The beautiful country that's copying Spain as it begs for more tourists

A beautiful country in the Middle East is looking to emulate in its bid to attract more tourists. , formally known as the Sultanate of Oman, is located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and is known for its impressive architecture, beautiful coastlines, and epic sand dunes.

Back in 2016 Oman launched a 25-year strategy to boost annual tourist numbers to 11.7 million 2040, having seen 2.6 million in 2015, according to . The country is looking to establish itself as a popular tourist destination, and diversify its economy away from a heavy reliance on oil, which makes it vulnerable to market shocks.

Oman's Undersecretary of Heritage and Tourism Azzan Al Busaidi appeared at a conference in Madrid on October 29, 2024 called "Oman, the hidden jewel of the Middle East", where he talked up the country's potential as a hub.

Speaking to news outlet , Mr Al Busaidi talked about how crucial tourism from Spain would be, as well as things Oman can learn from the Mediterranean country's approach to the sector.

" can contribute in many different ways, apart, of course, from sending more tourists to Oman," he said.

Mr Al Busaidi said the European travel hotspot "has a wide and interesting experience in the tourism sector, going back many years, and I think Oman has a lot to learn from this tourism experience".

"Spanish companies working in this sector also have a very diverse product, a product that ranges from tourism-related services to even the technological aspect," he added. "Therefore, Spanish companies can offer a lot to the growing demand in Oman's tourism market."

Mr Al Busaidi told Atalayar that Oman reached "the historic number of 4 million tourists", in 2023, "which is an increase of around 38% compared to pre-pandemic levels".

"We believe that the Spanish market is going to be a very important part of this expansion plan moving forward," he added.

Mr Al Busaidi said he believes Oman's potential in tourism sector "is much greater than what we are currently achieving and, for this reason, from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism we are proposing a number of initiatives here in Spain to take advantage of this great potential".

Oman's capital Muscat, isn't filled with high skyscrapers but is notable for having lower buildings that blend traditional Omani styles with modern influences.

This includes arches, lower white coloured buildings as well as several ancient forts from the 16th century.

Officials have previously said they want avoid a Dubai-style transformation of its stunning capital city.

But with the population expected to surge by 50% by 2040, Oman is also pumping billions into infrastructure and housing projects to accomodate its growing population, reports. At the heart of this push is Sultan Haitham city, a project on the outskirts of Muscat that will house 100,00 people across six neighbourhoods.

This will include 29 mosques and 39 schools, but this scale and budget is still relatively small compared to Dubai.