Job Discussion Forums

[haziran]

Hi all,

I will soon be arriving in Oman for a job in the Ruwi area and I would like to live as close as possible to work. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will need a car but I still do not relish the idea of sitting in rush hour traffic every day either, so ideally a 10-min. max commute is desirable. I will even pay a bit more for housing if need be to avoid traffic congestion.

My only concern is that the few sources I have on the ground there tell me that Ruwi is NOT the place to live, that it is always noisy, full of traffic, ugly etc. etc. However, they also tell me that the desirable areas in which to live (Azaiba, Ghubra), are only accessible to/from Ruwi via a bottlenecked highway that will assure that my commutes will be long exercises in frustration. I didn't choose Oman for this! And I've seen a few apartments online in Ruwi (and neighboring Darsait) priced within the rental allowance I wil be given.

So, can anyone tell me: is that area *really* so unlivable? I've lived in some rather loud, obnoxious urban areas in my lifetime, and while it was not ideal, I became mostly inured to it. And isn't it customary to keep windows closed with the A/C on most of the year in Oman anyway?

Any information/advice/truths/horror stories appreciated!

[veiledsentiments]

Ruwi certainly wouldn't be anyone's first choice to live, but with a bit of time and effort, you might find a place acceptable to you... if you are being honest about your ability to cope. As to AC usage, I never turned mine on from November through March most years when the weather is gorgeous. Another issue to think about is how soundly you sleep as it may very well be noisy at odd hours.

VS

[urbanversion]

You would need a car and the traffic is horrendous...

[haziran]

Yeah, uv, I already know I'll need a car. But what can you tell me about Ruwi apart that it seems to be the business center of the area? And yes, VS, when I say I've coped with noise and disturbance and lived to tell the tale, I mean it. In a certain developing tropical nation that will go unnamed, I lived across the way from a bar that played the same cassette over and over for the nearly two years I lived there. I don't know why I never went over there and gave them more tapes to choose from, just for my own sanity!

But back to Ruwi: I still don't have a clear idea as to why it is no one's first choice to live. Is it because most people go to Oman to recreate the peaceful, suburban life they left back home? I suppose I may just be a hardened city slicker, but I can't imagine Ruwi to be worse than your typical European or U.S. downtown, can it? From what I've heard about Oman, the idea of people stumbling home drunk at all hours of the night making life unbearable for the residents seems a bit of a stretch!

Details, please!

[haziran]

... there's this:

http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Stories-Files/Accident-causes-traffic-jam-from-Ruwi-to-Ghubra

[urbanversion]

Not even going to bother, as someone who hasn't been to a fast food place in Oman, got no interest in big cities and congestion...give me a quieter cheaper place anyday!

[haziran]

Um, OK. Anybody else out there with some helpful info?

[PattyFlipper]

I am going to be a dissenting voice here and state, as a fellow urbanite, that Ruwi would in fact be my first choice of a place to live IF (and only if) my workplace is also located there - as yours will apparently be.

One of the things I disliked about Oman, was the fact that everything is so spread out, making a car an absolute necessity if one wants any quality of life. Most of the Capital Area is just a string of overgrown villages or indeed, as you rightly perceive, a series of suburbs with an occasional (fairly small) commercial area dotted here and there. Pretty well anything you might wish to do or anywhere you need to go requires at least a 30 to 40 minute drive. Performing two mundane but entirely separate activities such as say grocery shopping and getting a haircut, usually entailed driving some distance to different locations.

Ruwi is the only place which to my mind actually resembles an urban centre, albeit a fairly small one. Yes, it is traffic clogged, but that is mitigated by the fact that you have many amenities, such as shopping, restaurants, banks, health facilities, cinemas, travel agents etc almost on your doorstep. It is actually possible to leave or park the car and walk to many places - at least outside of the 3 or so months of searing Summer heat. You could even avoid the hassle of driving in traffic by taking one of the ubiquitous taxis. The shorter distances involved make this a much more financially viable option than in most other locations (bargain! bargain! bargain!). There is an abundance of comparatively cheap dining options, mostly, though by no means exclusively, of the ethnic and Sub-Continental variety, together with cheap pavement cafes and coffee shops (think Bombay, rather than Paris or Rome though). You also have easy access to hotels with pools, exercise facilities, restaurants and bars.

In my view, Ruwi is one of the few places in the Capital Area which actually retains elements of its Middle Eastern character - including a fully-functioning traditional 'souk'. The only thing lacking is a large Western-style supermarket, although there is a small branch of Al Fair located right on Ruwi High Street, and there are plenty of local 'cold stores' for the purchase of every day items. Ruwi may not be as pretty as some other areas, but it is definitely less sterile and more interesting to explore. Not to mention convenient. Additionally, you are within easy striking distance of other locations in Muscat, linked by the very accessible - even in rush hour - Qaboos Highway.

