Indian businesses and services in Muscat, Oman

Indian merchants were trading in Muscat long before oil: Bhatia traders from Kutch are recorded there from the sixteenth century, and some Gujarati and Kutchi families have been part of the city's commercial life for generations. That long history is one reason Oman differs from much of the Gulf: Hindu temples operate openly here, with official recognition. The Shiva temple in Muttrah, more than a century old, is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the region, and the Krishna temple in Ruwi is the city's other recognised Hindu temple. Oman formally registered its Sikh community in 2023, when the religious affairs ministry also identified a permanent place of worship for it.

For everyday shopping, Ruwi is the centre of South Asian Muscat. Its main streets and side lanes are lined with sari and fabric shops, jewellers, electronics stores, money exchanges and restaurants serving Kerala, Gujarati, Punjabi, Pakistani and Bangladeshi food. Muttrah Souq, on the Corniche, mixes Omani crafts with goods brought in by South Asian traders. Darsait and Wadi Kabir have many Indian households, while Al Ghubra, further west, has one of the city's Indian schools, open since 1990.

Community life is well organised, with clubs and associations representing almost every Indian state, and the Indian Social Club runs a programme of cultural events through the year. Onam and Diwali are widely celebrated, and Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are national holidays. Oman's weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, and Ruwi is busiest on Thursday and Friday evenings. Navratri, Diwali and Janmashtami are set by the Hindu calendar, so the temples' own announcements are the surest guide to dates.