Job Discussion Forums

SandyMan · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Nizwa

Hello,

I'd really appreciate some information about Ibri, Nizwa and Slalah, as I'm being interviewed shortly by CfBT for a job in one of these places.

First, is it easy to sign up for broadband in all three places? I read a post from about a year ago and it said that broadband was very slow in Oman. Is that still the case?

Second, is it possible to find a good gym (Western standard) and swimming pool in all three cities?

And finally, as all three places are smaller towns outside Muscat, is travelling into Muscat fairly easy? For example, if I lived in Nizwa, could I pop over to Bahrian to see some friends over the weekend or would I need to live in Muscat to do that sort of thing?

I've read the recent thread about CfBT and I got a few ideas from there for the interview, I mean what kind of questions to ask.

Thanks a lot!

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Hi Sandyman

I see that no one has come to answer your questions, and they are pretty specific. So, I will just make a comment or two.

Broadband? I'd say that in the terms of many countries, it is probably slow, and perhaps not easily available in the smaller places. I'm sure that the employer will have the best available.

There are surely gyms in all three cities, though they may not be to your standard. Nizwa and Salalah have hotels, so that is where one would find the swimming pools. Not sure about Ibri...

There is a bus system around Oman, but whether the schedule would allow you to get to Muscat to catch the best flights back and forth from Bahrain may be difficult. You would have to fly from Salalah as it is about 1000km from Muscat. In Oman, everyone gets a car and you can drive easily yourself to the airport in Muscat and leave your car in the lot there.

VS

SandyMan · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Nizwa

Hi VS,

Thank you for your comments. I appreciate it. I guess broadband will become more common in Oman as time goes by, so if I stay for a while it won't be a problem (they just started digitalising our phone lines at KFUPM in Saudi when I left there two years ago). But I guess I'd like to know if it is a very time consuming and complicated process - or if I can just call someone and they get it done straight away (like the satellite dish people in Saudi, who turned up at my flat a couple of hours after I left the shop).

KiteBiker's and Joe Keysor's comments in the Salalah thread from last year were very positive, and with the Crowne Plaza boasting of "high-speed connections in every room", I put my money on Salalah for the time being.

Best,

SandyMan

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Sandyman,

I don't have any experience with living outside of Muscat. But, I suspect that Nizwa too is quite current with whatever bells and whistles are available. Another advantage of Nizwa is its proximity to both Muscat and the Emirates... a shortish drive. Salalah has its appeals, but it is off the beaten track.

I can say that the Muscat telephone company office is VERY efficient - and they are also the internet provider. Oman is famous for its efficiency - bureaucracy wise - in Gulf terms. Cool

It was a helluva lot faster and easier to get my phone up and running in Muscat than it was working with Verizon in the Washington DC suburbs. But hard to say how well that efficiency travels around to the villages.

VS

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

Hi Sandyman,

I have what Omantel call "High Speed Broadband" here in Salalah.

The bandwidth is supposed to be 384Kbp but it is usually a lot less. Its ok for downloading movies and stuff but takes its time doing it, patience you need! The residential contract allows for an upper monthly payment limit of 39/-OR, if you download any more than that, it comes free.

Of course you will have to have your residents permit before you can get a telephone and as I don't use the landline at all, I settled for the "Jabreen" pay as you go option and had ADLS connected for which there is the monthly bill.

Like most things here, be prepared for a good deal of chasing Omantel up to get things done!!

Duffy Rolling Eyes

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

PS,

I forgot to mention, the colleges here have the 1Mbp connection and most teachers have their own desktop computer with the link to the Internet.

Duffy Very Happy

seamus_macniel · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 6

there is no pool in ibri. in fact the closest swimming pool to ibri is either in nizwa or al buraimi/al ain. to get to either you will have to drive for an hour and a half. dubai is three to three and a half hours in the car from ibri. to get to bahrain you will, of course, have to fly from muscat or dubai. it is, of course, possible for a long weekend or even a weekend. however, the money for the flight you could invest in a hotel in dubai. if you go to ibri, you will have to come up for air. nizwa has much more going for it; two hotels with swimming pools that i know of and there is possibly a third and there are some tourists. muscat is also closer. indeed, nizwa is about half way from ibri to muscat.
broadband is available and, although relatively slow (uploading 128 kb, downloading 384 kb), more than adequate. unlike batelco in bahrain, omantel does censor though.
the salaries being offered by the mohe are, i may add, substantially less than the package offered last year!

