Reuters reported that Omani protesters demanding political reforms blocked roads to a main export port and refinery and a doctor said the death toll from clashes with police in the sultanate had risen to six.

Hundreds of protesters blocked the entrance to the industrial area of the northern coastal town of Sohar which includes a port, refinery and aluminum factory. They pushed back four army vehicles that had been observing the scene.

One protester yelled over a loudhailer near the port, said that we want to see the benefit of our oil wealth distributed evenly to the population. We want to see a scale down of expatriates in Oman so more jobs can be created for Omanis.

The unrest in Sohar, Oman's main industrial centre was a rare outbreak of discontent in the normally sleepy sultanate ruled by Mr Sultan Qaboos bin Said for 4 decades and follows a wave of pro democracy protests across the Arab world.

Oman's government, trying to calm tensions promised to create more jobs and give benefits to job seekers.

A port spokeswoman said that marine traffic and exports of refined oil products from Sohar's port which ships 160,000 barrels per day of a range of products were continuing although the flow of trucks into the port was blocked. It is true the protesters are making a very non-violent protest. Marine traffic in and out is not affected at the moment.

(Sourced from Reuters)