There�s also the fact that we live in atypical times. A look at GDP�s and growth forecasts isn�t terribly encouraging, because of course even universally-recognised hubs of international finance and commerce including Dubai, Bahrain and Oman have been through the recession like everyone else, and in many ways are still struggling to cope with the fallout.

However in accountancy terms the prognosis is good. Western businesses invest the money and take the time to anchor their propositions to the Gulf trading and development nexus because there is a raft of companies who have profited hugely from the deal � having identified and exploited several key opportunities.

One advice site strongly suggests you really have to understand something of the wider Middle East market before tailoring your planned venture to a specific market, for example such as Oman.

Assuming (as so many companies do) that Oman does represent a great opportunity, you then need to gain any support you can from established networks such as, for example, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and of course if and when you do set up there you will have to deal through a network of reliable people who speak fluent Arabic � even if the overwhelming majority of centrally trading operators speak English.

This might seem a minor point � how hard can it be to secure a few key personnel who can write and converse fluently in the regional language? � but in fact it should perhaps be at the top of any �must-have� list.

Business and everything surrounding your corporate banking may be conducted in English, the international lingua franca (underpinned by the massive involvement of the USA), but government business is carried out in Arabic.

Doing business with the government is a job for people who are lucid, articulate, fluent � of course � and also conversant with the long-established protocols of official bureaucracy.

As you aren�t from another GCC state, or America, you have to apply to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to gain a licence, and must also have a minimum capital of 150,000 Omani rial to invest.

You�ll also have to learn to live with the fact that �your� company will actually be in Omani hands, as the rules mean your local sponsor/associate will typically command a 51 per cent share � which of course in turn means that the full range of options open to the business is dramatically scaled down.

On the other hand, taking on board the points about the need to have an articulate Arabic interface with the government, having a reliable partner on board can be 90 per cent of the battle, both when getting started and when considering how best to expand.

Many operators still consider close local involvmenet a burden worth shouldering, given the profits they might realistically expect from their technical minority share of the company.

There are other options to consider, too. A higher share of foreign ownership is achievable in free zones, and it may also be possible to reach start-up with a lower minimum capital.

However you will certainly need local legal help to steer you through both the rules and the protocol of a system which strongly favours those who have sound plans and adequate finance.

Get those essential ingredients right from the start and you have the realistic chance to build your business on a firm and ultimately rewarding basis.