The Civil Aviation Authority is the entity responsible for organizing and overseeing meteorological services in the Sultanate of Oman. Through the Directorate General of Meteorology, it provides accurate and reliable information about weather conditions across the country. The Authority employs the latest technologies and tools to monitor and analyze the climate and forecast weather phenomena, thereby enhancing the Sultanate’s preparedness for natural disasters and climate change.
The history of meteorological observation in the Sultanate of Oman dates back to before the year 1900, when observations were first conducted by private institutions. In 1893, the first weather station was established in Muscat, followed by three stations in Salalah, Masirah, and Thumrait in 1942. During the 1960s, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) contributed to expanding the network by establishing stations in coastal and inland areas.
Modern meteorology in Oman officially began in 1973 with the opening of Seeb International Airport (now Muscat International Airport), where a specialized department was established to provide meteorological services, particularly for aviation. In 1975, the Sultanate officially became a member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the first official weather forecasts were issued from Muscat International Airport. Since May of the same year, Omani radio and television began broadcasting daily weather bulletins, which have since become a regular feature in Omani media.
Meteorological services were officially established as a department under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation by ministerial decree in 1976. In 1982, a Royal Decree was issued to establish the Directorate General of Meteorology, which was later merged in 1986 with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation under the umbrella of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. In 2008, its name was updated to the “Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation.”
In 2015, one of the most significant national achievements in this field was launched: the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning Center. This center serves as a cornerstone of Oman’s early warning system, continuously monitoring and analyzing weather and seismic conditions and issuing accurate warnings that help mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and enhance emergency response.
The center’s vision is to become a regional reference hub for meteorological and early warning services by utilizing the latest technologies, empowering national talent, and delivering highly efficient and accurate services.
Its mission focuses on providing integrated meteorological services that contribute to public safety and societal resilience, support various sectors with precise data, proactive warnings, and in-depth climate analysis.
The center upholds core institutional values such as accuracy, reliability, preparedness, and rapid response, while also striving for innovation, adoption of modern technologies, and promoting partnership and institutional integration through transparency and national responsibility.
Due to the diverse terrain of the Sultanate and the varying weather patterns, an integrated national network has been established across the different governorates. This network includes 80 weather stations, 5 weather radars, 10 coastal marine stations, 6 marine radars, 2 upper-air observation stations (weather balloon launches), a wide range of satellite data outputs, 10 GPS stations, and the reception of seismic station data in collaboration with Sultan Qaboos University.
In addition, the system is supported by high-performance computing capabilities for weather forecasting and tsunami modeling. All of these systems and instruments are connected to the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning Center using the latest communication technologies.