For Rachel!
Oh yes, unmarried partners in Oman. You know, people are people all over the world, and I will be blunt about this, people sleep together every day and night in Oman just as they do outside of Oman, unmarried and married. Omani and non-Omani. If you stay in hotels, you will see Omani couples stop by... They may be married, but they may not be. Many of them are not. Some girls will try to conceal their identity by covering their face, but interestingly they wear high heeled shoes that tap and have the latest manicure on their fingertips- don't let the 'holier than thou' attitude fool you. As long as they are not doing anything apparently wrong, police are not supposed to bother them. A serious niqabi wouldn't wear high heeled shoes. They are actually not really allowed in Islam as it changes the way the lady walks to attract a man, but they do. But this is not policed at all, as people need to make their personal choice to follow Islamic laws, not be forced by the law of the country. Manicures make wudu (islamic pre-prayer washing) invalid as well, so, don't be tricked. They are doing the same things as us. They just try to be more secretive about it. It's all happening, believe me.
The general rule is, don't be a public nuisance. As long as you don't annoy the public or expose yourself in public, you'll be fine. Regarding living together, when you rent an apartment, you only need one name on the contract. They often accept cheques only, and the name on the cheques doesn't have to be your name. Others might accept cash or other payment methods. As long as you don't make a huge song and dance with your partner, you should be fine. Neighbours can lodge noise complaints about you, so just keep to yourself. I never had a complaint or an issue in the whole time I lived in my apartment complex in Qurum. Police can't do anything without proof. My partner was actually an Omani police officerÂ
There are couples living together all over the place. Omani, non-Omani, mixed couples. Some couples getting together in cars - don't do that because people will complain for sure, but some Omani and non Omani do it. JUST relax. That is the key. It won't be as different as you think it will be. If you rent an apartment personally, directly from the owner, maybe some of them will get an attitude about you being an unmarried couple, but there are plenty of real estate places all over the place. Just don't deal with them if you think they will be bothersome. Oman is not Saudi Arabia. You can go out for dinner, go shopping, see movies, all as normal with your partner as you would anywhere else. Please don't worry that much.
BTW, I am also a single female Muslim revert, and I'm very well aware of what goes on there and Islamic law. if you have some questions that are personal that you don't want to post, you can message me directly. MESSAGES FROM MEN WILL BE IGNORED! Don't even try if you are male. Men are such pests in Oman as a general rule. Omani and non Omani. If your partner is there they won't approach you, but you may well get texts on your social profiles.