What you need to keep in mind while applying for a low-pay family visa

After it was announced that the salary cap for expats to bring their families to Oman was lowered to OMR300, the Royal Oman Police announced a set of guidelines for family visa applicants to follow. Expat workers would have to show proof of rental contracts and their salary statement, the ROP said.

It was also offically announced on Oman's state news agency ONA that visitors from India, Russia and China who possess US entry or residence visas would no longer require a sponsor to apply for a tourist visa in the Sultanate. The visa applicant would alos need to have a return ticket and a confirmed hotel booking to be eligible for a one-month visa worth OMR20.

The Ministry of Tourism and Communications cleared up rumours about an opening date for the new Muscat International Airport. "The ministry would like to confirm that it has yet to determine any date, and everything that is circulating is only predictions and nothing more," the ministry tweeted.

With the Indian festival of Diwali coming up, gold retailers in the Oman have seen a sharp spike in sales, with prices dropping. To woo more customers, jewellery shops have also come up with special offers to celebrate the upcoming festive season.

It was revealed this week that the upcoming Mall of Oman, which is set to be the largest shopping mall in the Sultanate, will have a dedicated app that will allow shoppers to have their shopping bags delivered to their car or even their homes. The Mall of Oman, set for completion by 2020 and spread over 137,000 square metres, also boasts a snow park, an outdoor terrace for dining, more than 350 stores and will be home to a 19-screen VOX cinema, as well as 5,000 parking spaces.