Yes, Muscat International Airport (MCT) has enclosed indoor smoking rooms airside in the departures transit area. The ventilated rooms are reached from the gate concourses after security on Level 4, so transit and departing passengers can smoke without leaving the secure zone. Landside, smoking is limited to designated areas outside the terminal.
Muscat International is Oman’s primary gateway and one of the Middle East’s newer major hubs. The current terminal opened on 18 March 2018, replacing the older Seeb facility, and is a single building set over five levels handling both international routes and domestic connections to Salalah. Arrivals are on Level 1 and the departures hall, security, and airside gate piers are on Level 4.
Terminal Layout
Departure gates are arranged across three piers off the central departures hall: Pier A (north), Pier B (south) and Pier C (west), with C straight ahead, B to the left and A to the right after passport control. Oman Air anchors operations on Piers B and C — Pier C is built for wide-body long-haul aircraft — while most other international carriers depart from Pier A. All 45 gates share the same airside transit level, so the smoking rooms are reachable wherever you are boarding.
Smoking Rooms
Airside (After Security)
The main smoking provision is a set of enclosed, ventilated smoking rooms in the Level 4 airside departures transit area, off the gate concourses. They are signposted as “Smoking Room” once you are past security and are free to use. Walking time from most gates on Piers A, B and C is roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Traveller reports note the rooms are easy to find; at busy times ventilation and cleaning can lag, so they can feel smoky.
Lounge Smoking Rooms
Two airside lounges offer a more comfortable option for a long layover:
- Primeclass Lounge — on the mezzanine level of international departures, after passport control, with its own enclosed smoking room and seating. Open on a pay-in basis; Priority Pass accepted.
- Plaza Premium Lounge — opposite gates 1–10 in international departures, open 24 hours, where smoking is permitted. Entry is a time-based fee.
Landside (Before Security)
Before check-in, or after collecting bags in arrivals, smoking is possible only in designated areas outside the terminal building near the entrances. Oman’s desert climate pushes summer temperatures past 40°C, so once you have cleared security most smokers prefer the indoor airside rooms.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vapes are banned across Oman — illegal to import, sell or use, and treated as a criminal offence. Do not vape anywhere at the airport, and do not carry a device into the country; the smoking rooms are for cigarettes only.
Summary
| Area | Smoking Allowed | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airside departures transit (Level 4) | Yes | Indoor rooms | Ventilated, after security, Piers A/B/C |
| Primeclass Lounge (airside) | Yes | Indoor room | Mezzanine; Priority Pass / pay-in |
| Plaza Premium Lounge (airside) | Yes | Indoor area | Opposite gates 1–10; 24h; pay-in |
| Landside outside terminal | Yes | Outdoor | Designated areas near entrances |
| General terminal & gate concourses | No | N/A | Smoke-free throughout |
For Oman’s airport smoking rules, the nationwide vape ban and cigarette pricing, see our Oman smoking guide.