Muscat
Spicing up a piece of bland furniture with a display of traditional silver jewellery, the owner of the Asmaa brand realised that the table would be more…
Must-see shopping in Oman
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Amouage Vistors Centre & Factory
Muscat
Tours of this home-grown, internationally renowned perfumier can be arranged at the company's factory near the Burj Al Sahwa Roundabout. The copper…
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Oman
Barka is renowned for its halwa, Oman's traditional sweet, which is made in industrial quantities at an attractive-looking factory (with spangled pillars)…
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Muscat
Amouage sells the most expensive (and exquisite) perfume in the world, produced from frankincense, musk and other exotic ingredients in premises. You’ll…
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Hajar Mountains
Active beehives form the centrepiece of this open-sided shop. As the worker bees collect their precious cargo, their keepers demonstrate the magic…
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Muscat
With a range of classy shops selling the best examples of Omani-produced items, this luxury shopping arcade includes silver khanjars (traditional curved…
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Nizwa
One of a number of shops in the craft section of the souq, this shop occupies a refurbished old building next to the fort. It has a fine range of…
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Sur
With its traditional perfume shops, gold souq and Arab clothing stores, the Ladies' Souq is a fascinating part of town to wander around. There are many…
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Muscat
Selling prized Omani silver, this shop's exclusive contemporary jewellery and gift items are handcrafted in a workshop in Muscat.
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Oman
Only half the workshops in this modern arcade are open, but there’s a few mat-weaving establishments (shop nine) and an apothecary (shop 10), where you…
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Salalah
Head for this souq to rub shoulders with the jovial Dhofari people who have been assembling in this spot, albeit under different awnings, for centuries…
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Salalah
There's a charm to this 1970s-style parade of shops, with their windows glittering with rows of 22-carat gold bangles, wedding necklaces and headdresses…
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Salalah
This attractive mall encompasses a hotel (handy for visiting the Salalah Tourism Festival), recommended restaurants, a branch of Carrefour supermarket …
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Oman
Bedouin women, still wearing their traditional peaked-mask costume, sell handicrafts from a small goat-hair tent by the side of the road here. Items begin…
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Nizwa
With a traditional diet that relied heavily on dates, Omanis have a particularly sweet tooth. A favourite confection is halwa, a thick, gelatinous sweet…
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Oman
Neighbouring the fort, Sohar's revamped heritage souq boasts a covered walkway with a fine wooden ceiling and an arcade with shops that sport wooden doors…
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Nizwa
At the farthest reach of Nizwa's enormous souq complex, the Date Market showcases the region's many date varieties. Famous khalas dates are available, but…
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Nizwa
As with almost all gold souqs in the region, there are absolutely no fixed prices in the string of jewellery shops that line Main St (between the fort and…
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Jebel Shams
Entrepreneurial carpet sellers have set up open-air shop at the bottom of Jebel Shams, capitalising on the fact that most people stop at Wadi Ghul to take…
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Muscat
For guaranteed 'Made in Oman' crafts, try the Omani Heritage Gallery, a nonprofit organisation set up to encourage cottage industries through the sale of…
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Khasab
This shop inside Lulu Hypermarket is one of only a couple in Musandam to sell souvenirs and crafts of any kind. Camel sticks, traditional axes and Omani…
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Sur
The elaborate bottles alone are temptation enough to enter this shop, and being daubed in exotic musk and ambergris is one of Arabia’s great experiences…
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Muscat
For a regional gift with a difference, the chocolate dates from Bateel are world class, presented in high-quality packaging.
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Muscat
Arguably Muscat's most popular mall, the Avenues comes with 150 shops, cinema, and large food court open until 1am at weekends. There's a children's…
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Oman
For a pair of handcrafted leather sandals, look no further than the cobbler opposite the souq. Sitting cross-legged and still producing shoes with a knife…
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Oman
This enormous souq is flooded with vegetable and grain sellers for half the day and virtually abandoned for the rest. One or two shops stay the course,…
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Oman
This landmark Omani mall – no city in Oman is worth its salt without one – was built by Emirati investor Majid Al Futaime. The brand-new complex with…
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Merchants of Pottery & Handicrafts
Khasab
The title of the shop, located in front of Lulu Hypermarket, pretty much tells it how it is. Axes and camel sticks are available here, together with…
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Muscat
A surprisingly comprehensive little traditional souq located inside the Sabco Centre sells crafts (mostly from India and Iran), pashmina shawls and Omani…
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Nizwa
This smart new mall is located in the growing suburbs of Nizwa and, with its cafes and food court, ice rink, bowling alley and children's play zone (Fun…
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Oman
Nakhal's souq occupies a new building near the fort. Largely intended for the town's residents and still yet to be fully operational, it sells a few…
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Sur
This attractive new mall has brought a touch of modernity to shopping in Sur. There's a Carrefour (open 9am to midnight daily) selling a more…
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Hajar Mountains
Opened in 2018, this huge mall only houses a huge Lulu hypermarket. Although nothing else is currently open in the complex, the hypermarket makes a useful…
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Hajar Mountains
Handy for camp beds, rucksacks, lamps, pots, pans and everything one might need for night time DIY barbecuing, this tiny store has the look of an army…
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Salalah
Selling Oman's most popular sweet, Barka Sweets is one of a number of halwa shops on the southern end of Al Husn Souq. A small pot of this traditional…
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Oman
Camping equipment and food supplies are available from this supermarket. Don't expect too much from the name 'hypermarket', however: it's a small shop…
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Oman
This shop in Sayh Al Hayl, en route to the pools in Wadi Bani Khalid, sells some handmade pots and palm-woven goods – the closest thing to a souvenir in…
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Oman
Run by Bedouin owners, this tiny shop sells two-person tents and other basic camping supplies, including blankets, torches and firewood. It's opposite a…
