Study abroad checklist: Country and city

As an Omani student, you have a lot of choice when choosing a study country, thanks to Oman's great diplomatic relations and generous government scholarships.

For many, the country is more important than anything else. The most common countries for Omanis are the USA, UK and UAE. However, thousands of students study in Jordan, Malaysia, Australia and more. Major factors in your decision are:

• Language: Do you want to study in Arabic, English or a different language?
• Culture: How do you like to spend your time? Do you like art, or food, or meeting new people?
• Climate: Would you like to study somewhere hot, cold or somewhere in between?
• Cost of living: Some countries can be very expensive.
• Local contacts and family: being near family can be really helpful.

UNESCO estimates that over 16,000 students from Oman are currently studying abroad. This is a very large proportion of students.

Omanis have strong passports and most countries are keen to welcome Omanis to study. However, applying in the GCC, UK, European Union or North America are likely to provide the smoothest visa application process thanks to the number of Omanis they welcome.