The results of a public opinion survey implemented by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) on the level of tolerance among the Omani society toward expatriates revealed that, a significant majority of participants expressed positive sentiments about the social environment in the Sultanate of Oman. According to the findings, 90.9% of expatriates affirmed that Omani society is tolerant toward them.

The Tolerance Index recorded a modest increase of 0.2 % points between two survey sessions — the first was implemented from 1st to 8th April 2024, while the  second from 13th  to 23rd  January 2025.

The results further showed that 95.6% of expatriates reported experiencing no form of discrimination or mistreatment by Omanis, up from 93.6% in 2024.

Meanwhile, 90.4% of expatriates felt accepted by the community despite cultural differences, compared to 92% in the previous year.

In terms of the freedom of expression on matters of daily life, the results showed that, 86.7% of expatriates indicated that they felt free to express their views, slightly up from 86.6% in 2024.

Among male expatriates, 96.5% reported no experiences of discrimination or mistreatment by Omanis, compared to 93.4% of female expatriates.

The age group between 30 and 49 years old recorded the lowest non-discrimination rate at 95%, while the rate increased to 97.5% among those over 50 years of age and stood at 96.5% for those aged 18 to 29 years old.

In concern to the societal acceptance despite cultural differences, the results revealed that 93.9% of female expatriates felt accepted, compared to 89.2% of males.  Whereas the highest acceptance rate was observed among those over 50 years old (94.6%), followed by the 30–49 age group (90.7%), while the 18–29 age group recorded the lowest rate at 86.8%.

In terms of freedom of expression on everyday matters, 87.1% of male expatriates felt free to express their opinions, compared to 85.8% of females. The highest rate of perceived freedom was among those over 50 years (89.6%), followed by the 30–49 age group (86.2%), and 85.9% among the 18–29 age group.

It is worth noting that tolerance, in this context, refers to respect, acceptance, and appreciation of cultural diversity and different forms of expression. It is fostered through knowledge, openness, communication, and freedom of thought, and is regarded as a moral, political, and legal value that contributes to harmony within a diverse society.

The survey covered a simple random sample of expatriates residing in the Sultanate aged 18 and above, totaling 1,425 individuals of both genders, encompassing all governorates and various age groups.

To browse the full details of the "Public Opinion Survey on Tolerance – 2025, Second Session," Click here