Oman among top favourite countries for expats

Muscat: Oman is a safe and friendly destination coming in the 24th place out of 59 countries and performs best in the Ease of Settling in Index (6th), stated insider report for the best and worst places for expats.

According to the report the majority of expats 83 per cent are happy with the friendliness of the local population towards foreign residents vs. 67 per cent globally. Another 86 per cent rate the general friendliness positively vs. 69 per cent globally.

An expat from the Philippines likes that “the locals are very friendly and hospitable."

Additionally, 58 per cent of expats find it easy to make local friends vs. 44 per cent globally. In Oman, most expats 60 per cent have a fairly mixed group of friends and acquaintances that includes both expats and locals vs. 48 per cent globally.

Most expats feel at home in Oman’s local culture 69 per cent vs. 63 per cent globally and find it easy to live there without speaking the local language 84 per cent vs. 54 per cent globally.

 
In the Quality of Life Index, Oman places 32nd, doing best in the Safety and Security subcategory (6th). Nearly all expats 97 per cent rate the peacefulness positively vs. 80 per cent globally, placing the country second worldwide for this factor. An expat from Sri Lanka shares: “It is a very peaceful place to live and raise a family.”

Over 91 percent of expats are happy with the country’s political stability vs. 64 per cent globally. On the other hand, 17 per cent of expats in Oman rate the unrestricted access to online services negatively vs. 7 per cent globally.

 
Oman lands among the bottom 10 in the Health and Well-Being subcategory (50th): just 43 per cent of respondents find healthcare affordable vs. 61 per cent globally, and 21 per cent rate the quality of medical care negatively vs. 14 per cent globally. However, the country receives better results in the Quality of the Environment subcategory (17th), with 79 per cent of expats being satisfied with the air quality vs. 66 per cent globally.

Where work and money are the downsides, the report shows that Oman ranks in a low 49th place in the Working Abroad Index. Only 24 per cent of expats are happy with the local career opportunities vs. 45 per cent globally. Just 58 per cent of expats are satisfied with their jobs in general vs. 68 per cent globally.

Many expats in Oman work in the field of education 20 per cent vs. 12 per cent globally, followed by construction 14 per cent vs. Three per cent globally, and finance 10 per cent vs. 8 per cent globally.

The country also performs poorly in the Personal Finance Index (45th): 28 per cent of expats say their disposable household income is not enough to cover all their expenses vs. 23 per cent globally. While just 30 per cent of expats worldwide report an annual income of less than 25,000 USD, this is the case for 40 percent of expats in Oman. A large share 24 per cent even has an income of less than 12,000 USD yearly vs. 15 per cent globally. This may be the reason why only 54 per cent of expats are satisfied with their financial situation, compared to 64 per cent globally.