Middle East : Oman

Sharing the tip of the Arabian Peninsula with the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman also borders Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Its coastal border is formed by the Arabian Sea in the south and east, and the Gulf of Oman in the northeast. The immense, starkly beautiful Arabian Desert covers the interior, with spectacular mountain ranges lining the country's north and southeast coast. A center of commerce for centuries, Oman once belonged to the Persian Empire and was one of the first seafaring nations to flourish as a link between East and West.

Although the discovery of vast offshore oil wells has since altered the region's economic focus, Oman remains a traditional Arab country in many ways, filled with seventeenth-century forts and villages, Bedouin art and artifacts, colorful souks, and exquisite mosques. Only by seeing firsthand can one really begin to understand the impact of the oil economy on these age-old lands, and appreciate how rapidly Arabia has evolved from a centuries-old culture to the cutting edge of the modern world. Oman takes you to the intersection of past and future, where Bedouins and bond traders live side-by-side, and a new blueprint for cultural co-existence is fast developing.

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