Rent a Car
- Site map
Traffic rule
Round About
Drive on the right side of the road.
You must wear the seatbelt, failing to do so is a serious offense.
Drink and drive is, of course, strictly prohibited.
There are no traffic lights except in large cities like Muscat, Sur, Salalah, and Buraymi. There are only roundabouts .
Necessary to book
Muscat Airport
Most tourists who come to enjoy Oman’s diverse environment utilize a rent-a-car. Many of the car reservations are 4WD especially when there is difficulty booking during the busy Christmas season.
It is recommended to double-check for overbooking and vacancy of the 4 WD.
Regarding the choice of a car, a saloon car is enough for visiting the forts and cities.
However, around the mountain, Wadi, sand dune and unpaved road, a 4 WD is a must-have.
Drivers can request an automatic car, but if it is an absolute necessity, it is better to enter from Dubai; since most cars have manuals transmission in Oman.
Violations
4WD police car
Seatbelt use is obliged in Oman.
The penalty of the violations (As of 2002)
- Seatbelt 10 Rials
- Parking 5 Rials
- Speeding 10 Rials (exceed 20 km/h)
The rent-a-cars also have the same penalty which will be levied through the rent-a-car company later on, with added commission.
There is some coin parking by the seaside ( 50 Bz per 30 mins. ).
For your information, Police officers are patrolling for illegal parking quite often.
Speed Limits
Driving school in Ruwi
Oman’s roads are modern and well-travelled, therefore please be careful not to speed excessively.
Generally, the speed limit for the motorway is 120 km/h, for the east side after Grand Mosque it is 100 km/h, and for the suburbs it is 100 km/h or 120 km/h.
However, please be careful and keep a good distance from the car ahead, since many of the drivers are driving at 150 km/h normally, frequently passing other cars.
Accidents
The scene of the accident
You can enjoy driving, for most roads are well maintained.
But be careful on dirt roads.
You don't want to get a flat tire!
If problems do occur, the local people are usually very helpful.
If accidents happen, keep calm and ask for help.
Avoid driving in dune area if you.
Drive in Mountains
Hajar
4 WD is a must-have to enjoy with mountain driving.
Please try to drive slowly.
The rugged mountain area needs extreme horsepower; therefore make full use of the engine, alternate braking and switch off the air conditioner.
A 4 WD tour is recommended as one of the alternatives to see the mountain area, because the mountain roads are very dangerous and one step ahead is the bottom of a ravine.
