One of the most important concerns of all travelers abroad is communicating with fellow travelers and family.
Most residences, especially hotels, are equipped with Wi-Fi, but due to the high cost of roaming, you definitely need to buy an Omani SIM card when you are out of the hotel, which includes most of the travel time.
That said, if you need internet for commuting, calling a taxi or Arabic translation – you might want to get a SIM card for your travels in Oman.
Internet in Oman
In Oman, the Internet is mainly available Through Fixed Connections and Mobile Connections. The key mobile operators and fixed internet providers in Oman include:
- Omantel: This operator offers mobile and fixed internet and is one of the largest telecom operators in Oman offering a variety of internet plans.
- Ooredoo: Another mobile phone and internet operator in Oman that provides fixed and mobile internet services.
- Vodafone: It is the third mobile network operator in Oman and one of the largest communication companies and global telecommunication service providers. Vodafone Oman is a branch of Vodafone Global Group and offers a variety of communication services, including mobile networks, internet, data services, and other telecommunication-related services.
Introduction of Omani SIM Cards
Stay with IBD to introduce the types of Omani SIM cards and the price of each and internet packages.
In Oman, until the end of 2021, there were two main operators, Omantel and Ooredo, and from 2022 Vodafone officially entered the market.
The easiest and fastest way to get an Omani SIM card is to buy a SIM card upon arrival at Muscat airport.
To purchase any Omani SIM card, you need to present either a passport or an Omani residence ID card as a form of identification.
Of course, you can buy a SIM Card from the Country of Origin before Entering Oman, but it May Cost More. If you weren’t able to purchase a SIM card at the airport, there’s no need to worry. You can buy a SIM card from a majority of stores throughout Oman.
Omantel SIM card (Official website: OmanTel.om)
To buy an Omantel SIM card, the cost you pay is the cost of the Internet, SMS and call package, and the price of the SIM card is different according to the selected packages.
Omantel is the first and largest operator of mobile phone services, landline phone and internet service provider in Oman.
To top up your Omantel SIM card, you must dial the order code *314# and send D to 90099 to know the balance.
One of Omantel company’s offerings is the weekly package, which includes 3.5 gigabytes of internet and 50 minutes of conversation. This package is priced at 5 Omani rials and is regarded as one of the most cost-effective choices offered by the company.
Using the international packages of Omantel SIM cards, you can make calls to most countries.
You can view a variety of Omantel packages on the company’s website, as indicated in the description, and select the one that aligns with your requirements.
Omantel was the first operator to launch 5G internet and has the largest 5G network.
Some packages available on Omantel official website:
Vodafone SIM card (Official website: Vodafone.om)
Vodafone started its activity in 2022. This company offers a tourist SIM card for the price of 9 Rials, which has 77 gigs of internet, 777 minutes of calls, and 777 SMS with a validity of one month.
To purchase a Vodafone SIM card, you will need to provide a passport as your identification document. The price you pay includes the cost of the selected Internet, SMS, and call package, with the price of the SIM card varying based on the chosen package.
The 5GB internet and 150-minute conversation package is one of Vodafone’s economical offers, priced at 4 Omani rials.
You can access information about Vodafone’s call and internet packages by visiting the company’s website, the address of which is provided in the description.
Some of the packages available on Vodafone official website:
Ooredoo SIM card (Official site: Ooredoo.om)
The second largest operator after Omantel is Ooredoo operator. You can explore a wide range of communication and internet packages offered by Ooredoo company by visiting their official website, the address of which is provided in the description.
In general, Oman Tel operator’s performance in terms of speed, internet coverage and antenna coverage in remote areas is better than Ooredoo.
Some of the packages available on Ooredoo’s official website:
In Oman, the Skype application and WhatsApp voice and video calls are filtered and you must use a filter breaker to access them; The reason for filtering is to direct people to use phone calls. Google Meet can be used for video calling in Oman.