Newspapers of Oman and the sultanate's media

In the Sultanate of Oman, news is read in Arabic in Oman Daily, Al Watan, Al Roya or Shabiba, and in English in Times of Oman, Oman Observer and Muscat Daily, alongside the ONA agency, Oman TV and Atheer, nearly all free online.

From the 1970 renaissance to the first dailies

Modern Omani journalism was born when Sultan Qaboos came to the throne in 1970. Al Watan, launched in 1971, is regarded as the country's first private daily, followed by Oman Daily in 1972 and then Times of Oman, founded in Muscat in 1975.

Oman Daily, Al Watan and the Arabic-language press

Oman Daily, published by a state establishment, serves as the paper of record for decrees and institutional life. Al Watan, a private title, keeps a tone close to official positions. These Muscat dailies cover politics, culture and the economy in a restrained style.

Why does English carry so much weight in Muscat?

A large expatriate population from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines explains the vitality of English-language titles. Times of Oman, Oman Observer, created in 1981, and Muscat Daily, launched in 2009, cover jobs, visas, property and local crime.

Salalah, Sohar and the governorates

Oman has no independent regional press, but the national dailies keep correspondents in Dhofar, Salalah, Sohar, Nizwa and the Musandam peninsula. The khareef season, the summer monsoon in Salalah, takes up a large share of coverage there every year.

Atheer and news on the smartphone

The Atheer platform has established itself as a widely followed digital outlet for local news and social issues. Muscat's newspapers also push their headlines on X, Instagram and WhatsApp, and offer apps and page-turning digital editions for mobile readers.

Oman News Agency, the source for official announcements

The Oman News Agency, created in 1986, publishes in Arabic and English the decrees of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, in power since January 2020, along with ministry statements, diplomatic visits and public holidays tied to the lunar calendar.

Oman TV and the sultanate's radio

The Ministry of Information oversees Oman TV and public radio, which broadcast news bulletins, religious programmes and cultural shows. An English-language radio station complements the Arabic output. Live streams make it easy to follow an official announcement from abroad.

Following Oman from outside the country

Oman has no major diaspora press. For an outside view, readers turn to Gulf media such as the Dubai and UAE press or the Saudi press, as well as pan-Arab channels that closely watch the mediation diplomacy led by Muscat.

Al Roya for business, Shabiba for sport

Al Roya specialises in the economy, the Muscat stock exchange and Vision 2040 projects. Shabiba targets young readers with sport, especially national football. The business pages of Times of Oman track oil, gas and the Duqm economic zone.

Licensing law, red lines and the Azamn case

The 1984 publications law governs the media, which require a licence. Criticism of the ruler or of religion remains sensitive. In 2016 the daily Azamn was shut down after an article about the judiciary, a case often cited in debates on self-censorship.

Reading, comparing and checking Omani sources

Most Omani sites are free, with no hard paywall. No French-language title exists in Muscat, so readers rely on English or on translated Arab world press. Comparing Oman Daily, Muscat Daily and ONA helps cross-check figures and announcements.

Looking towards Yemen and the Indian Ocean

Omani media closely follow the Dhofar border with Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz shared with Iran. The Yemeni press is a useful complement on border, humanitarian and maritime stories that directly concern the sultanate and Salalah.

Keeping up with Omani news step by step

1. Pair an Arabic daily such as Oman Daily with an English title like Times of Oman or Muscat Daily.
2. Check the Oman News Agency to confirm a royal decree, an appointment or the date of a public holiday.
3. Follow the X or WhatsApp accounts of Muscat newspapers to receive the morning headlines.
4. Watch Oman TV live during the November national day or announcements on sighting the new moon.
5. Read Al Roya or the business pages of Times of Oman for oil, Duqm and the Muscat stock exchange.
6. Cross-check diplomatic stories against the wider Gulf press and international news agencies.

Access and subscriptions for Omani media

Practical facts about the Omani press

• Languages: Arabic for the national press, English for a significant share of the media
• News agency: Oman News Agency (ONA)
• Public broadcasting: Oman TV and the sultanate's radio
• Paper of record: Oman Daily; business: Al Roya; youth and sport: Shabiba
• Time zone: UTC+4, no daylight saving time
• Currency: Omani rial (OMR)

Traps to avoid with Omani media

• Confusing Oman's Al Watan with the dailies of the same name in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
• Treating an anonymous WhatsApp account announcing school closures as an official source without checking ONA.
• Quoting an Azamn article as recent, when the paper has not appeared since it was closed in 2016.
• Forgetting that the date of Eid depends on moon sighting and can shift by a day in announcements.
• Sharing screenshots from a fake site imitating Times of Oman without checking the original web address.

Your questions about Oman's newspapers