Thom Westcott

Rov in g Repor ter

I’M ESCAPING from a month in Oman’s arid and mountainous interior to the capital Muscat and I’m finally going to check out one of those Middle East Land Rover showrooms I’m always seeing advertised.

Beset with delays, we arrive just 15 minutes before Land Rover Muscat closes. One half of a swanky-looking Land Rover Jaguar store, this showroom offers a selection of some of the most expensive Land Rovers money can buy.

“What vehicle are you interested in?” asks Brand Consultant (that’s a nice upgrade from Car Salesman) Bharat Kumar, moving suavely towards us between the gleaming vehicles. Although my friend Vaclav had initially told me he was going to pretend to want to actually buy a Land Rover in order to give our presence more credibility, I hate pretence. And the rags in which we are attired probably give us away as the type of people who could never even dream of purchasing one of these vehicles.

Before Vaclav has a chance to speak, I say I’m very happy with my current model, announcing its age and credentials proudly in this other world of shiny metallic paintwork. Bharat seems surprised but vaguely impressed, and is more than happy to guide us around Oman’s current tastes in the Land Rover fleet.

“The Velar and Range Rover Sport are our biggest sellers and, of course, the Vogue,” he says. “His majesty Sultan Qaboos drives a Range Rover Vogue, so he’s made it very popular.”

Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said – the longest-serving Arab leader at 49 years in power – led a coup in 1970 (helped by the British) to overthrow his ruling father, Sad bin Taimur. He is widely-credited for modernising a country that was extremely traditional, has insisted on women’s roles being in the workplace rather just the house, and continues to lead relationships with controversial neighbouring countries with extraordinary diplomacy.

Although Oman benefits from considerable oil reserves (25th largest in the world at 5.5 billion barrels), Sultan Qaboos has also encouraged diversification and, across the country, cottage industries continue to produce local delicacies and foodstuffs often using largely traditional methods, making it unique in the oil-rich Gulf. A focus on heritage and culture over showy high-rise buildings and a preponderance of trees and flowers in urban areas has also made Oman an attractive and increasingly popular tourist destination.

Coming in at 68,000 Omani Rials (£136,000), the Vogue is not a cheap option. But most Land Rovers sold here are customised to the buyer’s specifications, usually hiking up the cost to around 80,000 OMR (£160,000). “But it’s tax free, here in Oman,” Bharat assures us encouragingly.

The price tags keep these Land Rovers on the exclusive side – just days ago, one was delivered to a senior government offi

cial – but the outlet is still selling between 30 and 35 brand-new models every month and Bhurat says business is good.

“One of the main reasons for the popularity of Land Rovers here is the long-term presence of the brand and we have a lot of loyal customers, he says. “People know Land Rovers are good quality and reliable, and this makes it quite hard for new brands to take off here in Oman.”

Customised models are one of the store’s focuses and it features a rather amazing, recently-installed lounge where customers can relax in front of a giant computer screen and create their ideal Land Rover to their own personal specifications. The options are many but red leather interiors and cooled seats – the summers here are perishingly hot – are usually a given.

Orders are placed directly with British manufacturers so each vehicle is customised at point of manufacture then shipped to Oman. The whole process takes around three months but, Bhurat says, many customers are so impatient they just opt for the 68,000 OMR in-store price tag. And, with 80 brand-new vehicles currently in stock, there’s no shortage.

The status symbol accompanying motoring means owning a brand-new Land Rover is as much about show as an appreciation of performance capabilities. “People here like to go on adventures at the weekends, especially to the sand dunes and, of course, they care about appearances. The bigger the car, the more respect you get,” he says.

Oman’s interesting and varied terrain, which ranges from relatively extreme mountains to expansive beaches and the ‘empty quarter’ – a 250,000 square miles expanse of desert straddling borders between Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen and the UAE – makes a 4x4 an obvious choice. But, as Bhurat notes: “You wouldn’t really want to drive an 80 grand car through a wadi.”

This is one reason why the store and its customers are waiting, almost with bated breath, for the 2020 launch of the new Defender, which is expected to have a petrol option. Regulations in Oman forbid any civilian passenger car from running on diesel, currently precluding Defender sales.

If there is a petrol option for the new Defender, Bhurat says there’s a serious market waiting in Oman. “Lots of people here want the Defender. It’s more a lifestyle product because they know a Defender can handle serious off-roading and, if it breaks, they know it’s straightforward to fix.”

With the store having closed 15 minutes ago (with us locked inside), discussing Defenders seems a nice way to end this little tour around some of the most expensive of the Land Rover fleet. And let’s hope this country’s off-road enthusiasts get that petrol option Defender next year.

Thom Westcott is a British freelance journalist who has written for the Times and Guardian, and now mostly spends her time reporting from Libya.

“Owning a brand-new Land Rover in Oman is as much about show as an appreciation of capabilities”