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IFC Oman
Aerial view of the Muscat coastline at golden hour, with the Hajar mountains framing a turquoise bay
Living in Oman

A place where your family will thrive.

The Sultanate of Oman is genuinely safe, warmly welcoming, culturally rich, and surprisingly easy to call home. For international professionals relocating to IFC Oman, this is more than a business decision. It is a life well chosen.

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Why Oman

More than a place to work.

Choosing where to base your business and your family is one of the most significant decisions you will make. Oman makes that decision easier.

Ranked 11th globally for expat quality of life in the InterNations Expat Insider 2025 survey, and consistently placing in the global top five for personal safety, Oman has built a reputation as the Gulf's most liveable destination for international professionals. It is one of the most respected places to live in the region.

Here, the pace is intentional. The culture is warm and genuinely hospitable. Omanis are widely regarded as among the most welcoming people in the Arab world. The landscapes are extraordinary. Muscat's dramatic mountain backdrop and white-sand beaches, the ancient forts of Nizwa, the lush monsoon valleys of Salalah. In Madinat Al Irfan, Muscat's ambitious new urban district and the home of IFC Oman, a world-class environment for both living and working is taking shape.

For the international professional weighing a relocation, Oman answers the questions that matter most. Will my family feel safe. Will my children receive a great education. Will we have a fulfilling life beyond the office. The answer to all three is yes.

Warm dusk light on the Omani coast, a moment of calm and hospitality
A country at ease with itself
Safety

One of the safest countries in the world.

Two children walking home down a quiet Muscat residential street at golden hour

Safety in Oman is a fact of daily life. The country consistently ranks among the top five nations globally for personal safety, and Muscat is regularly cited in expat surveys as one of the safest capital cities in the world. Families describe letting children play outside freely, walking home in the evening without concern, and experiencing a sense of security that many say they had not felt since childhood.

This stability is rooted in Oman's long tradition of measured, principled governance. A country that has maintained its neutrality and its reputation for peaceful diplomacy for decades. The peaceful transfer of power in 2020, following the passing of the late Sultan Qaboos, reinforced Oman's image internationally as a nation with deep institutional stability.

For international families arriving from major global cities, the contrast is striking, and quickly appreciated.

Madinat Al Irfan, Muscat's new integrated urban district, set against the Hajar mountains
Your new home base

A new city built for how you want to live.

IFC Oman is headquartered in Madinat Al Irfan, Oman's most ambitious urban development and one of the most thoughtfully designed new districts in the Gulf.

Minutes from Muscat International Airport, Madinat Al Irfan is being developed across more than 7.4 million square metres as a fully integrated city. It combines business, residential, retail, hospitality, green spaces, and cultural venues in a single walkable address. It is designed to LEED and WELL certification standards, with sustainable infrastructure, human-scaled streets, and a masterplan that draws on the area's natural wadi landscape rather than building over it.

For IFC Oman professionals, this means an exceptional quality of life at the doorstep of where you work. The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, the JW Marriott, Crowne Plaza, and a growing ecosystem of international businesses and services are already established there. Residential options, from modern apartments to villas with wadi views, offer the kind of home that makes a relocation feel like an upgrade.

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    Minutes from Muscat International Airport

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    Oman's first fully LEED and WELL certified Business Park

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    Home to major corporate headquarters including Omantel and OQ

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    Integrated residential, retail, and hospitality offering

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    Designed around natural wadi topography with extensive green spaces

The capital

A capital that earns your loyalty.

Muscat is not a city that dazzles immediately. It reveals itself gradually, and those who give it time rarely want to leave. The capital is compact enough that you can drive from one end to the other in under an hour, and varied enough to offer a genuinely different experience in every neighbourhood.

Around 40 per cent of Oman's population are expatriates, and the community is known for being settled and engaged rather than transient. Dining is excellent and genuinely international, from traditional Omani Shuwa and Harees to Japanese, Italian, and Lebanese cuisine across the city. The cost of living is meaningfully lower than peer global capitals, without sacrificing quality.

  • Muttrah Corniche at golden hour, the fort silhouetted, dhows in the harbour
    Muttrah. The old harbour at golden hour.
  • The Royal Opera House Muscat illuminated at dusk
    The Royal Opera House Muscat. The cultural anchor of the city.
  • Al Mouj Marina at dusk, boats moored along the palm-lined promenade
    Al Mouj. Weekend mornings at the marina.
  • Hajar Mountain ridges layered in late afternoon light
    The Hajars. Twenty minutes from the office.
  • Qurum Beach at sunrise with gentle waves and soft light
    Qurum Beach. Most Saturdays start here.
  • A warm-lit dining table at a Muscat restaurant
    Dining in Muscat. Genuinely international, characteristically warm.
Families

Built around what families value most.

What consistently draws international families to Oman, and keeps them, is a quality that is hard to quantify and easy to feel. A sense of genuine community, and a pace of life that leaves time for the things that matter. Children grow up with extraordinary access to nature. Weekends in Oman mean wadi swimming, beach mornings, desert camping, rock climbing in the Hajar Mountains, snorkelling in the clear waters of the Daymaniyat Islands.

The international school landscape has expanded significantly, with strong British, American, and IB curriculum options across Muscat. Healthcare infrastructure in the capital is excellent, with private hospitals staffed by internationally trained physicians offering standards comparable to Western facilities. Oman is one of the most relaxed environments in the Gulf for international families. The social environment is genuinely tolerant and welcoming.

  • Children jumping into a turquoise wadi pool in the Hajar Mountains
    Wadi swimming in the Hajars
  • A desert camp at sunset in the Wahiba Sands
    Desert camping at sunset in Wahiba
  • Snorkelling above a reef at the Daymaniyat Islands
    Daymaniyat Islands, a short boat ride away
  • An international school classroom in Muscat with mixed-nationality children
    British, American, and IB schools across Muscat
  • A family hiking along a Hajar Mountain ridge in late afternoon
    A weekend hike along the Hajar ridge
  • A weekend gathering at Qurum Beach in Muscat
    Saturday mornings at Qurum Beach
Explore

Everything you need to know.

From choosing a school to finding your first home to understanding the culture you are moving into, the pages below cover the information that matters most to international professionals and their families.

The next step

Ready to make the move?

IFC Oman is building a world-class financial centre in one of the world's most liveable countries. If you are considering establishing your business here, we would be delighted to start the conversation.

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Next step

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