The sultanate has long prided itself on neutrality — but as the Middle East fractures around it, travellers are right to ask hard questions before booking.
Few countries in the Middle East feel as far removed from conflict as Oman. Its rose-gold dunes, frankincense-scented souks, and UNESCO-listed forts have drawn adventurous travellers for decades — people who come seeking the Arabian Peninsula at its most peaceful and authentic. Yet right now, in March 2026, that carefully cultivated sense of calm is being tested by a regional war none of us fully saw coming.
On 28 February 2026, US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iranian military and nuclear facilities, triggering a rapid and volatile chain of events across the Gulf. Within days, the US State Department elevated Oman’s travel advisory to Level 3: Reconsider Travel, while Australia’s Smartraveller turned its guidance amber. Multiple airlines cancelled or rerouted flights across the Gulf, and non-emergency US diplomatic personnel were authorised to depart Muscat.
So: is it still safe to go? The honest answer is nuanced — and it depends very much on who you are, where in Oman you plan to travel, and your own personal threshold for risk in an unpredictable regional environment. This article gives you the clearest, most up-to-date picture we can offer.
The current hostilities have their roots in years of escalating tension over Iran’s nuclear programme, its proxy networks across Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and long-standing Israeli and American concerns about Iranian regional ambitions. The triggering moment came in late February 2026, when Israel — backed by the United States — struck Iranian military infrastructure. Iran responded swiftly with drone and missile barrages targeting multiple Gulf states.
The scale of disruption to regional air travel has been extraordinary. Airspace over Iran, Iraq and Israel closed almost immediately. Airports in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE experienced mass cancellations. Lufthansa, Air India, Air Canada and Delta all suspended services to multiple Middle Eastern destinations. Oman’s Muscat International Airport (MCT), by contrast, remained operational — and in fact began handling significant volumes of diverted traffic as one of the few functioning hubs in the region.
Oman has acted as a key southern bypass corridor for diverted international flights, with its Muscat FIR (flight information region) handling higher-than-normal traffic — even as some aviation bodies issued precautionary warnings.
That positioning — useful precisely because Oman is not a combatant — tells you something important about how the country sits in this conflict. It is a bystander trying to remain a safe harbour. But bystanders can still get caught in crossfire.
Oman has no military involvement in the Iran–Israel–US conflict. This is not surprising. The sultanate has maintained a philosophy of strategic neutrality for decades, building diplomatic bridges between adversaries in ways that larger powers often cannot. In recent history, Muscat has quietly hosted back-channel talks between the United States and Iran, relaying messages and providing a neutral venue at some of the tensest moments in US–Iran relations.
In the current crisis, Oman has again stepped into a mediation role, urging restraint on all sides and offering Muscat as a platform for negotiations. Omani officials have publicly called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomacy. This posture — friend to all, enemy to none — is deeply embedded in Omani foreign policy and it matters enormously for travellers. Unlike some of its Gulf neighbours, Oman has no troops deployed against Iran and no strategic facilities used by the US military as active launch points in this conflict.
That said, neutrality is not the same as immunity. Iran has struck neighbouring states that equally declared non-involvement. The Gulf is a small neighbourhood.
Here is the state of official government guidance as of early March 2026:
Level 3 does NOT mean ‘Do Not Travel.’ It means weigh your reasons carefully, have a clear exit plan, and stay closely informed. Level 4 is the ‘Do Not Travel’ designation — Oman has not reached that threshold.
Reports from travellers currently in Oman and from regional security analysts paint a picture of a country where daily life continues with remarkable normalcy — particularly in Muscat and the main tourist corridor. Hotels are operating. Restaurants are open. The Grand Mosque, the Royal Opera House, the souks of Muttrah — all functioning.
The incidents that have caused concern are linked to Oman’s strategic geography rather than to any political targeting of the country itself. There have been drone-related incidents near infrastructure in certain coastal areas, and one report of a tanker being struck in waters off the Omani coast. The areas of greatest concern are those proximate to oil and energy infrastructure, strategic ports, and areas near the Yemeni border in the south — a border that carries its own pre-existing ‘Do Not Travel’ designation entirely separate from the current Iran conflict.
