There were lots of new developments in Oman this past week. Here's a look at our top news stories of the week, with our weekly News Rewind:
Tourists can now stay in Oman for a week longer on a multiple entry one year visa, thanks to new regulations issued by Royal Oman Police. The force has made changes to the Foreigner Residency Law, including extending the length of stay in Oman for tourists from three weeks at a time to one month for one year visa holders.
Salalah's first water park, Hawana Aqua Park, is expected to open by the end of this year, authorities announced on Monday. Promising fun for all ages, the new world-class water park will accommodate up to 500 people per day. With a total land area exceeding 65,000 square meters, the development will feature a dedicated food court, a retail shopping area, and a large parking area for guests.
Rain is expected to fall in northern Oman within the next month, according to the National Centre for Early Warning and Risks at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation. "In addition to the possibility of a significant decrease in temperatures associated with the northern wind, there will be low clouds on most of the coast of the Sultanate with the increasing probability of winter rains in Musandam and northern Oman in general," a spokesman said.
Real-estate agents revealed that office rents in CBD have nearly halved during the recent years. "As a large number of banks moved away from CBD, the office rents dropped considerably," Sudhakar Reddy, chief executive officer, Al Habib & Co LLC said, after releasing the Property Report in October 2017.
There has never been a better time to rent a home in Oman, after a new report revealed monthly rents have dropped by as much as 25 per cent in the last three years. Average rates of rent in various parts on Muscat were also released in the report titled 'Winter 2017/18 Property Market Outlook', released byreal estate agency Cluttons.