If you’ve read my last blog, you already know: Oman stole my heart. And I don’t say that lightly—I’ve traveled to over 50 countries and countless destinations. I’ve seen beauty in every form—chaotic and polished, developed and raw—but something about Oman’s natural grace, silence, and soul hit differently.
That’s why I came this close to dropping half a million euros on a villa. Spoiler: I didn’t. But I still think about it like a summer fling that almost turned serious.
If you’re just jumping in, this is Part 5 in a full Gulf investment journey. Catch up here:
👉 Blog 1: Dubai Real Estate 2025: Boom, Bust, or Buy? What Smart Investors Need to Know
👉 Blog 2: We Almost Bought TWO Off-Plan Apartments in Dubai—Here’s Why We Walked Away
👉 Blog 3: Dubai vs Abu Dhabi Real Estate 2025: What €250K vs €1M Really Gets You
👉 Blog 4: Investing in Oman Real Estate in 2025: Hidden Gem or Risky Bet? | Full Investor Breakdown
Before we dive in—just know this: I don’t get paid to mention any of these projects. No kickbacks, no affiliate links. I write about them because I saw them, ran the numbers, and—at one point—was one signature away from going all in.
By the way, my time in Oman was short. I didn’t have weeks to comb through every project. What I’m sharing here is based on instinct, experience, and the few properties that truly stood out. Two, to be exact—one sea-view villa in Muscat, one beachside townhouse in Salalah—and a bonus pick, bought by my friend after our trip, that’s worth an honorable mention.
Oman Real Estate: A Quick Reality Check
Before we get to the good stuff, here’s your dose of hard truth:
If you’re chasing fast ROI, quick flips, or instant liquidity—Oman’s not your playground.
But if you have a longer investment horizon (5+ years), and you’re looking to diversify your portfolio, gain a second residency, and maybe spend part of the year somewhere quiet, beautiful, and still undiscovered by the masses—then Oman could be gold.
Who Is Oman Actually Good For?
There are two very distinct investor profiles that I see thriving here:
1. Wealthy Middle Eastern and Asian Business Owners
Entrepreneurs and high-net-worth families from places like Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Iran, and Iraq—many of whom are priced out of Western markets or fed up with visa headaches. Oman offers a smoother, culturally aligned option. A luxury villa in Muscat could be their Mediterranean escape—with fewer crowds and no EU restrictions.
2. Senior Western Lifestyle Seekers
Think Germans, Dutch, Scandinavians, Americans, and Canadians—retirees or part-timers done with cold winters, high taxes, and overregulated housing. Oman offers sun, safety, affordability, and that rare “still-authentic” Middle Eastern charm. If they ever discover it, I’m convinced many will fall for it—just like I did.
Rethinking My Investment Strategy in Oman
Oman made me toss out my usual real estate playbook.
Most of the countries I’ve invested in—whether in Europe, Asia, or Africa—had one thing in common: the target market was mostly Western tourists or expats. But that logic doesn’t hold up in Oman. The real spenders here aren’t flying in from Berlin, Oslo, or Toronto—they’re driving in from Riyadh, Tehran, Baghdad, and Dubai.
And here’s the thing: they don’t travel solo. In many Gulf cultures, living alone before marriage is uncommon, and couples renting a studio before tying the knot? Still taboo. Families travel together—often big ones.
So my usual 1-bedroom Airbnb strategy might still work for a few expats or digital nomads, but it’s not where the money is. What Oman needs are large, family-friendly rentals: think villas and townhouses. That’s what Gulf tourists search for—and book.
And when Oman’s tourism scene finally heats up (and I believe it will), these are the properties that’ll appreciate the fastest and stay booked the longest. Just look at what happened with Dubai’s villa market—what once seemed niche now feels like gold.
Project 1: Hawana Salalah
Website: hawanasalalah.com
Investment Type: 1BR Townhouse
Resell Price: 65,000- 75,000 OMR ($169,000 – $195,000 USD)
Purpose: 100% Investment + 0% lifestyle
Salalah is Oman’s best-kept secret. It’s the only place in the Gulf with a monsoon season—Khareef—where tropical greenery replaces desert heat. During summer, it draws tourists from Saudi, Iran, and the UAE. In winter, curious Europeans quietly trickle in.
The Hawana Salalah project is government-backed and located in an ICT zone, meaning foreign buyers get legal short- and long-term rental rights, plus residency. That alone sets it apart.
Phase 1 is already complete and operational—not just a glossy brochure. My friend Andrin bought early and actively manages his 1-bedroom unit. He’s getting a 22% gross ROI and a net return of 8–12% in 2024. You can check his full breakdown on his blog. But remember—he hustled for that return—and took the risk when the place was still just sand and dirt.
