Muscat is home — And home is always safe

Muscat: I last spoke to Baptu Ghosh five years ago. Baptu, who now works with the Bengal Police in India, used to study with me, and we were both backbenchers at Julien Day School in Ganganagar, Kolkata.

On Sunday, Baptu suddenly messaged me.

“When are you coming back?” he asked.

“Why?” I replied, not being facetious at all, but genuinely curious.

He went on to say that the Middle East was not safe anymore and that I should return home as soon as possible.

But Baptu is not alone.

Over the past week, my wife Swati and I have received countless calls and messages from friends and family asking the same question: When are you heading back?

Some messages carried genuine concern. Others came with advice. A few even asked if we had prepared an emergency evacuation kit — passports ready, cash at hand, Oman IDs secured, jewellery packed — just in case we had to leave at short notice.

Their concern comes from a place of care, and we are grateful for it.

But today, I want to reassure all our friends and well-wishers that the Sultanate of Oman remains distant from the conflicts dominating headlines. The country continues to enjoy strong political stability, security, and a calm that defines daily life here.

Oman has long positioned itself as a nation of peace — a country that distances itself from wars and instead follows a path of neutrality, dialogue, and wisdom. This approach has helped preserve its reputation as one of the safest and most tranquil countries in the region.

Life in Oman continues as it always has.

The streets of Muscat remain calm. Families go about their routines, children attend schools and colleges as usual, and businesses function without disruption.

Airports continue to operate normally, and tourists still visit the country’s mountains, wadis, beaches and heritage sites.

In fact, in the past week Oman has quietly become a transit point for thousands of stranded travellers seeking safe routes home. Those passing through the country often leave with one lasting impression — the kindness of the Omani people.

Hospitality here is not a slogan; it is a way of life. Whether it is a stranger offering directions, a neighbour checking on you, or someone greeting you with a warm smile, the sense of humanity is constant and reassuring.

Yet it is sometimes difficult to explain this sense of normalcy to people who are watching the region from afar. Fake headlines travel faster than reality, and worry often fills the gaps where firsthand experience is missing.

For those of us who live here, however, Muscat is not just a place on the map. It is home.

A home away from home.

And homes are meant to feel safe — regardless of the uncertainties that may exist in the wider world.

So to everyone who sent messages, made calls, and checked in — thank you. Some of you I had not spoken to in years, and it was wonderful to reconnect even under anxious circumstances.

We are safe. And we will continue to be.

For friends, family, and anyone travelling through Oman — my door is always open. There is a home here, and there will always be space for those who need it.

And no, we are not looking for options to fly out. One does not leave home at the first sign of crisis — though, of course, there is no judgment toward anyone who chooses differently.

For now, and for the foreseeable future, Muscat remains exactly what it has always been for us for the last 18 years.

Home.

The writer is the Managing Editor of the Times of Oman