What to do in Muscat

Football lovers, get ready! The Socca Oman Tournament is set to kick off, bringing the biggest football event in Oman to the historic city of Nizwa. This exciting tournament is organized by the Sports Industry Company and will take place during the Eid al-Adha holiday, from the 2nd to the 5th day of Eid. It promises to be a thrilling experience for both players and fans. Tournament Details The Socca Tour in Nizwa is the first stop in this nationwide tournament, offering local teams a chance to showcase their skills and compete for prestigious titles and substantial cash prizes. Each...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

If you’ve ever hesitated before asking an AI assistant something personal, WhatsApp is about to release a new feature that might make those chats feel a lot more comfortable. Incognito Chat is a new private mode for AI conversations on WhatsApp and Meta AI app. The feature focuses on privacy, especially for people using AI for sensitive topics like finances, health questions, work issues, or personal decisions. According to Meta, conversations inside Incognito Chat stay completely private. The company says nobody else can view the chats, including the company itself. Messages are not stored, and chats disappear automatically by default....

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...

Oman has officially confirmed the start date for Eid Al Adha 2026 after the crescent moon was sighted on Sunday evening. Dhul Hijjah, the final month in the Islamic calendar, will start on Monday, May 18. Eid Al Adha takes place on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah each year. The confirmed dates are as follows: Day of Arafah will be Tuesday, May 26 First day of Eid Al Adha in Oman is on Wednesday, May 27 With the Eid Al Adha 2026 dates now confirmed in Oman, residents can start planning trips and family gatherings for the break. Employees...

Thinking about a beach holiday, train rides through tea hills, or a tropical escape? Here’s a summer gift from Sri Lanka: tourist ETA is now free for visitors from 40 countries, including GCC nations and India. The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) allows to stay in Sri Lanka for up to 30 days. Tourists can also enter the country twice within the same 30-day validity period starting from the first arrival date. Anyone planning to stay longer can apply for a visa extension after arrival. All ETA fees paid before May 25 are non-refundable. Countries included in the free Sri Lanka...