We Almost Bought a Townhouse. But Here’s Why We Didn’t
Tourist volume is still seasonal and skewed.
Salalah welcomed about 962,000 visitors in 2023 and 1,048,000 in 2024. Around 70% were local Omanis—many of whom can and do spend on domestic travel, especially during Khareef. But outside that season, international traffic drops sharply, which makes year-round short-term rental demand harder to sustain.
- Too much supply on the horizon.
Phases 2 and 3 are already underway with thousands of new units, plus more nearby projects breaking ground. In a resale market that’s already sluggish, this kind of supply flood could crush appreciation and make exit strategies tough. - It’s too remote for single-unit investing
Managing a single property this far from home, especially one this far off the beaten path—just doesn’t make operational sense. I’d need to buy 2–5 units to justify the legal, renovation, and management costs. It’s not cheap to run.
With 1 OMR = €2.39 / $2.60, everything from staffing to basic upkeep comes at a premium. Compared to places like Georgia or Vietnam, Salalah just isn’t cost-efficient for small-scale investors.
The Kind of Investor Who’ll Win in Salalah
Salalah isn’t for everyone—but for the right type of investor, it could be a hidden gem.
If you’re hands-on, spend time on-site, and create something special—like my friend Andrin did—you can stand out easily. Most listings are outdated and uninspired, so there’s plenty of room to shine and charge a premium.
In our case, it just didn’t make sense. My friend has a full-time job and three kids in the Netherlands. I travel nonstop. Without scale—2 to 5 units—the effort just doesn’t justify the reward.
💡 My tip: Skip the developer. Their prices rise 5–10% each phase to create the illusion of growth. Resale units offer better value, better deals.
Project 2: The Stunning Cliffside Villa in Muscat That Nearly Got Me to Sign
The villa that had me one signature away from a lifetime of sunset swims.
- Website: darglobal.co.uk/aida-coastal-investment-villas
- Investment Type: 3BR Villa
- Price: 205,800 OMR ($535,080)
- Distance to City Center: 40 min
- Purpose: 20% Lifestyle + 80% Investment
We spent half a day at the site. There was nothing but dirt, dust, and the beginnings of foundations—but in my head, I could already see it: cliffside villas, ocean views, mountain air. I was smitten.
Even now, a month later, I still catch myself daydreaming about it—like a summer romance that never quite turned into a relationship. If this villa had a phone number, I’d probably have messaged, “Miss you. Let’s catch up soon :)” more than once.
Why I Fell So Hard
Prime location just outside Muscat
Jaw-dropping beach-meets-mountain views
Global brands like Marriott and Trump—instant demand and trust
Built by one of the world’s top-tier luxury developers
Fully furnished with premium finishes
Limited villa count—meaning exclusivity and low future competition
Buyer-friendly terms: 50% payment deferred to 2029
Amsterdam–Muscat direct flights starting June 2025—making access easier for European tourists
Huge upside potential if Vision 2040 succeeds
And most importantly? I could see myself and my fiancé living here for part of the year. Hiking, swimming, working remotely, eating ridiculously fresh seafood. It wasn’t just an investment—it felt like a life upgrade.
I was this close to signing. But just in time, my fiancé and my friend pulled me back down to earth. It was like falling hard for someone, only for your most rational friend to pull you aside and whisper, “You sure this isn’t just a vacation crush?” 😂🙏
So Why Didn’t I iInvest?
The price tag is steep. We’re talking $550K+ for the smallest villa. If I had millions lying around, sure—I’d have pulled the trigger. But at this stage of my portfolio, I can’t afford to throw half a million at a “maybe.” I need conviction—and solid numbers to back it.
What if 2029 still looks like 2024? If tourism doesn’t take off, liquidity stays sluggish, and prices barely move… that half a million just sits there—doing nothing—while other markets are compounding returns.
High ongoing costs. Luxury doesn’t maintain itself. Staffing, maintenance, and service fees can quietly eat into your margins faster than expected.
Poor resale prospects. Oman’s secondary market is slow-moving. If you need to exit, don’t expect a bidding war.
Tourism is still warming up. 4.3M visitors in 2023 and a projected 5.3M in 2024 is slow growth. Compare that to Dubai’s 18.7M in 2024 and counting. Vision 2040 sounds promising—but it’s still a 15-year bet.
Weak infrastructure. No metro, minimal public transport, and full car dependency make it harder for tourists to explore and stay longer.
Lifestyle offering is thin. Beyond nature and adventure, there’s a lack of dining, shopping, and nightlife—the kind of mix that keeps guests coming back.
Too much rides on Vision 2040. The investment story leans heavily on government execution. If they stumble, so do your returns.
