10 Things You Didn’t Know About Oman

5. No athlete from Oman has ever won an Olympic medal.

Oman has participated in eight Summer Olympic Games with the country having its Olympic debut in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States. However, the Sultanate has yet to win an Olympic medal. Oman fronted the highest number of athletes during the 1984 Summer Olympic Games where 16 Omani athletes participated in the competition. The national Olympic committee in Oman is known as the Oman Olympic Committee.

6. Oman has a very old tradition of ship-building.

Due to its prominence in marine trade over several centuries, Oman established a reputation of ship building. The city of Sur in eastern Oman was hugely popular in this regard. The city’s location made it an excellent place to monitor activities in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. Ancient wooden ships such as the ghanjah and the sambuk were constructed in Sur and had the capability to navigate all the way to East Africa, China, and India. Many smaller vessels were also constructed in the city including dhows used in traditional domestic pearl fishing.

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