Azzan bin Qasim al-Busaidi, the undersecretary of the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, highlighted the neighbouring country’s interest in aiding Qatar in hosting a successful event through many areas of cooperation, according to comments made at a press conference held at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center.
Aside from celebrating the historic hosting of the tournament in the region, the Gulf nation also aims to prompt its capital Muscat as a tourist hotspot for World Cup fans.
Such easing of entry restrictions would provide an experience for fans eyeing Oman as a potential stop during the mega-event.
The country is also providing several benefits for World Cup fans, including accommodation, shuttle flights, hotel, tourist packages, and several activities and visa incentives.
Part of the incentives includes a free multi-trip visa to and from Doha and a visa upon arrival with a validity of 60 days. Visa holders can also bring first-degree relatives to Oman or change their visa category, depending on the conditions.
Travel, activities, and accommodations
Dr. Khalid bin Abdulwahab al-Balushi, senior manager of government relations at Oman Air, said that Oman Air will run multiple flights between the two cities during the World Cup period from November 20 to December 3, 2022, to ensure steady transportation for all visitors.
In order to encourage citizens, special prices have been provided for them starting at OMR49 for economy class and OMR155 for business class. Fans can book one-day flights directly through the official website of Oman Air for prices starting from OMR99 for economy class and OMR305 for business class.
Meanwhile, for accommodation, the Sultanate currently hosts more than 20,000 hotel rooms and more than 200 tourist products through more than 35 local operators and 10 land carriers, including partnership with 52 airlines around the world.
And to keep the fans entertained, Oman Convention and Exhibition Center, an area that stretches over 9,000 square metres, will host a grand World Cup festival.
More information will be released in the following days, but what we know is that the festival will provide a choice of event packages over the World Cup period in collaboration with specialised international organisations.
