Oman

Sophia Winkler

1-Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a graduating student in International Development Studies with a minor in Arabic. I’m originally from Fernandina Beach, FL, a small island town

2-What got you into doing an internship in Oman? How did you discover the place you interned in?

I was there for an unpaid internship over Summer 2019 through the U.S department of States internship program (SIP). It’s a program where basically Americans in university can intern over a summer (or they also have semester long internships). I applied to intern to Oman because I’m studying Arabic and I wanted an opportunity to practice and use Arabic, so I applied.

I applied to work in the consular section (which is the section that handles immigrant & non-immigrant visas, including American citizen services), so it involved basically everything that pertains to supporting Americans when abroad in Oman, both tourists and U.S citizens living there. It included different kinds of work. Interning in this type of environment allowed me to discover the American diplomatic core better and what It’s like to be a diplomat, and sort of what the community is like and hep me consider that as a job possibility for later on.

3-What was your favorite experience there?

So I think some of the misconceptions that people have about Oman is that first of all, a lot of people aren’t familiar of Oman and know it only as a Gulf country amongst other Gulf countries, but I found that even in McGill’s Middle-Eastern Studies program, we really don’t talk about it really much except maybe when we refer to the Gulf as a whole, so people may not be familiar with it at all. Hence, the proximity it has to Saudi-Arabia may contribute to that misconception further, in that Oman would be very anti-American and that Americans or Canadians are really unwelcoming there, which is not something that I found to be the case at all. They’re really welcoming regardless of where you were from, but also that the U.S & Oman have a long-standing alliance, they’ve been partners for a really long-time, while still critical also. Also when I travelled there, a lot of people asked me if it was safe to travel to Oman, which makes a lot of sense, due to its proximity to Yemen and that it’s not safe to travel in Yemen, but things are really different in Oman. It’s a very safe and peaceful country. And the security apparatus in Oman is very strong, the police are very vigilant and helpful. The risk of terrorism is very low and I even traveled to the Western part of Oman, which is close to Yemen and never once did I feel unsafe there. I was encouraged by my coworkers in the U.S embassy to travel to that part of Oman.

Safety in terms of the country’s views towards Westerners may be one of the misconceptions that people have about travelling to Oman, with people expecting women to have trouble travelling independently there, but I found that to be not the case at all. Once I was there, everybody reassured me that I would be very safe travelling there solo. I was driving by myself, going to a bunch of restaurants alone and booking hotels alone, so it’s not a society that discourages women from going out alone. Many of them hold office, have jobs, drive, so I would just say one of the misconstrued images that people have of there is comparing it to other countries in the Gulf.

4-What are some of the biggest misconceptions that people have about traveling in Oman?

My favorite experience was probably then time when I went camping with a friend I met from the embassy (who at the time was a locally employed staff member) and a Pakistani-Omani guy. He and a bunch of his friends were going camping and we rode at one of the tallest mountains in the country at Oman’s Grand Canyon, which was very beautiful. I got to see what was outside the city, where there’s a huge distinction between urban and rural parts of the country. I got altitude sickness because of the high elevation, but I was able to get over that and it was overall a memorable experience, as we got to make a BBQ along with preparing traditional food, we got to play some games as well as had the opportunity to practice some Arabic. It was fun to hang out over the weekends with some group of new friends and co-workers that I had met.  

5-What do you feel was your biggest personal accomplishment?

I would say my biggest personal accomplishment was getting to know some great local friends through my work during my internship, despite being surrounded by a lot of Americans while working at the embassy.

But another accomplishment was getting outside of my comfort zone and getting to know people I didn’t have much in common with and spending time with them.

That’s when the most cultural learning happened. We were able to exchange cultures in a way that a lot of people who travel abroad in a diplomatic sense do not do. I was able to make Omani friends and get friendships that not everybody who goes abroad with a North American or European company necessarily gets the opportunity to do.

6-What do you find inspirational about doing an internship there? Did your experience inspire you for any future plans?

The internship inspired me for future plans. While taking notes during meetings, it showed me a very interesting side of American diplomacy, which consists in the role of the U.S government in the Middle East. As an intern, I learned about how the policies that we often hear about in the news and at school are actually negotiated. I also saw the effects of those meetings carried out in real tangible ways weeks later. It helped me understand the mechanisms of American diplomacy .

Interning at an embassy gave me an idea of what it’s like to be a foreign service officer. I’m not entirely sure if it’s the path for me, but it’s also a very valuable realization. It might be something I would want to pursue later in life, but at least I currently know that I have enough information to take a decision on that in the future.

Lastly, I would say one valuable thing about my internship was that it gave me an understanding of the Gulf that I never really had before. I knew it was a huge region with lots of diversity, but in the Islamic studies program and my Arabic classes here at McGill I didn’t have a lot of exposure to the Gulf region at all, especially outside of the UAE or Saudi Arabia. This was very valuable, since I really felt I studied only North Africa or the Levant, but I honestly never heard anyone mention anything about Oman, even in my classes at McGill.

7-If you could talk to your past self, what’s your advice for prior travel to Oman?

If I could talk to my past self about travelling to Oman, I don’t think I would have any advice preparation-wise.

8-Last but not least, what advice would you give to future McGill students seeking to study away or intern in Oman?

I would advise other students to first do your research about the country & the region if you’re interested about the Gulf and Iran, it’s the central place to be. That said, the opposite is also true if you’re truly interested in North Africa or the Levant. You might be surprised about how different the Gulf can be compared to the Middle-East and how your opportunities are limited in terms of being able to interact with the local people. Besides that, take advantage of your internship by doing as much networking as you can. Ask people about their job paths and working overseas in general. Try to enjoy some of the richness of its culture and population. It’s an extremely diverse country with so many different languages and ethnic groups from all over the world. There are so many expats there that have limited experience with Omani culture, so I tell people to put in the effort to get to appreciate and understand the country better.

And finally, this is a more minor piece of advice, but Oman is very very hot during the summertime. It can fluctuate a little bit, but if you’re going in between June and August, do your research on what that heat can look like and how to take the proper precautions, since a lot of the amazing things to do in Oman are outdoors. So if you want to truly appreciate the country, keep the heat in mind and be careful but it really shouldn’t limit you in terms of participating in activities that you’re truly interested in as long as you’re smart about it.

Part II – Questions regarding the application procedure

1- How did you apply to the internship?

These internships are unfortunately only available to U.S citizens because they take place in U.S embassies, so with that in mind, what I participated in was the U.S Department of State Student Internship Program (SIP). I believe the application process has changed in the past years, so the information might be a bit outdated, but the program is still around. I basically went on the website after Googling the program and I applied to it with a reference and a letter of interest and from there I selected a region I might be interested to be placed in, then I selected Oman as my first country of choice within that specific region (aka the Middle East). From there I was contacted for a short phone interview with the person that would be my supervisor. I spoke to her about my interest and was offered a position as a summer intern, then started the really long process for a security clearance, which isn’t required for any department of state internship, but it is for some of them. It was a long process with lots of forms to fill out and documents to send, but it was really much worth it because it meant I could do some high-level work with my internship.

2- How was the visa application process? What did you do to get it?

My experience was very smooth and easy, but it was new for me though. When you’re interning at a U.S embassy overseas, generally the embassy (as a part of your hiring process) will coordinate your visa application. They asked me to send back some forms they had wanted me to fill out as well as a copy of my passport, but that was it. They arranged my three-month visa to be available in Muscat upon landing and all I had to do was to travel with a photocopy of it that they sent to me. I had to keep it with me at all times, which was an interesting way of doing things. I was a little bit worried at first, but it worked out just fine.