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Must you be married to live together in Oman? Iv'e heard there have been major social changes in this particular middle eastern country and I'm hoping by some chance, my boyfriend and I can work there without living separately.

[veiledsentiments]

Short answer is yes...

There may have been major changes, but it is still a VERY conservative Muslim country where unmarried cohabitation is illegal and punishable by prison, lashes, and deportation. That said... expats do it. But, you both need to be hired separately under contracts... and will likely end up with two flats (assuming you have standard education contracts). And with your neighbors where you are living, you need to maintain that you ARE married... wear rings... etc. Some employers will turn a blind eye as will your fellow expat teachers. Any problems that might come would be from Muslim neighbors.

BTW... Muscat is a better choice. If you are hired in a smaller town/village, it will be much riskier.

VS

[Duffy]

VS,

Once again you are talking vicarious rubbish. Had you been physically here in the last 4-5 years you would have noticed that even in what you always term as the "VERY conservative Muslim country" things and more importantly PEOPLE, have changed.

You bang on about ultra muslim conservitism, but really, you have obviously not been here because Omani couples(male and female) walk around hand in hand amongst shoppers in the City Centre complex at Seeb and other places around Muscat openly showing their feelings for each other.

Also Western males and females cohabit, ok not in public, but it happens and nobody rocks the boat (unless you are an obviously frustrated expat American lady "of a certain age" who feels she can make "points" by quoting her "friends" in the Middle East.)

[veiledsentiments]

Well, I know that you feel yourself duty bound to disagree with everything I post. If I said that it was hot in the summer, you would declare that since I left it was no longer hot. But, if you had actually read it, you would have seen that I said basically the same thing you said... minus your usual insults, of course.

So, how many couples are shacking up in the small towns like Ibri, Ibra, or there at UoN, now that Oman has apparently become a secular country because a few couple hold hands at Sabco? Western couples have ALWAYS cohabited in Oman - in Muscat... those that were smart enough to be VERY discrete... but I pointed out that there was a law - or do you deny that too? ... and your conservative neighbors may very well use your breakage of the law to get back at you or foreigners in general.

VS

[williamh]

I know one western couple who tried this in Lalaland, most people knew but both were very discreet and quiet about it so it stayed under radar. I would not bother to try it unless you are prepared to work at keeping your lifestyle quiet.

VS is right - oman is very conservative and a few hand-holdings in muscat does not mean much.

[StampLover]

I completely agree with Duffy.

and 3 couples in Ibri.

[Space Teacher]

Duffy has hit the nail on the head. Regards to all the "couples" I (personally) know in the "sticks"

[[email protected]]

Well, thanks for the info. Don't really want to go about sneaking around. Guess we'll have to elope or forget about the middle east entirely which is a shame because with three years under our belts, I'm sure we could make some real money over there. Thanks again.

[Josef K]

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[Sleepwalker]

Not entirely legal but I have known couples who came in on forged marriage certificates.

I don't know how far the authorities check marriage documentation.

[urbanversion]

One thing about living in a container in sin...you are always worried about the sharp rap on the steel door.

either be married before, or don't come, it's that simple...a couple got sentenced to 100 lashes in the UAE recently.

[veiledsentiments]

[urbanversion]

http://rawjustice.com/2010/11/23/foreign-couple-in-the-uae-sentenced-to-100-lashes-for-having-sex/

My apologies, a bangladeshi male and a female from the phillipines, but still, I can't see why white westerners would be exempt?

Rules are rules?

[veiledsentiments]

[urbanversion]