Muscat is hot and dry for most of the year due to its geographical location; beyond the mountains surrounding the city lies the desert. That being said, trees line the streets of Muscat and various shrubbery and flora can be seen all over, giving some visitors license to call the capital an oasis within Oman's sometimes harsh climate.

The sites picked for Oman's leg of the Chinese torch relay were chosen to represent the long-lasting friendship between the two countries. For example, at Al Bustan round about sits a handmade replica of a ninth-century Arab dhow. Legend has it that over 1,000 years ago, a boat like this made an incredible journey from Oman to the Orient. The sea craft that rests here now began a trip in November of 1980 from Muscat to the Chinese city of Guangzhou in Guangdong province, sailing 9,500 kilometers (about 6,000 miles) in over 7 months.

According to the plan, the first torchbearer will be Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al Said, advisor and cousin of Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said, and former president of the Oman Football Association while the last torchbearer will be Habib Abdulnabi Macki, vice chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC).

The torchbearer name list includes three women, one of whom is the only runner with a disability on Oman's relay route.

Enthusiastic cheers could be heard hours before the torch relay began, showing the passion that Oman's citizens have for the sacred flame.