The Olympic torch was expected to get a rare protest-free outing on Monday after it arrived in the conservative Gulf sultanate of Oman for the sole Middle East leg of its journey to Beijing.

The torch was greeted in the capital Muscat on its arrival from Tanzania with a low-key ceremony attended by Sports Minister Ali bin Massoud bin Ali al-Sunaidi and representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission.
Sunaidi received the Olympic flame from Liu Ging Min, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee, as a dozen Chinese diplomats and nationals residing in Oman waved their country's flag.
"A warm welcome to the Olympic torch," said a red banner unfurled by the reception party.
The torch was to be paraded through the streets of Muscat in the evening, after the heat of the day had eased. Even in April, daytime temperatures in the sultanate can reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
Some 80 athletes, including Omani footballers, were to relay the flame along a 20-kilometre (13-mile) route taking in several historical sites in the coastal city.
Demonstrations are rare in Oman and the parade was expected to be an incident-free stop for the torch which has been dogged by human rights protests on most of its stops so far.
The sultanate, which borders Saudi Arabia, has been ruled for centuries by the Al-Busaid dynasty and does not allow political parties.
Oman enjoys good relations with China which is a major destination for Omani oil exports, while Chinese companies are involved in several major infrastructure projects, including a 130 million dollar highway.
The torch was due to be lit at 5:00 pm (1300 GMT) and handed over to the governor of Muscat, state minister Sayed al-Motassem bin Hmud al-Busaidi, to kick off its three and a half hour parade.
Oman Olympic Committee vice chairman Habib Macki said on Saturday that a "chief guest" would light the torch before it was paraded through the streets. Each participant in the relay was to carry the torch for 200 metres (yards).
Folk dancing and fireworks were to accompany the flame's progress, Macki said, without making any reference to security arrangements.
But a member of the special committee set up to oversee the torch relay, Hisham al-Sinani, told AFP that police would be out in force.
In the streets of Muscat, there was hardly any sign of special security arrangements ahead of the flame's arrival. Leaving the airport, the flame and its attendants were escorted by a few police cars.
People in Oman appeared indifferent to the Olympic torch relay taking place in their country for the first time, while no welcoming signs could be seen on the streets of the capital. Most local newspapers confined their reports to sports pages.
China's hopes of winning international prestige by sending the Olympic torch through 135 cities on five continents ahead of the August 8 opening of the Olympic Games have already been severely dented.
The early stages in London and Paris were overshadowed by demonstrations against Beijing's repression of protests in Tibet, and the third stage in San Francisco was also drastically curtailed and seen by relatively few people.
However, the most recent legs in Buenos Aires and Dar es Salaam passed off with little incident.
The torch was to leave Muscat early Tuesday for the Pakistani capital Islamabad