Bureaucratic drag. Oman’s pace is slow. Red tape, conservative rules, and outdated digital systems make it feel less investor-friendly than poorer nations like Georgia, Vietnam, or Cambodia—which, surprisingly, are years ahead in user experience.
The ROI just isn’t there (yet). For an investment this capital-heavy and risk-exposed, I’d expect a solid 10% net return—at the very least—to make up for the slow appreciation. But when I crunch the numbers, the yield doesn’t justify the upfront cost, holding period, or operational complexity.
Here’s The Actual Breakdown Based On Current Projections:
*** 1 OMR = 2.60 USD
Metric | Value (OMR) | Value (USD) |
Purchase Price (5% VAT included) | 205,800.0 | 535,080.0 |
Government Tax (3%) | 6,174.0 | 16,052.4 |
Furnishing & Setup Cost | 3,500.0 | 9,100.0 |
Total Price | 215,474.0 | 560,232.40 |
Here’s the ROI breakdown in Omani Rial (OMR) across three scenarios: two occupancy rates (40% and 60%) and three different nightly price points.
| 40% – 100 OMR/night | 40% – 150 OMR/night | 60% – 80 OMR/night | |
| Occupancy Days | 146.0 | 146.0 | 219.0 |
| Gross Annual Income (OMR) | 14600.0 | 21900.0 | 17520.0 |
| Management Fee (20%) (OMR) | 2920.0 | 4380.0 | 3504.0 |
| Annual Maintenance (OMR) | 500.0 | 500.0 | 500.0 |
| Utilities (OMR) | 1476.0 | 1476.0 | 1476.0 |
| Contingency Reserve (OMR) | 1000.0 | 1000.0 | 1000.0 |
| Total Annual Costs (OMR) | 5896.0 | 7356.0 | 6480.0 |
| Net Annual Income (OMR) | 8704.0 | 14544.0 | 11040.0 |
| Total Investment (OMR) | 215474.0 | 215474.0 | 215474.0 |
| Net ROI (%) | 4.04 | 6.75 | 5.12 |
Here’s the ROI breakdown in USD—perfect for international investors—covering three scenarios: two occupancy rates (40% and 60%) and three different nightly price points.
| Metric | 40% – $260/night | 40% – $390/night | 60% – $208/night |
| Occupancy Days | 146 | 146 | 219 |
| Gross Annual Income ($) | 37,960.0 | 5,6940.0 | 45,552.0 |
| Management Fee (20%) ($) | 7,592.0 | 11,388.0 | 9,110.4 |
| Annual Maintenance ($) | 1,300.0 | 1,300.0 | 1,300.0 |
| Utilities ($) | 3,837.6 | 3,837.6 | 3,837.6 |
| Contingency Reserve ($) | 2,600.0 | 2,600.0 | 2,600.0 |
| Total Annual Costs ($) | 15,329.6 | 19,125.6 | 16,848.0 |
| Net Annual Income ($) | 22,630.4 | 37,814.4 | 28,704.0 |
| Total Investment ($) | 560,232.4 | 56,0232.4 | 56,0232.4 |
| Net ROI (%) | 4.04 | 6.75 | 5.12 |
P.S. I realized I forgot to include legal fees in my numbers—but let me make one thing clear: never skip hiring a solid local lawyer when buying property. Their job isn’t just paperwork. They dig into the developer’s track record, the project’s legitimacy, and every line of your contract.
The less experience you have, the more you need that protection. Yes, it’ll cost you a bit upfront—but it could save you from a financial disaster later. Think of it as insurance against the fine print.
Although the ROI came in lower than I’d hoped, still… if Bitcoin hits half a million and I’m feeling bold? You already know which cliffside villa I’ll be circling back to. 😉
**Litle Update
Bitcoin hasn’t mooned to half a million yet 🤣😆🚀… but two weeks after publishing this blog, I did something unexpected: I signed the papers. I bought the villa. Yep—the very last unit available.
Funny thing is, I had already walked away. I was supposed to fly to Kigali next week to meet with local agents and explore new opportunities. But something about this project just wouldn’t let me go.
So I called my brother—also an entrepreneur, but much more risk-averse, and pitched the deal to him like I was talking to an investor. He’s shot down plenty of my ideas in the past, and for good reason. Of course, he grilled me like a cheese sandwich: tough questions, sharp logic, zero sugarcoating. 😂 But after a full-on interrogation, he gave me a YES.
Sometimes, it’s not just about numbers. It’s about conviction. If you’ve done your homework, believe in the future of a place, and can limit your downside while chasing a high-upside bet—it’s a move worth making.
And let’s be real—some of the world’s best investments didn’t make perfect sense at the start. Facebook, Airbnb, Tesla, and Amazon —they were wild bets once too. Sure, not every vision will pan out. But if you believe in it and play it right, even your losses become the tuition for better wins later.
