You’d probably laugh, as I do, if you could hear the concern from friends and family back in the UK when they ask whether I feel safe living in Oman, especially given the current regional conflict.
Even in this time of war, my Omani wife and I genuinely feel safer here than we ever did in the UK. The concerns are always well meant, but they don’t match my experience and the facts.
If you look at the numbers, the contrast is striking. Oman’s homicide rate is typically well below 1 per 100,000 people, compared with around 2 in the United Kingdom and roughly 6 in the USA.
Rates of robbery and violent assault follow a similar pattern. The 2025 Gallup Law and Order Index reinforces this: around 94 per cent of people in Oman, including women, report feeling safe walking alone at night, compared with roughly 75 per cent in the UK and about 70 per cent in the USA.
With so many variables at play, one should be wary of quoting exact percentages, but they help explain why daily life here feels — and is — safer. What makes the Gallup index particularly interesting is how it defines “safety.” It doesn’t rely purely on crime statistics; instead, it measures lived experience through a few direct questions.
People are asked whether they feel safe walking alone at night, whether they trust their local police and whether they or someone they know has experienced theft or assault in the past year. These criteria give a realistic picture of everyday safety, especially for women. The overwhelming majority of respondents — including women— report feeling safe even after dark, express strong confidence in policing and rarely report recent experiences of crime. This has pushed the country towards the top of global safety rankings. Walking through a neighbourhood in the evening here feels calm and predictable.
In the UK, the picture is more mixed, particularly for women, where concerns about personal safety at night remain more pronounced, partly owing to the accessibility of drugs. I have personally had the distressing experience of being mugged and having my watch stolen.
Oman has little street crime, and unlike in the UK, opportunistic theft and violent incidents are rare. Policing also plays a role.
In Oman, the police are widely seen as friendly and approachable. I have great respect for the British police, even though they have occasionally faced scrutiny following reports of misconduct. Public perception is influential, but it does not mean the UK police are ineffective or corrupt. There is also a cultural and religious dimension. Oman has a strong social framework based on Islam, where expectations about behaviour are widely understood and followed. Public spaces feel orderly.
Western media often promotes the idea that Muslim women are oppressed and therefore at risk. This does not align with reality in Oman.
Omani women hold senior roles in government, including at the ministerial level as well as in business. National events such as International Women’s Day highlight these contributions. Oman’s high ranking in Gallup’s index also reflects strong trust in the police and government. For women in particular, the ability to move freely and feel safe at night is crucial. Experiencing this sense of safety firsthand, the contrast with the misleading Western narrative is striking. The legitimacy of any government rests above all on its ability to protect its citizens and provide a safe living environment. On a personal level, I feel privileged to be able to live in Oman.
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