Muscat, the Omani rial and a hereditary Sultanate: the standing facts of Oman

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Muscat, the Omani rial and a hereditary Sultanate: the standing facts of Oman

Background

The official name of the country is the Sultanate of Oman and its capital is Muscat.
Its currency is the Omani Rial and its official language is Arabic, with widespread use of English.
Islam is the religion of the country.
Its form of government is a hereditary monarchy, and the Foreign Ministry names its constitution as the Basic Law of the State 1996.
The head of state is His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who ascended the throne on 11 January 2020 after the passing of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who had ruled Oman from 1970 to 2020.
Like his predecessor, Sultan Haitham belongs to the Al Bu Said dynasty, which has ruled Oman since the eighteenth century.
Oman's population is 5,442,883 and its area is 309,500 sq km (120,000 sq miles).
The country keeps UTC +4 time and its international dialling code is +968.

Capital: Muscat Currency: Omani Rial Official language: Arabic, with widespread use of English Population: 5,442,883 Area: 309,500 sq km (120,000 sq miles) Time zone: UTC +4

Why it matters for exams: Capital, currency, language and form of government are the first four things any paper asks about a Gulf country.

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16 October 2026 Source: Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman — Key facts

In plain words

Sultanate — A state ruled by a sultan, here a hereditary monarchy.

Omani Rial OMR — The currency of the Sultanate of Oman, written OMR.

Al Bu Said — The dynasty that has ruled Oman since the eighteenth century.

Basic Law of the State — Oman's constitution, which the Foreign Ministry also calls the Basic Statute of the State.