Duffy · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 449 Location: Oman

Hi Sandyman,

Where I live in Salalah we have both pool and gym on site use of which is free for residents.

If you are serious about coming to Salalah, send me a PM and I will let you have the details.

Seamus is quite right about the salaries, there will be a two tier salary scheme in the new Academic Year, not so sure thats good for morale!!

Duffy Crying or Very sad

kuberkat · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Oman

Hi Sandyman

The pool situation in Ibri sounds a little depressing, especially since it's so hot and so, well, inland. In either Nizwa or Salalah you can probably join the hotel health clubs, as some have mentioned (the 4* hotel in my region offers a 20% discount on membership for teachers).

As to broadband, we seem to have some terminology confusion in the different posts, so here's what I can do to clear it up.

Though you will have access to a fast ministerial broadband internet line in most offices and computer labs, you may want something for at home. So...

Omantel are probably the most service-oriented Omanized organization in Oman. You are likely to be helped in English to complete your telephone and internet applications on separate sheets. A refundable deposit is required for both, and you will also need your Oman labour card on application. Dial-up internet is usually slow and becomes more so at popular internet use times. (It's the fastest on Friday at prayer time!) This is the only available form of internet in most Oman towns. (As to the abominable connection offered prepaid: avoid by all costs.) In some large towns, a faster DSL internet connection is available. In Muscat and a growing radius around it, a broadband connection marketed as "Powernet" is available. You can check out the Omantel website http://www.omantel.net.om/ to find out what the internet situation in your outpost is. Even if it is minimal at the moment, take heart that telecoms in the Sultanate are rapidly improving.

Best of luck with your interview.

davidsincairo · Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 9:12 am Post subject: Interview feedback

Hi Sandyman

For the benefit of those of us being interviewed by CfBT in early July (eek!) could you report back on how your interview went? Oh and good luck!
Thanks

SandyMan · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Nizwa

Hello Duffy and kuberkat,

Thanks for all that info on Internet and broadband. It's been hugely helpful! And it sounds pretty promising, too (I was worried that dial-up might be the only option outside hotels and colleges).

SandyMan

SandyMan · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Nizwa

Hello seamus_macniel,

Thanks for all that info. I've got a much clearer picture now of travelleling between these places and Muscat (and Dubai/Bahrain). In fact, I wasn't even sure where Ibri was exactly before your post. Smile

"Substantially less" does not sound good, though. Sad

SandyMan

SandyMan · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Nizwa

Hi everybody,

The interview was a fairly formal affair, with me giving a 10 minute presentation and then answering lots of questions (specific and relevant questions, I thought). A senior representative from the colleges in Oman was there, along with a local representative from CfBT. I got a very good impression of both, and felt really relieved that I had an opportunity to put all my questions to someone in charge. At the end of the interview, I felt I had received informative and specific answers to all my questions.

Good luck, davidsincairo!

SandyMan

davidsincairo · Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 3:31 am Post subject: Details?

Hi SandyMan

I'm glad your interview went well. What kind of "presentation" did you do?
I believe I'm going to have a telephone interview so I'm not sure whats in store! Can you give me an idea of what kind of "specific and relevant" questions they asked?
Thanks
David

SandyMan · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Nizwa

Hi David,

The presentation was just me talking - no PowerPoint or anything (though there was a flipchart in the room) - just answering the question why I would be the person for the job.

The format was very much that the interview followed the presentation, so almost all questions were of the type: "You said in your presentation that.... Could you give some examples/be more specific?" etc. (teaching style, work experience etc.).

Good luck with the telephone interview!

SandyMan