Oman - Transportation

As of 2002, there were 32,800 km (20,382 mi) of roadways, of which only 9,840 km (6,115 mi) were paved, including 550 km (342 mi) of expressways. A major 800-km (500-mi) highway links Nazwa in the north to Thamarit and Salalah in the Dhofar region. A main coastal road has been laid from Muscat to Suhar, a distance of 240 km (150 mi), and the road from Muscat to Buraymi on the United Arab Emirates border has been completed. In 2000, passenger car registrations totaled 262,400,000 and commercial vehicle registrations totaled 124,900. There are no railways or waterways in Oman.

In 2001, there were 143 airports, only 6 of which had paved runways. Seeb International Airport, 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Muscat, is served by numerous international carriers, including Gulf Air, in which Oman holds a 20% interest. A second modern airport, at Salalah in the south, serves domestic flights. In 2001, 1,980,100 passengers were carried on scheduled international and domestic airline flights.

Mina's Qabus, near Muscat, is the main port in the north, serving international and regional shipping. Port Salalah, 1000 km (621 mi) down the cost from Muscat is the main port for the south. Opened in 1998, Port Salalah is the only port between Europe and Singapore that can accommodate the S-class, the world's largest class of container vessel. It is now among the top twenty container ports in the world in terms of handling capacity, and among the top ten in terms of efficiency. All Omani crude oil is exported from Mina's al-Fahl, west of Matrah. In 2002, Oman had 3 merchant vessels totaling 17,291 GRT.