Oman among top two in GCC for expat quality life

 Expats in Oman enjoy the best quality of life in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), second only to Bahrain, according to a new report that documents the lives of expatriate workers across the world.

The 2017 Expat Insider Report by InterNations, the world’s largest online expat community, which tries to make life for expatriates abroad easier by allowing them to connect with each other and share opinions and ideas of life overseas, has ranked Oman second in the GCC and 17th globally, when it comes to the top expat destinations of 2017.

It is a ranking that many in the Sultanate agree with.

“Oman has to be one of the best countries in terms of work-life balance, because there are a lot of activities that can be done and there is good respect by employers when it comes to employees’ time,” said Cyril Piaia, chief executive officer of property development firm Musstir.

“This is actually quite well-deserved.”

“Usually, people go home around 5pm, whereas it could be a lot later around eight or nine at night in other countries, which gives you good time to spend with children and families, and provides a good and comfortable life for expatriates,” he added.

“My personal experience is that in other countries, you sometimes have to come back to the office during weekends because of pressure from the head office or deadlines, whereas in Oman, people tend to really respect the weekend.”

Firas Rashid is the director of Sales and Marketing for Anantara Jabal Akhdar resort. Having lived in four countries, he has found Oman to be the most conducive of them all.

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