. The 1,700-kilometer-long coast in the east forms a natural border. There, Oman borders the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf. The total area of the country is 309,000 square kilometers. Thus, the state is just slightly smaller than Germany. The territory includes the exclave Musandam at the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates separate Musandam from the rest of the country. The...

A person holding a Nikon camera points it towards a Shell gas station on a clear day.

Oil & Pipelines in Oman

3 min read

When the first cargo ship loaded with oil set sail from Oman in 1967 and headed out into the world, a new era began for the country on the Persian Gulf. Once a trading superpower that traded with China and maintained its own trading posts in Africa, Oman had become a simple and impoverished desert state where people lived off agriculture and livestock farming in the few arable areas. There were hardly any other sources of income, leaving the population poor and largely uneducated. The vast land was barely governable, leading to regular tribal conflicts and sometimes civil war-like conditions. ...