State of the Omani blogosphere

Over the years for different reasons we lost several great local bloggers; I’m thinking of the father of all bloggers Muscati, as well as Oman Expat, Muscat Jet Driver, Muscat Confidential, Linoleum Surfer (even though he did not blog for very long), Blue-chi and several others including Andy in Oman.

We still have a small bunch of excellent bloggers but I believe the overall scene is lacking more targeted and detailed info. There’s no really good blogs or bad blogs since blogging is something personal and we all blog about whatever we like but somehow I feel that back in the days local blogs were way more interesting. Then again, who decides what it’s interesting and what it’s not...

Blogs these days have gone a little commercial as well. A few companies realised an opportunity was there to penetrate these personal spaces to promote themselves. I suppose that it is inevitable that popular bloggers become ad-platforms but is it something that devalues blogs and the authenticity of their content?

One curiosity; overall we have more female bloggers than male, and that’s a reason I like to go to bloggers’ gatherings ;)

Anyway, I've been asked several times to do a 'top blogs in Oman' post like I did a couple of times in previous years, so yes, I’m going to do the '10 best blogs in Oman' in terms of popularity over the years. Here we go!

1. Muscat Mutterings – by far the most visited and informative blog. MrSythe has been blogging since 2009, just like me.
2. Dhofari Gucci – Unfortunately Nadia doesn't blog as often as before but when she does her posts are always packed with interesting stuff. Nadia started blogging in 2012.
3. Omani Cuisine – the oldest blog in this list. Riyadh started it back in 2007 and, as you all know, is about restaurants reviews.
4. Sew Chic and Unique – Mayya started blogging in 2008, a great blog if you like sewing and fashion. Additionally Mayya makes her own video tutorials, hats off!
5. How to live like an Omani princess – the anonymous princesses have been blogging since 2009 and are doing very well in sharing their stories about their secret lives in Oman.
6. Y not Oman – Tony started it in 2008. A great and informative blog about tourism in Oman with lots of photos.
7. Oman in Monochrome – A unique blog with a unique way to discover how beautiful Oman is, all in black and white! David started this blog in 2010 and I loved it since day one.
8. Oman Coast – Started in 2011, one of my favourite blogs about….randomness in Oman. I wish it could be updated more often though.
9. The Duncan Adventures – Heather’s blog, about her life and experiences in Oman, is getting more and more attention. Blog started in 2012
10. Arwas Blog – Arwa's blog is mainly about beautie and fashion. While not my cup of tea I admire her for writing about her passion and entertain her readers since 2012.

Of course there’s many other bloggers out there; some of them very new, like ‘Adopt a pet in Oman’ or ‘FatSu’, and some other who have been online for a while like Mademoiselle Shosho’ or ‘Destination Muscat’. You can find them all on my blogroll. And if i missed out someone let me know and i'll amend the list.