Utilities & Services

 ELECTRICITY | WATER | SEWERAGE | TELEPHONE | POSTAL SERVICES | TELEVISION

ELECTRICITY
The electricity supply in Oman is 220/240 volts and 50 cycles. Sockets correspond to the British 3 pin plug but most appliances come with a 2 pin fitting, so you have to use adaptors or change the plug. The 2 pin plug with external metal earthing must be plugged into an appropriate adaptor which can be found at most large stores.  

WATER
Some water comes from natural wells, but most is from the sea, processed at a desalination plant at Al Ghubrah. The main water supply is very reliable but not all of Muscat is connected to it. Keep an eye on your electricity bill and meter readings as a underground leak may lead to a hefty bill. For residential areas where the main water supply is not connected, your water tank needs to be filled every 2 or 3 days by a water truck. Ro 25 /month is a standard rate you should expect to pay.

Drinking Water
Oman’s water is safe for drinking having been purified 8 times. Because of the chlorine in the water, most people use 20 litre bottles in their homes and offices. These are supplied by various companies:

 SEWERAGE
 All properties in Oman have septic tanks which need to be cleared about once a year by the yellow sewage trucks. The cost is between RO 10 to RO 14.

GAS
 Oman doesn’t have mains gas but there are plenty of bottled gas suppliers. You pay RO 15 -20 as a deposit and RO 3 per refill.                              

Some Gas Suppliers:
Bidarco	24 811 689
Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC	24 703 411
Noor Al Ghroob Trading	24 812 224
Oman Industrial Gas Co	24 813 012

 TELEPHONE
Omantel used to be the sole provider of landline, mobile and internet services. Nawras is the new GSM service provider. Recently privatized, Omantel has invested in the latest technology and offers an efficient service. At peak times, you may experience connection problems with your mobile phone or internet. The Omani Government follows a "Access for all" policy which keeps the charges low and the rates usually decrease rather than increase.

 Landlines are offered only to residents. The GSM section of Omantel, Oman Mobile offers a Hayak kit for RO 30 for non residents. As a resident you can apply for a GSM contract.  

     POSTAL SERVICES
The postal system is reliable and efficient. All mail is routed through the Central Post office and distributed to the Post Office Boxes. Most people use their company addresses but you can apply for an individual PO Box number to your local post office. Most leading courier companies have branches in Oman.                              

Al Hamriya	24 798 311
Al Harthy Complex	24 563 534
Jawaharat A'Shati Complex	24 692 181
Madinat As Sultan Qaboos	24 697 083
Mina Al Fahal	24 565 465
Muscat	24 738 547
Ruwi	24 701 651
Seeb	24 519 922
SQU Campus	24 413 333

TELEVISION
Oman TV is the only local channel which broadcasts mainly in Arabic. Satellite TV offers a huge choice of channels. Every house has a satellite dish attached. Pay TV channels require you to pay for the equipment (dish, decoder), installation and subscription for the channels you want to watch. Free-to-air channels require only the equipment installation [Mostly Arabic and Hindi]. A greater variety of English programs is offered on pay channels. Most satellite providers offer bundled packages. Some of which are listed below.

Al As'hab trading Co LLC	24 837 477
Al Hamili Telecommunication.	24 830 550
Mohd & partners Electronic Store LLC	24 832 725
Orbit Direct	24 489 499
Salim Al Humaidi Trading	24 836 708
Shanfari & partners	23 290 139
Showtime	971 4 367 7160