[urbanversion]

But for me I think asia beckons, I miss late night beers and barbeques on the pavement (sidewalk to you USAnians!), being able to dance with girls, no closing hours on bars, and buying beer without needing a little book...but horses for courses...I just find it very boring
Peace,
uv

[haziran]

Wow, thanks, PattyFlipper, for all the detailed and insightful info.

In fact I had seen it as a stroke of luck that my employer ended up being in the urban center of it all, so I was more than a tad disappointed when it seemed I'd have to live out in the burbs. I enjoy going out evenings and walking around where there's actually people out doing things, having coffee (Bombay sidewalk cafes sound great, actually!), and in general not shutting themselves behind gated communities.

So, here's the thing: If I do find a suitable place in Ruwi, do you think it's then feasible to just forgo the purchase or long-term lease of a car altogether and just have a regular taxi ferry me to work and back each day and to major shopping once a week or so? I figure that on the odd weekend that I wanted to spend all day on the beach, explore an outlying shopping mall or haul back furniture to my place, I could always rent a car, couldn't I?

Do you see any problems with this plan?

[veiledsentiments]

I'd say that it should work fine for your first year. Then if you decide that you will stay with the job for a few more years, you can consider buying or leasing.

VS

[urbanversion]

[PattyFlipper]

Haziran:

I was actually going to mention that you could, at least for the first few weeks, probably dispense with a vehicle altogether, as long as your accommodation is in Ruwi. Be aware though that taxis in Oman are unmetred and generally a rip-off unless you have a good idea of distance, location, what the approximate official fare should be, and you are willing and able to haggle like an Omani woman in the fish souk (preferably in Arabic). Fares around Ruwi should be around 800 Baizas to a Riyal depending on distance. The locals and Sub-Continentals pay less - usually starting from around 500 Baizas, but as a Westerner and a newbie, you would have to be a fairly skilled negotiator to get this - and who wants to stand around in the heat haggling for hours over a few Baizas. Always agree the fare before you get in however (and sit in the back seat). Also be aware that the taxi drivers usually have absolutely no idea where anything is located, and even if the streets have names, nobody knows or uses them. You will therefore have to be able to give directions, and/or navigate via well-known landmarks such as the major hotels.

I am not sure if you are male or female. I am guessing female, so the following might not be an option, but there are 'shared' taxis plying certain fixed routes with fares of around 200 to 300 Baizas. As a Western women, you will not want (or likely be allowed) to sit in a car with 8 Arab or Indian males though. There are also 'mini vans' which ply longer routes - out to some of the shopping centres for example - which have a similar fare structure. Sub-Continental and Filipina women take these all the time, and although as a Westerner you might get a few strange looks, they are certainly a possibility. The main disadvantage to both the shared taxis and mini vans is that they pick up and drop off at the side of the road, rather than delivering you directly to your destination. No fun at all in the heat and humidity.

Engaging the services of a regular and reliable taxi driver is certainly feasible, and I knew several lady teachers who did this. The only drawback is that it may end up costing you more, as he will charge extra to pick you up, and you lose the edge of being able to bargain the fare. Certainly good for longer or regular trips though.

[haziran]

Thanks again, PF, for some great, and quite useful, info. And VS, since I'm coming on a one-year contract at first, I agree that I probably wouldn't want to do taxis/short-term rentals for very long if I decided to stay for additional years. And who knows, maybe the sight of other expats having the time of their lives zooming here and there in their private air-conditioned autos might cause me to cave in and buy one myself right away.

Overall I'm getting some good feelings about Oman! I must admit, though, that the thought of having to arrange everything myself the minute I step off the plane in the searing late-summer heat is still rather daunting. In all my other overseas teaching contracts, housing, furniture etc. has all been provided. This was good and bad, as you sort of had to be happy with your luck of the draw in terms of what you got. The alternative was to raise a stink with the administration to be moved and risk souring relations from the get-go. Luckily, I was OK most of the time with what I was provided. I haven't flat-hunted in so long! Should be interesting...

Can anybody give me a range of how much cash I should show up with to buy the basics and pay rent deposits? (I've heard move-in fees and advance rent alone can run into the several thousands). And how exactly do they expect me to gain instant access to all that gelt when it's likely my daily ATM withdrawal limits from banks back home are far below what it will take to secure an average apartment? Boy, the more I think about the logistics of all this, the more daunting it all seems...