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Tourism booms as Oman offers visa-free entry for over 100 countries

Web Desk 11:07 PM | 13 Mar, 2023
Tourism booms as Oman offers visa-free entry for over 100 countries
Source: Photo by Sheikh Haris

SUR - There has been an influx of tourists to Oman after the country introduced visa-free and visa-on-arrival entry for 103 countries.

The decision which was taken to strengthen the country’s tourism industry has yield considerable results as data from National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI) confirms 348% rise in tourists last year. As many as 2.9 million travelers landed in Oman in 2022 and the occupancy rate of hotels also swelled by 31.3%.

The countries which are exempt from entry visas are: 

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Belgium

Bhutan

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Canada

Chile

China (includes Hong Kong and Macau)

Colombia

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Ecuador

Estonia

Eygpt

Finland

France

French Guinea

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Guatemala

Honduras

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Iran

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Latvia

Lebanon

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malaysia

Maldives

Malta

Mauritania

Mexico

Moldova

Monaco

Morocco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Norway

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Salvador

San Marino

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Suriname

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

Tajikistan

Thailand

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Uruguay

United States

Uzbekistan

Vatican

Venezuela

Vietnam

Nationals of the above mentioned countries can stay in the country for up to 14 days subject to the condition that they should have prior and confirmed hotel booking, health insurance, and a return ticket.

Meanwhile, Citizens of GCC countries (the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) do not require visas to enter the country that is now focusing on generating revenue after the post pandemic period.

The process of obtaining a visa for visitors to Oman is handled by the Royal Oman Police (ROP). The ease of visa issuance is compelling more and more tourists to flock the country and enjoy its rich culture and history. There are several different types of visa for visitors to Oman. For tourists, the Tourist Visit Visa (Unsponsored) is the appropriate type. The visa can be obtained by clicking here.

Web Desk
Web Desk

Daily Pakistan Global Web Desk

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Rupee gains massive recovery against US dollar after SBP relaxes rules for banks

KARACHI – The Pakistani rupee experienced a significant surge in its value in the open market against the dollar.

This surge came after a recent directive from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), allowing banks to purchase dollars at the interbank market rate for international card payments. The objective of this move was to narrow the exchange rate gap between the official and informal markets.

According to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan, the currency market witnessed the dollar being traded at Rs298, compared to its previous day’s closing rate of 311.

The SBP’s decision was influenced by the International Monetary Fund’s demand for Pakistan to stabilize its currency market before resuming a $6.5 billion bailout program.

In a circular, the central bank stated, “In response to the feedback received from various stakeholders, Authorized Dealers are now permitted to buy USD from the Interbank market to settle card-based cross border transactions with international payment schemes (IPS).”

Market analysts had predicted a decline in the value of the rupee following the implementation of these new guidelines.

Zafar Paracha, the General Secretary of the ECAP, expressed that the SBP’s decision was timely and appropriate. He anticipated that it would lead to a decrease of 20 to 25 rupees in the open market currency rate. Paracha also noted that aligning the rates in the official and informal markets would bolster remittance inflows.

Pracha further emphasized that significant disparities in rates between the official and informal markets encourage transactions outside of the official banking system.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/01-Jun-2023/today-s-currency-exchange-rates-in-pakistan-dollar-euro-pound-riyal-rates-on-june-1-2023

Today's gold rates in Pakistan – June 1, 2023

KARACHI – The price of a single tola of 24-karat gold in Pakistan is Rs 230,500 on Thursday. The price of 10 grams of 24k gold was recorded at Rs197,620.   

Likewise, 10 grams of 22k gold were being traded for Rs181,150 while a single tola of 22-karat gold was being sold at Rs 211,290.

Note: The gold rate in Pakistan is fluctuating according to the international market so the price is never been fixed. The below rates are provided by local gold markets and Sarafa Markets of different cities.

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Karachi PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Islamabad PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Peshawar PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Quetta PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Sialkot PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Attock PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Gujranwala PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Jehlum PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Multan PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Bahawalpur PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Gujrat PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Nawabshah PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Chakwal PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Hyderabad PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Nowshehra PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Sargodha PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Faisalabad PKR 230,500  PKR 2125
Mirpur PKR 230,500  PKR 2125

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