Outpost Muscat 11/2005
Driving license
The following driving licenses are transferable in Oman without taking a driving test:All Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) - Australia - Austria - Belgium - Brunei (driving license must be one year old) - Canada - Denmark - Egypt - Finland - France - Iran - Ireland - Italy - Japan (after translation) - Jordan - Lebanon - Luxemburg - Monaco - Morocco - the Netherlands - New Zealand - Norway - South Africa - Spain - Sweden- Switzerland - Syria - Tunis - Turkey - United Kingdom - United States of America - Germany.
For countries not listed above, the
following rules apply:
"Please be advised that
the Traffic Law permits expatriates on a visit visa
to drive rental cars for 3 months, while holding an
International Driving License. Expatriates on
employment visas should have an Omani driving
license, according to the job classification list of
Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour and Vocational
Training." "Every legal expatriate
residing in Oman may own up to three vehicles."
(Royal Oman Police Memo dated 20th December 1998).
Initial transport
New arrivals, carrying Royal Oman Police (ROP) approved licenses (see Driving license below), are given a company car to enable them to quickly make the necessary domestic arrangements after arrival (e.g. car purchase). They have the free use of a supply department pool car for up to a maximum of 10 consecutive days after their arrival which may be extended on exceptional basis up to a maximum of 30 days (at a cost).Normally 10 days are enough for the employee to exchange his/her country-driving license with an Omani license. Without the Omani driving license, employees are not allowed to drive any other car but the company car.
The Company will provide a letter of introduction
to the banks, should new arrivals wish to take a
personal loan for a car purchase.
License and insurance
All traffic in Oman drives on the right; hence, cars with steering on the left are necessary. In order to drive a car (your own, rental or leased one), you must hold a valid Oman driving license. You are required to produce proof of insurance when applying for a vehicle license and the registration form requires the insurance policy number. Staff is strongly advised to be properly insured. Insurance can be arranged locally and insurance representatives visit the Main Offices on a regular basis. New arrivals should bring their last 'no claim' certificates with them, as it is possible to obtain discounts. Register all cars and motorcycles upon arrival in Oman. You will have to pay a 'Road Fund License Fee' annually.It may be possible to get a PDO employee through the driving test in about one week. Driving licenses for employees and their spouses are processed through the Supply Department and will be issued on production of a valid license, preferably from the country of domicile.
Formalities should be completed as soon as possible. Applicants should then have their eyes tested by the Medical department who will issue a certificate, or at the police station, which issues the license. Attendance at the police station is necessary.
Processing of a full Oman license is usually
completed within one day after application.
If you have renewed your driving license less than a
year ago, it is advisable to bring your old driving
license with you as the Royal Oman Police may
require proof that you were already driving for
longer than one year.
The inability of spouses to drive will
considerably restrict family mobility since walking
to shops, school or club is not practical. There is
no public transport of worth. On the other hand,
there are plenty of taxis and you could arrange with
a driver.
Purchase of car and driving
In view of the general layout of the Capital area, the climate and the mode of public transport, it is essential for staff to have a private car, and essential for wives to be able to drive. A good network of tarmac roads exists throughout the Capital area and similar trunk roads link the Capital to major centres in the Interior and to the United Arab Emirates. The majority of staff purchases air-conditioned cars in view of the summer climate. Most families own two cars, one possibly a four wheel drive for travelling around the country. The spouse needs a car to transport the children to/from school and to other after school activities and to do the shopping. A wide selection of European, American and Japanese new cars is available and it is possible to purchase a reasonably priced new car within a few days after arrival. In general, car prices compare very favourably with Europe. Discounts can be obtained on cash purchases. Cars bought in the Sultanate are all fitted with air-conditioners. Not having an air-conditioner is a serious drawback, especially in summer, as cars quite often cannot be parked in the shade and the temperature inside can reach 60 degrees Celsius. An excellent second hand car market exists. On the notice boards in the office, at the club or at the supermarkets one can find cars on offer from Expatriates leaving Oman.
At the Outpost office we have documents available on 'How to import your car ', 'How to export your car' and 'How to register and insure a car in Oman', describing the procedure to follow including insurance and ROP registration. Please contact the office for a personal copy.
Staff and their families are strongly advised not to drink alcohol and drive. Not only does such behaviour increase the risk of an accident, it can result in heavy fines and imprisonment. In addition, continued employment with the Company could be affected. In car accidents where alcohol is involved the insurance companies may refuse to pay for repairs or any personal compensation claims.
It has been reported that driving in Oman is quite more dangerous than driving in Europe. Most accidents are caused due to deliberate acts of rule breaking and not driving defensively. PDO offers several driving courses such as interior driving, off road and defensive driving.
All accidents or damage must be reported to the
Police, otherwise repairs will be refused by the
garages. If you do have an accident, stay where you
are until the police arrives. If it is not your
fault the other driver may ask you to move the car,
but it is best not to. Make sure you always carry in
your car: your driving license, the motor vehicle
license (copy) and Resident Card (copy).
Parking cards
Metered parking in the metropolitan area requires that you carry 50 Baiza or 25 Baiza coins when using public parking. The alternative is to purchase parking cards for OMR 2 or OMR 3 (which provide 20 and 30 parking hours respectively) at the Muscat Municipality offices.
Motorists who are not carrying coins or parking
cards can park their vehicles in pay and park zones
in Muscat by sending an SMS to the number 90091,
mentioning the registration number of the car. The
sender will immediately get a message confirming
reservation from the municipality. The reservation
charge will be 60 baiza, which includes 10 baiza
towards the message charge.
Taxis
Most taxis have distinctive orange and white stripes and are not metered. Always agree on a price and ensure they are equipped with proper seatbelts before you embark.