Muscat eSIM
In Muscat you connect to Omantel or Ooredoo, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 64 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Omantel and Ooredoo
- Typical speed in Oman
- 64 Mbps typical, 17 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Muscat
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $8.89 | $8.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $5.30 | $15.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $4.58 | $22.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $3.79 | $37.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $3.19 | $63.89 |
How Oman compares across Middle East
- Regional typical speed
- 72 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Omantel, Ooredoo
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Iraq, 70.6 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Türkiye, 57 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 2: Muscat, Salalah
Landing at Muscat International Airport (MCT)
- Airport
- MCT / OOMS
- Distance
- 32 km from the centre of Muscat
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalFree wifi is offered to departing passengers at the departure gates and duty free areas. Passengers with an Oman registered number get the password by SMS. Passengers with a number registered outside Oman must show a boarding pass and passport at the flight information desks opposite duty free, where staff scan both and hand over the password. Each session lasts 2 hours, after which you log in again.
- SIM on arrival
- SIM counters or vending in the terminalThree telecom operators sit in the arrival hall: Omantel, Ooredoo and Renna Mobile. The Ooredoo kiosk sells new SIM cards including its visitor SIM.
Getting into Muscat
- Mwasalat route A1 (Mabela to Ruwi bus station) stopping at Muscat Airport (MCT)
- Route 8 (Al Mouj to Al Khuwair) stopping at Muscat Airport (MCT)
- Metered airport taxi booked at counters in the baggage and arrival halls (MCT)
Worth knowing about Muscat
- Muscat International has metered taxi counters in both the baggage and arrival halls, so fares are set at a desk rather than negotiated at the kerb.
- The airport is about 32 km from the old city of Muscat and public transport is limited to two Mwasalat bus routes, A1 and 8.
- Terminal 1 opened in 2018 and now handles passengers; the older Terminal 2 has largely been repurposed.
- Muscat airport's free wifi is aimed at departing passengers, covering the departure gates and duty free areas rather than the arrivals hall.
- The wifi login is not self service for a foreign number. Only an Oman registered number gets the password by SMS; everyone else takes a boarding pass and passport to a flight information desk.
- Each free wifi session at Muscat airport lasts two hours at a time, and you have to log in again to carry on.
- Three operators have counters in the arrival hall: Omantel, Ooredoo and Renna Mobile. Passengers can recharge a phone or buy a new line there.
- Ooredoo's Tourist SIM needs an original passport for verification and is valid for 30 days. It is not sold to Omani nationals or Omani resident cardholders.
- The Mwasalat app, published by Oman National Transport Company, sells IC and IC Express tickets and tops up the Sayir e-wallet with any debit or credit card.
- Mwasalat fares are validated by holding a QR code on your phone to the acceptance device on the bus, so the ticket has to be loaded before you board.
- Oman has no mainline railway. The only railway in the country is a narrow gauge tourist train at Al Hoota Cave, so every land arrival is by road.
- The government announced planning for Oman's first metro and passenger rail services, linking Muscat and its major airports, only in June 2021.
- Oman has about 62,240 km of road, of which 29,685 km is paved, including the 54 km Muscat Expressway.
- Muscat International handled 12.9 million passengers in 2024. Terminal 1 has 118 check in counters, ten baggage belts, 82 immigration counters and 45 gates, built for 20 million a year.
Sources for this page
Other cities in Oman we cover
- Salalah
- 858 km from Muscat, nearest airport SLL