author - oman observer

Let me be honest. I have been critical for a long time about Oman's aspirations to grow the economy around tourism. Around eight years ago, I wrote a long paper on the subject that I can...

A new year has begun with a flurry of restructuring, new appointments and policy initiatives. It is natural to look at a collection of new Decrees, and after perhaps congratulating someone on an...

In 1999 I attended a short training seminar in Oman, visiting from Saudi Arabia. Those two or three days made a life-changing impression on me. A gentle-paced, low-rise city by the sea with friendly...

Since October 7, I have had roughly 170 “discussions” with my wife, beginning the Hamas attacks on Israel. The attack itself, the hideous response in Gaza and the vast scale of suffering for...

There are probably many like me who are finding it difficult to watch the news at the moment. Whatever your preferred source of information, even the most balanced coverage provokes rage and dismay...

Perhaps it's an unusual subject to write about as a long-time “migrant worker” myself, but it is a subject that is never far from the news. The pictures of thousands of people fleeing economic or...

Ever since Qatar was announced as host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, the mere idea that this nation was more deserving than its competitors has been widely ridiculed.There were three obvious points made...