5 Best Shopping in Oman

On the outskirts of Bidiyah—in the desert just after the paved road ends—Bedouin women sit in a large tent each day making handwoven baskets, cushions, and key chains made with their traditional textiles. They will invite you to sit with them and enjoy a cup of light, cardamom-infused Omani kahwa (coffee) and dates before you peruse their offerings. These inexpensive wares represent an ancient desert tradition of handicraft and are their main source of income. The offerings make great souvenirs and gifts.

Grittier than the historic old Mutrah Souq, this is where local Omani residents from the surrounding suburbs come to shop for spices, fresh vegetables, meat and fish, clothing, and furniture. Thus, it's a wonderful place to get a taste of the local culture. All manner of dried spices are available along with good dried dates and date syrup. If you have room in your luggage, you can take home a jar of oily shuwa spices, the signature marinade for their pit-roasted celebration dish. There is a nice Omani halwa shop behind the souq, where you can sample the popular dessert, and just in front, there are grillers serving skewers of spicy squid, beef, and lamb called mishkak. The beautiful beachfront location makes it a great place to wander before taking a stroll along the water. In the early mornings you can visit and see the shopkeepers setting up and playfully heckling each other, but the evenings are the best time to people-watch, as this is when most locals come to do their daily shopping.

This popular mall is a great place to people-watch and find local boutiques mixed in with the international chains. Shop for abayas, scarves, and bakhoor incense along with MAC cosmetics and Aldo's accessories. On hot days, the air-conditioned expanses make for a good place to stretch your legs, too.

The renovated Nizwa souq looks almost new, despite being one of the most ancient marketplaces in Oman. Here, along with typical souvenirs, you can find some distinctive local specialties, which include bottles of smoked rose water made in the nearby Jabal Akhdar Mountains, khanjar daggers, dates, and silver jewelry (for which the area is famous). Be sure to ask if the jewelry is a local design, as there are many imported pieces from India in the mix. Also, be sure to negotiate to get the best price.

This three-story shop is the Omani equivalent of a dollar store, with everything from small fenjan coffee cup sets to makeup and accessories to small and inexpensive souvenirs priced at 300 baisas to a few rials. Searching through the hodgepodge of items for a few inexpensive gems to take home is a fun way to spend an hour, and it is an ideal place to get inexpensive toys or beach gear that you can leave behind.