Muscat was a strategically significant spot in the Middle East; and therefore, the city has been a bone of contention among warring men from time immemorial. The city has a rich tradition of shipbuilding. Maritime travel has played a significant role in the Omanis’ ability to stay in contact with the civilisations of the ancient world. Various indigenous tribes and foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese, the Iberian Union and the Ottoman Empire, have at various times conquered and ruled over it. The city has been an important trading port between the west and the east from the 1st century onwards. After the ascension of Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat, Oman’s capital has enjoyed rapid infrastructural development and growth as a vibrant economy with a multiethnic society.
The city is located on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman. The chief source of income of the city is trade. Petroleum and port handling are also vital to Muscat’s economy. Muscat is known for its hot, arid climate with long and very hot Summers and warm “winters”. The city is known for its shopping malls. Football and cricket are the most popular sports in Muscat. The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex stadium contains a 50 metre swimming pool, which is used for international competitions. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and various museums like Museum of Omani Heritage and National Museum of Oman are some of the most sought-after to spots of the city.
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