Contour maps for sunshine hours and sunshine ratios for Oman have been generated. The data to generate these maps were obtained using an RBF neural network model. This model estimates sunshine hours and ratios for a given point based on its latitude, longitude, altitude and month of the year. Data from 25 locations were used to plot the contour maps. These maps provide a needed reference for the spatial distribution of sunshine hours and sunshine ratios on a monthly basis for the whole of Oman from which estimates can be made for any location. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.