I’ll be documenting this journey all the way to Q4 2028—construction, progress, wins, and lessons.
Project 3: 1BR Townhouse in Jebel Sifah, Muscat
A lifestyle retreat my friend adored. I didn’t. And that’s the beauty of investing.
- Website: jebelsifah.com
- Investment Type: 1BR Townhouse
- Price: 75,000 OMR ($195,000)
- Distance to City Center: 1 hr 10 min
- Purpose: 20% Lifestyle, 80% Investment
This one’s my friend’s top pick—she’s currently in the process of buying it. Like me, her decision was driven largely by her love for Oman. It’s a lifestyle play first, investment second. If she were judging it purely by the numbers, she wouldn’t have gone for it either—the ROI didn’t hit her target.
The developer behind this project is the same one who built Hawana Salalah, and both Phase 1 and 2 of Jebel Sifah have already been completed. It’s a well-established, gated community with beautiful views, open space, and a calm, laid-back atmosphere.
We had a rare advantage: a local friend who already owns a beachfront villa in the compound. Thanks to her, we didn’t just walk through a show unit—we got the full experience. We saw the build quality, the layout, and got real, no-filter feedback about living there.
Compared to AIDA, the cliffside villa project I was head over heels for, Jebel Sifah is a lot more affordable—and on paper, the ROI would likely be stronger.
But here’s the funny part: I didn’t feel a personal spark with this place. Meanwhile, my friend was absolutely smitten. She loved it.
It reminded me that investing is a lot like picking a life partner. What clicks for one person might not resonate with another. Financial goals, life stage, risk appetite, and personal taste all play a part in the decision-making process.
At the end of the day, if an investment makes sense to you—if it aligns with your goals and you see potential—then that’s what matters. You don’t need to justify it to anyone.
I even asked my friend to share her calculations so you can see how different investors evaluate ROI from different angles. Despite the difference in property type and location, our projections turned out surprisingly similar.
What I loved most was her layout—she mapped out every scenario from 30% to 90% occupancy. Super smart and super visual. It made it so much easier to grasp the risk and return at a glance.
Safe to say, I’ll be stealing that approach moving forward.
*A fixed nightly rate of €100 / $111 / 43 OMR was used in her calculation.
| Occupancy Rate | OMR/month | OMR/year | USD/year | Net ROI (%) |
| 30% | 238.33 | 2862.08 | 7439.13 | 3.57% |
| 40% | 317.92 | 3815.83 | 9918.11 | 4.77% |
| 50% | 397.50 | 4769.99 | 12398.18 | 5.96% |
| 60% | 477.08 | 5724.17 | 14877.17 | 7.15% |
| 70% | 556.67 | 6678.75 | 17357.24 | 8.34% |
| 80% | 636.25 | 7632.08 | 19837.31 | 9.53% |
Even though our investment preferences differed, one thing we both agreed on—without hesitation—is this: Oman holds massive long-term potential. If the government plays its cards right—with bold marketing, real tourism development, and a serious push to attract global talent and wealthy entrepreneurs (à la Dubai)—then property appreciation here won’t just be wishful thinking. A 2–3x jump over the next decade feels entirely within reach.
Final Thoughts
So after our whirlwind investment trip through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Oman—and more than a few “almost” deals—my friend sealed the deal on a townhouse in Muscat. As for me, I haven’t pulled the trigger yet . Oops 🙈 , I bought a villa there. I feel good about the decision. I’ve done my due diligence, I know the risks, and I’m excited to see how this story unfolds over the next few years.
And here’s one last thing to leave you with: Today is May 16, 2025. I just saw the news—Trump made a grand tour of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, walking away with a $1 trillion investment deal from Saudi alone.
No, he didn’t visit Oman.
But when your neighbors are booming, the ripple effects don’t need a visa.
Wealthy investors don’t just spend at home—they vacation, invest, and expand into culturally familiar destinations nearby (especially in the Muslim world, where lifestyle preferences and values often overlap). Oman doesn’t need to copy Dubai or Saudi Arabia. It just needs to keep moving forward—quietly, steadily, and strategically.
Because when the tide rises in Riyadh, it doesn’t stop at the border.
P.S. Thinking about investing in Oman📍? I’ve got some solid contacts I trust. Drop me a message—I’ll happily point you in the right direction.
👉 Next Blog
As a bonus, I’ll be breaking down another Gulf country 🚩—one that, on paper, checked every single box. An absolute winner in my eyes, with all the right ingredients in place: a massive population (100M+), a strong and growing economy, serious spending power, rental yields pushing 10%, and annual appreciation north of 6%. It fits my investment strategy almost too perfectly.
And yet… I couldn’t invest. Why? That’s exactly what I’ll unpack in the next post.
