Oman tops global nighttime safety rankings: Survey

Muscat: Oman has emerged as one of the world’s safest countries to walk alone at night, according to the Gallup 2025 Global Safety Report, conducted in collaboration with Condé Nast, with a confidence rating of 94 per cent.
This places Oman alongside Singapore, China and Saudi Arabia in the top tier of global safety rankings, highlighting Oman’s strong institutions, reliable infrastructure and cohesive communities as the key foundations of its sense of security.
The report, which surveyed over 145,000 adults across 144 countries, asked participants whether they feel safe walking alone at night, their confidence in local police forces and whether they had experienced theft or assault in the past year. The results show that Omanis and residents enjoy a remarkable level of personal safety, reflecting visible law enforcement, well-maintained public spaces, and a culture of social responsibility that permeates both urban and rural areas.
Oman’s high ranking is the result of several interlinked factors, including strong institutional trust, with Omanis and residents expressing confidence in the Sultanate of Oman’s law enforcement agencies, particularly the Royal Oman Police, which maintain visible patrols and respond promptly to security concerns; well-maintained infrastructure, from well-lit streets and pedestrian-friendly pathways to secure public transport networks; and a tightly knit social fabric emphasising mutual respect, civility and collective responsibility, which fosters communities where people feel secure and supported.

The survey further notes that other countries rounding out the world’s ten safest nations to walk alone at night include Singapore (98 per cent), Tajikistan (95 per cent), China (94 per cent), Saudi Arabia (93 per cent), Hong Kong, SAR of China (91 per cent), Kuwait (91 per cent), Norway (91 per cent), Bahrain (90 per cent ) and the United Arab Emirates (90 per cent), with the top-ranked nations sharing a combination of strong governance, visible law enforcement, social cohesion and investment in infrastructure that together create predictable, secure environments after dark.
Globally, the survey highlights stark contrasts: Latin America and parts of sub-Saharan Africa, such as Brazil (51 per cent), Nigeria (53 per cent) and South Africa (33 per cent), report weaker perceptions of safety, reflecting long-standing issues of crime, political instability and urban challenges, while countries like India (72 per cent), Bulgaria and Cyprus occupy a middle tier, showing progress but also revealing gaps in urban planning and social equity.
The Gallup Global Safety Report underscores that safety is not merely the absence of crime but is built through strong institutions, dependable infrastructure, visible law enforcement and cohesive communities, and Oman’s top ranking demonstrates how governance, cultural norms and community trust can combine to make residents feel secure, even after dark, offering a model for other nations seeking to enhance public confidence and safety.