If you've searched the internet for private medical insurance that covers expats in Oman then you are most likely for looking for trusted UK based health insurance companies that will cover your medical costs in Oman.
Living as an expatriate in Oman you want to avoid any unwanted and unexpected medical costs. In some countries these can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds for serious medical conditions.
Our advice when shopping around for private medical insurance that covers expatriates living in Oman is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is incredibly complicated and if you want complete certainty that Oman is covered by your policy you should talk with a medical insurance broker who can explain which policy providers will cover medical expenses for expatriates in Oman and which will exclude it.
There are many advantages to using a insurance broker but the biggest by far is that you're using their industry experience at no cost. They are paid by the insurer (Aviva or Bupa etc) rather than you so it costs you no extra to use their brokering services.
- Do you reside in many different areas? Some will give you a lower premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
- Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance policy? A broker will know this vital information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different insurance policies?
- You've lean't you're at risk of developing a certain condition and want to know which policy provider offers the largest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you huge amounts of time and effort.
You can call around every medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they provider cover for expats in Oman, however this will be a very time consuming process. Each insurer will ask for your medical history because its not normally a simple yes or not if a medical condition is covered or not.
Its far far quicker to speak to one health insurance broker which will know which providers on the market offer cover for expats in Oman and under what conditions they do or don't cover it.
Oman Information
Oman is a country on the Arabian Peninsula. Tourism in Oman grew considerably during the 2000s, and a 2013 report predicted that it would become one of the largest industries in the nation. In 2019, Oman attracted about 4.1 million visitors from around the world, a massive increase from 3.1 million in 2017 as per the 2019 Tourism Statistic Bulletin from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), Oman.
Oman has various tourist attractions, particularly within the realm of cultural tourism. Muscat was named the best city to visit in the world by American travel guide publisher Lonely Planet in 2012, and was chosen as the Capital of Arab Tourism of 2012.
Visitors to Oman must obtain a visa prior to travel unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. Citizens of member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council may travel to Oman without visa limits. Nationals of 69 other countries can apply for visa online which are valid for a period of 30 days. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
Oman's coast is lined with many beaches, with resort hotels on the coast west and east of Muscat. Activities including sunbathing, swimming, kitesurfing, diving, snorkeling, boating and water scooters, surfing, beach combing, shell collecting and fishing excursions.
Camelback or four-wheel drive journeys into the Wahiba Sands and other desert areas are popular, sometimes incorporating stays in Barsti huts, barbecues, camel riding, sandboarding and visits to Bedouin communities.
The limestone rich sedimentary deposits of Oman's mountains have led to cave formation in many places. In 2008, the Ministry of Tourism issued a plan to develop Majlis al Jinn, the world's second largest cave, as a show cave, after their first show cave, Al Hoota Cave, attracted 75,000 visitors in the first year of operation. There are caves which can be accessed by amateurs, like Muqal Cave in Wadi Bani and Khalid in Ash Sharqiyah region, while others need considerable effort, training, experience and specialized equipment.
Omani souqs (markets) are popular with tourists, and are highly diverse with stalls selling handicrafts such as silver and gold artefacts and textiles. There are souqs in every Omani town, with the Ruwi and Muttrah Souqs the best known in Muscat.
Nearly every Omani city and town has a fort, most of which were built, or had major expansions, during the Al-Yarubi dynasty between 1624 and 1744. Their purpose was as a refuge for the people and a last line of defense for the town. Forts were prepared to withstand long sieges with water wells, food storing capacity and secret tunnels ending many kilometers away from the walls of the fort. In times of peace they served as centres of governance, educational establishments or community facilities.
Various sites were important in the production and distribution of frankincense, which was once a sought-after item of luxury in antiquity, including the ancient ports of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed, and the caravan oases of Shisr and Wadi Dawkah
Five falajs were inscribed in 2006 to represent an irrigation method dating back to at least 500 CE, and still used in most Omani towns and villages, that distributes water through gravity.