Oman

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The area is the largest recipient of ship's ballast water. Annually, more than 50,000 vessels visit this area and discharge a large amount of ballast water. The RSA is a semi-enclosed water body with intensely hot summers and short cool winters, extensive air and water temperature fluctuation and relatively high salinity. It is also characterised by high turbidity and low exchange of water with open waters. Therefore, there is a need to manage and control the spread of harmful aquatic species in ship's ballast water by implementing a set of measures such as ballast water exchange outside the RSA.

With effect from 1 November 2009, all ships, regardless of flag, will be required to exchange and treat all ballast water taken up outside the RSA for the protection of the marine environment. This comprises the states of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Taking into consideration the provisions of the Regulation B-4 of the Ballast Water Management Convention, the following points should be observed:

Ballast water that has been treated with a ballast water treatment system, approved in accordance with IMO standards, does not need to be exchanged.

Ships will be required to have on board an approved Ballast Water Management Plan in accordance with the IMO standards. Ships should also have and maintain a Ballast Water Record Book.

From the date specified above, all the ships passing Strait of Hormuz will be required to complete the Regional Ballast Water Reporting Form (RBWRF). The ships will be inspected by the Port State Control Officers to ensure these regional requirements are fully implemented.

For further assistance, contact the local Agent or respected Port Authority or MEMAC as the Regional Centre at [email protected]

If you need emergency medical assistance during your stay in Oman, dial 9999 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

The heat can be extreme and deaths have occurred due to dehydration and heat exhaustion.

It may be the case that some prescribed and over the counter medicines available in your home country are banned substances in Oman. If you’re travelling to Oman with prescription drugs, carry a copy of the prescription. For further information, check with Oman’s Ministry of Health well in advance of travel. www.moh.gov.om/en/home

The proximity of attacks has spread and taken place off Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and Madagascar. Pirates are believed to be using mother vessels to launch attacks at very far distances from the coast, with some attacks taking place up to 600 n.m. from the coast. Two attacks occurred beyond the recommended Long. 060° E. Pirates have been known to operate in/near to positions 00° 43.70′ S, 061° 57.80′ E and 00° 29.00′ N, 063° 12.00′ E, approx. 1,000–1,100 n.m. east of Mogadishu.

Vessels are advised to keep more than 600 n.m. from the coastline and when routeing north/south, keeping east of Long. 60° 00′ E until east of the Seychelles.

In view of the recent attacks, all vessels are advised, when proceeding to/from South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia to consider routeing south of Lat. 10° 00′ S and east of Long. 060° 00′ E, avoiding the area between the Somali coast and north and west of the Seychelles. A 24-hour visual and radar watch must be maintained as early sightings/detection and accurate assessment will allow Masters to take evasive action and increase speed, and at the same time request for assistance and escape.

Due to the unprecedented number of Somali pirate incidents, the IMB calls for all Masters transiting the Gulf of Aden, southern Red Sea, off Oman, east coast of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and Madagascar to report all sightings of suspected pirate mother ships to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. This vital intelligence will then be used to identify and target the mother ships. This will enable appropriate action to be taken in response.

Within the VRA there is a high-risk area (HRA) as follows:

The IRTC includes the creation of eastbound and westbound transit lanes. Each lane has width 5.0 n.m. with a 2.0 n.m. buffer zone separating eastbound and westbound lanes. The IRTC has the following coordinates:

Group transits have been designed to put ships into different speed groups in order to exploit the additional protection and assurance of being in a group. The times for different groups to enter the IRTC are calculated that they pass through the area of statistically greatest danger, between long. 47° E and 49° E, at night and ensures that all ships, regardless of speed, are together at first light. This allows the military forces in the area to best position their assets in the area to protect ships against piracy and give assistance in case of attack.

Timing of transit groups as follows:

Masters of vessels using the IRTC, and those following group transits, are not relieved of their obligation and should continue to maintain a strict 24-hour lookout using all available means to get early warnings of an approaching threat.

Masters are also advised to maintain a listening watch on VHF Channels 16, 8 and 72. Warships make advisory calls, ``Securite'' broadcasts, to announce their location and in turn will also listen for merchant ships calling them.

Vessels are encouraged to report their positions by email or the UKMTO website eForms at 0800 UTC whilst operating in the UKMTO VRA. Reporting can also be done through MSCIO (see below).

The Voluntary Reporting Scheme (VRS) form can be obtained from Admiralty Chart Q6099 and in the annex of BMP5 (Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Security in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea).

The merchant VRS is established to increase security and provide anti-piracy support to maintain the freedom of navigation to all vessels in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Merchant vessels operating in these areas are strongly encouraged to report and liaise with UKMTO (and/or MSCIO) whilst transiting the VRA. Any vessel, owner, operator or manager choosing not to report may delay any military assistance in the event of an incident as military assets may not be expecting the ship and valuable information may not be available.

The scheme is free to participate in, and vessels of any flag or ownership are invited to participate. All information is treated in strict commercial confidence and only used within military circles.

Submitted BMP Reporting Forms will be shared with the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO). Sharing this information encourages integration between maritime centres to combat piracy and other illicit activities at sea.

General T: +44 (2392) 222065. [email protected]

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) - Dubai: T: +971 50 189 8389.

Alternatively, the forms can be downloaded, filled in, and sent to [email protected] or F: +44 (1923) 956575.

Women should dress modestly in public areas. Clothes should cover the tops of the arms and legs, and underwear should not be visible. You should not wear swimming attire in public areas, except on tourist beaches or swimming pools. Women wearing shorts, or tight-fitting clothes, are likely to attract attention.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Eating, drinking, smoking, playing loud music and dancing in public places during daylight hours of Ramadan is strictly forbidden and punishable by law, including for non-Muslims.

Reported cases of sexual assault against foreign women are low. Personal attacks, including sexual assault and rape, are relatively rare, but do happen. Female visitors and residents should take care when walking or travelling alone. You should maintain a good level of personal security awareness at all times.

Hobbies that involve cameras and binoculars like bird watching and plane spotting may be misunderstood - particularly if you are near military sites, government buildings and airports.

The use of bad language and rude gestures is considered an obscene act, including whilst driving or on social media. Public displays of affection may get you into trouble with the police.

Carry a copy of your passport, or your Omani ID if you are a resident, at all times for identification and keep the original document in a safe place.

Importing drugs and pornography into Oman is illegal and can lead to imprisonment. The penalties for drug trafficking, smuggling and possession, of even residual amounts, of drugs are severe. In some cases, the death penalty could apply. There is no distinction in Omani law between `soft’ and `hard’ drugs; both are treated with equal severity.

Licensed hotels and restaurants sell alcohol. If you live in Oman, you can get a licence to drink alcohol at home from the Royal Oman police. It’s an offence to drink, or be drunk, in public. The legal age for drinking alcohol is 21.

Flying drones or remote-controlled flying devices without a valid licence is against the law.

It is against the law to live together or share the same hotel room with someone of the opposite sex to whom you are not married or closely related. Homosexuality is illegal in Oman.

A Sailor’s Transit Visa (STV) (18A) allows a short entry for a crew members transiting through Oman and arriving by air and leaving by sea (or vice versa). A STV allows a stay for a period not more than seven days from the date of entry.

Applications for a Sailor’s Transit Visa can be made online by registered users at W: https://evisa.rop.gov.om/en/home A photograph of the applicant (digital) and copy of the applicant's passport or seaman's book (must be valid for more than 6 months) is required.

Details of all visa types, including cruise passenger visas, and online applications is available at evisa.rop.gov.om/en/home