Network Oman
Qualitative market research agency in Oman
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Oman, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and home visits, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Oman has 5.54 million people with a median age of 29.7, and 95.3 per cent of them are online (DataReportal, Digital 2026). It is a large country with a long coast, where Muscat, Sohar and Salalah are hours apart and live at different rhythms. Research there works in Arabic, with time given to hospitality, and with a plan for more than the capital.
AT A GLANCE
Oman at a glance for researchers
- Population. 5.54 million people, median age 29.7, 89.7 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). A young population, spread along the coast from Muscat to Salalah. Muscat and the coast beside it hold the largest share of residents, with Dhofar in the south and Al Batinah in the north as the other main regions.
- Languages. Arabic for most sessions, in the Omani dialect; English with expatriate residents and many professionals. Our moderators live in Oman and work in both.
- Internet and mobile. 5.28 million internet users, 95.3 per cent of the population, and 6.93 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Video interviews reach the towns that would take a day's travel to visit. Social media counts 3.44 million user identities, 62.1 per cent of the population, and the median mobile download speed is 133.84 Mbps (same source), enough for video interviews from the interior.
- Where fieldwork happens. Muscat first, then Sohar in the north and Salalah in the south, with Nizwa for the interior when the decision is national. Salalah is about a thousand kilometres from Muscat by road, so each city has its own recruiter and its own fieldwork days.
- Data protection. The Personal Data Protection Law (Royal Decree No. 6/2022) has been fully enforceable since 5 February 2026. Consent is collected before each session, with a clear statement of what is recorded and why.
- Timing. We do not schedule fieldwork during Ramadan, and the two Eid holidays stop work for several days. The weekend is Friday and Saturday. Salalah fills with visitors during its rainy season, from June to September. Oman's National Day holidays fall in November, and sessions with working residents are booked in the evening.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Oman?
In Oman, a guest is offered coffee and dates before any business is discussed, and a research session starts the same way. The first ten minutes are not lost time; they decide how frank the rest will be. Distance matters as much as welcome: a study in Oman that stays in Muscat has heard one of three markets.
- Hospitality comes first. A session opens with coffee and conversation, and the moderator does not rush it. Participants who have been received properly speak more openly about what they would change. That time is written into the session plan, so the interview is booked with room to spare and nobody watches the clock.
- Three cities, long distances. Muscat, Sohar and Salalah are far apart and differ in income, retail and daily rhythm. In-person work is grouped by city, and online sessions cover the towns between them. A national study in Oman usually starts in Muscat and adds one of the other two, chosen by where the brand sells.
- Women's and men's sessions are planned. For many topics, women speak more freely with a woman moderator and without men present. Who moderates and who is in the room is settled at recruitment, as in our work in Saudi Arabia. For professional subjects a mixed session is often fine, and the quote states the set-up we propose.
- Omanis and expatriate residents. Nationals and expatriate residents differ in family life, income and media. The brief says which audience the decision depends on, and each is recruited separately. Expatriate residents are themselves several communities, and the screener records nationality, years in Oman and household set-up.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Oman?
- We recruit through local partners in Muscat, Sohar and Salalah, who find the people your brief describes among Omani nationals and expatriate residents. The screener records city, nationality, income band and category use, and a call the day before confirms the appointment.
- Households are approached through someone they know, and the time and place of a home visit are agreed with the family. For audiences outside the three cities, the recruiter travels or works through a local contact, and the timeline in your quote allows for it.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Oman?
Most studies in Oman run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, ethnographic home visits or mystery shopping when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, telecoms, automotive and family decisions | A session that starts with the first question |
| Focus groups | Concepts, food and brands in Muscat, women and men in separate groups | Mixed groups; some participants stay silent |
| Home visits | Household routines, cooking and family purchases | A woman researcher when women are at home |
| Shop-alongs | Malls, hypermarkets and traditional souqs | The evening is when families shop |
| Mystery shopping | Automotive, banking and retail networks across cities | One visit plan for Muscat and for the regions |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Oman
How much does market research cost in Oman?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Oman added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Cities beyond Muscat and home visits move the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Oman?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A fieldwork house in Muscat fits a team that brings its own moderator and guide. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Oman that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Is Muscat enough for research in Oman, or should I add other cities?
Muscat is enough for a first read. For a national decision, add Sohar or Salalah: they are hours away, with their own retail and their own pace, and online sessions cover the interior. Salalah matters most for categories tied to tourism and to the south's own retail, Sohar for the industrial north.
Should sessions in Oman run in Arabic or in English?
Arabic with Omani nationals, in the local dialect. English works with expatriate residents and many professionals. Our moderators live in Oman and work in both, and your team follows through translation. Arabic stimulus is checked by a moderator who lives in Oman, and English versions are prepared for expatriate audiences.
How do you include women participants in Oman?
By planning for it at recruitment. Women's sessions are moderated by women, at a time and in a place that suits the household, and held apart from men's sessions when the topic calls for it. Home visits are arranged through someone the family knows, and the family decides who is present.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Oman told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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