What to do in Oman

Oman has announced an official holiday for both public and private sectors to commemorate the Sultan’s Accession Day on Sunday, January 12, 2025. The announcement, shared via the state-run news agency ONA on their X account, highlighted that the decision comes at the directive of His Majesty The Sultan. For many workers in Oman, who typically enjoy weekends on Friday and Saturday, this announcement effectively creates a three-day weekend. The Accession Day holiday marks an important occasion in the country’s calendar, offering citizens and residents an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the leadership of His Majesty The Sultan. Whether...

We’ve all been there — you bought tickets to an event but can’t attend, or you missed out on tickets when they first went on sale. It’s frustrating, right? Well, Platinumlist has the perfect solution to these common ticketing problems with our new Ethical Fan-to-Fan Ticket Exchange system! Designed with fairness and security in mind, this innovative feature allows fans to sell tickets they can’t use or purchase tickets they missed out on directly through the Platinumlist app. Say goodbye to shady secondary markets and hello to a safe, transparent way to buy and sell tickets! Here’s everything you need to...

Planning a trip to the Caucasus just got easier. Armenia has officially announced that, starting July 1, 2025, citizens of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Oman will no longer need a visa to enter the country. The new visa-free policy allows travelers from these three Gulf nations to stay in Armenia for up to 180 days within a 12-month period without applying for an entry visa. The move is part of Armenia’s broader effort to make travel more accessible and to strengthen ties with Gulf countries. It’s also a timely update for citizens and residents of these countries looking for a...

Oman is preparing to host a major international cricket event this October, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier scheduled to take place over ten days. According to the ICC, nine teams will take part, competing for three qualification spots at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Teams that secured their places through sub-regional qualifiers in 2024 — Kuwait, Malaysia, UAE, Qatar, Japan, and Samoa — will join Nepal, Papua New Guinea, and hosts Oman. Four of them — Oman, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, and...

Oman has officially raised the bar — quite literally — with the unveiling of the country’s tallest flagpole. Towering at 126 metres, the new structure stands in Al Khuwair Square in Muscat and is now the highest man-made feature in the Sultanate, roughly the height of a 40-storey building. The inauguration ceremony took place under the patronage of Sayyid Saud bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Governor of Muscat, and was attended by Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Humaidi, Chairman of Muscat Municipality, along with other senior officials.     View this post on Instagram   A post shared by عبدالرحمن بن علي...

You probably know how easy it is to visit Thailand. Travellers from most countries, including GCC nations, can enter Thailand visa-free for tourism. However, the allowed stay period is now changing. The country remains visa-free, but your holiday can now last up to 30 days. Most visitors probably won’t even feel the difference, but the change is still worth knowing if you're planning a longer stay. Thailand introduced a 60-day visa-free stay in 2024, and the country is now replacing it with a stay period that’s twice shorter. All extensions will require approval from Thai immigration authorities. The new rule...

A big change is on the horizon for travellers in and around the Gulf. A new unified visa — officially called the GCC Grand Tours Visa — is expected to launch soon, making it easier to explore the entire Gulf region on a single application. While an exact launch date has not yet been confirmed, the new process is anticipated to be available sometime this year. Approved in 2023 and now in its final planning stages, the visa will grant access to: United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Once launched, the GCC Grand Tours Visa will simplify...

Paying for apps usually comes down to two choices. Pay for a full year upfront and save, or pay monthly and spend more over time. Apple makes that choice easier with a new option that splits a yearly plan into monthly payments, with the same annual price. Annual subscriptions usually come with better pricing, but paying for a full year in one go isn’t always easy, especially for expensive apps. Monthly plans solve that problem, but they cost more. Here’s how the new option from Apple works: You sign up for a yearly subscription The total is divided into 12...

Three of Meta's biggest apps are getting upgrades. Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp now have Plus subscription plans with extra features and customisation options. Let's take a look at what each plan offers and how much it costs. Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus: Features and Price Instagram remains one of Meta's most popular apps, and the company is putting most of the new features there. So, what do you get if you decide to upgrade your account? Story rewatch statistics Stories that stay up longer than 24 hours Posting to profiles and highlights without appearing in followers' feeds Super Heart animated...

Shakira is officially back in her FIFA World Cup era, and football fans already know what that means for summer playlists. The Colombian superstar just teased fans on Instagram with a brand-new anthem called Dai Dai. The track dropped on May 14 ahead of the tournament and features Nigerian singer Burna Boy. The catchy chant already feels impossible to get out of your head before the tournament even begins. For a lot of people, Shakira’s music and the World Cup practically go hand in hand at this point. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) became one of football’s most recognizable...