Salalah, Oman’s second city and gateway to the stunning Dhofar region, sits geographically closer to the Yemeni border and has been specifically named in Australian guidance. The Australian government is advising citizens in and around Salalah — within a 100km radius — to shelter in place for now.
Muscat itself has not been struck. Major tourist attractions remain accessible. The city continues to receive diverted international flights and serves as something of a calm within the regional storm.
If you are in Oman or planning to travel, some zones require more caution than others right now:
The regional aviation picture is genuinely complicated right now, and it is the single biggest practical risk for travellers — not because Muscat airport is unsafe, but because the web of cancellations and closures around it can leave you stranded.
Muscat International Airport itself is open and operational. It has been absorbing diverted traffic from Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and other Gulf hubs where cancellations have been widespread. However, your route to Oman may involve transiting through airports that are experiencing severe disruption. Hundreds of thousands of travellers have been stranded across the Gulf in recent days.
Before booking or travelling, check your airline’s specific guidance daily. Confirm your transit hubs. Ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance with emergency evacuation cover — and read the small print carefully, as many standard policies exclude war zones. Be prepared for your itinerary to change with little notice.
The FAA has issued an ongoing NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) covering risks to civil aviation near Yemen. This affects flight paths into and around southern Oman and should be noted by any traveller planning internal flights within the country.
If you are already in Oman or have a trip coming up that you are weighing carefully, here is actionable guidance:
This is the question every Pink Stone traveller ultimately wants answered. Here is our honest assessment, region by region.
Muscat and the northern interior (Nizwa, Wahiba Sands, Al Hajar Mountains): These areas remain the most insulated from direct risk. Life continues normally. If you have a trip planned to these destinations, the decision to continue is reasonable — provided you have a solid exit strategy, the right insurance, and you are genuinely prepared to adapt to changing circumstances at short notice. This is not the moment for a rigid itinerary.
Salalah and the Dhofar region: We would recommend postponing any trip to this area until the regional picture stabilises. The Australian government’s specific advisory for this zone is meaningful. The landscapes of Dhofar — frankincense trees, the monsoon mist, the dramatic wadis — are extraordinary and will wait for you.
The Yemen border area: This has always been off-limits for tourism. Nothing about the current situation changes that — it reinforces it.
For travellers who have not yet booked: We would pause on Oman specifically until there is greater clarity on the trajectory of the Iran–US conflict. This is not because Oman is at war — it is not. But the regional volatility means that circumstances could change significantly within the span of your trip. When this conflict de-escalates, Oman will be waiting: as extraordinary, as welcoming, and as peaceful as it has always been.
It would be a disservice to Oman — and to the truth — to end this article without noting what kind of country this actually is. Oman is one of the most stable, safe, and genuinely hospitable destinations in the Arab world under normal circumstances. Its crime rates are low. Its people have a centuries-old tradition of welcoming outsiders. Its sultan has built a nation on diplomacy rather than belligerence.
The current situation is not of Oman’s making, and Oman is doing everything in its power to limit its exposure. The country is still there, still functioning, still beautiful. The frankincense still burns. The sea still glitters at Muttrah Corniche at dusk.
But right now, in March 2026, the responsible advice is this: if you are already there and safe in the northern tourist corridor, stay informed, stay flexible, and be ready to leave quickly if needed. If you are planning to go — wait a little. The desert has been there for millennia. It will be there when the storm passes.
Important Notice
This article was written using the latest available official government travel advisories and regional security briefings as of 9 March 2026. The situation in the Middle East is evolving rapidly. Always check your government’s official travel advisory site immediately before making any travel decision. Pink Stone Travel accepts no liability for decisions made on the basis of this article.
Key resources: travel.state.gov (US) | smartraveller.gov.au (AU) | gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice (UK)
