Oman Tops the List of Safest Destinations for Solo Female Travellers

Big 7 Travel has released a new report naming Oman the first safest country in the world for women to travel alone.

Contrary to the case with men, a midnight jog or stroll, an after-night drinking with pals, or a ladies-out party often calls for a rethink. The simplicity and low cost of these aren't always offered to women due to the calculated safety risks, especially those who are travelling alone.

Nonetheless, with the list compiled by Big 7, it is clear that women travelling alone may find it easier to perform this risk assessment in Oman than in other nations.

“Oman is leading the way. The female homicide rate is one of the lowest in the world, and Oman falls into the 'very low' category when it comes to overall crime, with a crime index score of under 20."

"Women in Oman are encouraged to pursue higher education, to a point that they now outnumber men in higher education institutions. In addition, the government has launched several initiatives to raise awareness about women's rights."

"You can trust to be safe and looked after in this country, with the Omani people's famously warm hospitality and friendly attitude."

The rating is predicated on information from eight major characteristics, including crime and safety, female homicide rates, domestic abuse legislation, public transit and taxi safety, and global gender gap scores.

Oman topped the list, followed by Taiwan, Slovenia, Austria, and Norway, and the rest of the top 10 included Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, and Poland.

As is widely known, the incidence of street crime is low in Oman; violent crime is rare by U.S. standards. As a percentage of all crimes reported each year, violent and property crimes make up only a tiny fraction. Crime Index by Country 2020, published in the middle of the year by the world's largest online database, Numbeo, found that Oman was the fifth safest country in the world. The Expat Insider Report by InterNations (2019) found that, overall, ex-pats felt safest in Oman.

Crime of any kind carries severe penalties in this country because of its reputation as a pious and traditionalist state. The Royal Omani Police force is well-respected for its efficiency and its refusal to accept bribes or other forms of financial inducement.

The most recent numbers put 2018's crime rate at 0.27 per cent. In 2017, the national crime rate was 0.51, a significant increase of 27.99 per cent from the previous year. The Oman legal system is in "generally good" shape, according to the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO)

The following are the total percentages of crimes reported in Oman in 2021:

Dishonoured checks, often known as bounced checks, accounted for 7,143 offences, or 19.9 per cent of the total. There were 2,864 offences reported related to ICT and e-commerce (that's 8 per cent of all reported crimes). The crime rate was 7.6 per cent for drugs and psychoactive substances. Approximately 2,340 offences (6.5 per cent of all crimes) were classified as violations of human freedom and dignity. 

Again, 2,166 violations of employment laws were registered, accounting for 6 per cent of all offences, while 2,034 violations of traffic laws were documented. There were 2,002 offences recorded for breaking consumer protection laws, accounting for 5.6 per cent of all offences. There was a 5.3 per cent increase in crime due to theft and blackmail, and a 4.7 per cent increase due to fraud, with 1685 incidents documented. Annual conference of Oman's Public Prosecution; speakers include Public Prosecutor Nasr Al Sawa'i and Assistant Public Prosecutor Dr Ahmed Al Shukaili. 

On Big 7's list, Japan ranked 14th, followed by South Korea (16), Finland (17), and Canada (18).