author - oman observer

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...

I was sitting in a bank in Muscat waiting while my wife dealt with some account matters, when a quiet moment turned into an unexpected conversation. Beside me sat a gentleman whom I greeted with...

Karim Easterbrook As an expat with an Omani wife and spending most of the year living in Oman, it has taken me time to fully understand why the country is so successful, both as a society and as a...

Islam is a religion of peace, as are Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. Humanism, too, is a pathway of peace. During Ramadhan, Muslims are obligated to remember those who suffer under the weight of...

We live on a small, fragile planet, spinning silently through space, bound by gravity to a single star, the Sun, which lies about ninety-three million miles from the Earth. That star itself is one...

Ramadhan is a month in which Muslims are commanded to slow down, restrain anger, reflect on conduct and deepen responsibility toward others. Fasting is not merely abstention from food and drink; it is...

Muslims fast during the month of Ramadhan as an act of obedience to Allah and as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which form the core of Muslim faith and practice. The fast, from dawn to sunset, is...

Many people look forward to retirement as a reward for decades of hard work, imagining a life free from pressure, deadlines and responsibility. Whether you are already retired, approaching it, or...

I am seventy‑five years old, I take 5 grammes of creatine monohydrate every day and I do mild muscle training daily as part of my routine. I have been taking a creatine supplement for two years...

I grew up as a small boy in England, living in a caravan in the Oxfordshire countryside. By modern standards, many would assume this was a deprived childhood. There was no running water, no...

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has taken important measures to protect young Omanis in particular from the growing risk that artificial intelligence poses to jobs and long‑term employment...

The Sultanate of Oman is drawing attention from investors and from people seeking refuge from a world marked by conflict and disorder. I count myself among those who have found in Oman a second home....

Oman is the most civilised country I have known, a place where courtesy is not performed but lived, where strangers are received without suspicion and where dignity is ingrained. Its culture is deep...

There is a rapidly growing problem of illegal drug use in Oman. Denial is dangerous because once drug use takes hold among the young, it rarely loosens its grip without lasting damage. Preventative...

Plato’s Republic remains one of the most influential works in Western philosophy, offering a profound exploration of justice, the ideal state and the nature of true leadership. Written around...

Just recently, I found out that one of my closest friends had been diagnosed with early-stage dementia and it hit me hard. He’s someone I’ve always admired for his intelligence, wit and sharp mind...

Life is a book. One we sometimes rush through, eager to reach the ending without pausing to savour the story. Looking back, I realise that much of my life was spent turning pages too quickly, often...

The Internet and AI, now hailed by many as humanity’s greatest tools for knowledge and connection, are quietly eroding our ability to think critically. What was meant to enlighten us has begun to...

Atheism, though not a religion, rests on conviction — the belief that science will one day answer all questions about human existence. Yet the atheist cannot prove the non-existence of God any more...

Just recently, I found out that one of my closest friends had been diagnosed with early-stage dementia, and it hit me hard. He’s someone I’ve always admired for his intelligence, and to see him...