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The nation of Oman has been an important trading location throughout history. Its location on the Arabian Peninsula and its rich oil reserves have played a part in the development of its healthy economy. These and other important facts about this small but fascinating Muslim nation are presented to readers through informative text and vibrant, full-color photographs. Common curriculum topics—from geography to government—are touched on, but readers also explore the many ways the people of Oman have fun, including the sports they play, the holidays the celebrate, and the foods they eat—complete with recipes!

This is the first book in more than a decade to look systematically at the foundations and practices of Oman's foreign policy and its impact on the production and distribution of oil. An expert in the history of the Sultanate of Oman, Majid Al-Khalili provides new information and a fresh analysis of the lands bordering the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Beginning with an examination the reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, as well as the sultanate's geography and how location has influenced its history, Oman's Foreign Policy: Foundation and Practice analyzes Oman's foreign relations from the early 20th century until the beginning of the 21st century, providing the background to recent events. Following an analysis of the sultanate's "renaissance" in the 1970s and 1980s, the book considers how Oman's foreign policy changed in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. It also examines historic power rivalries in the region, as well as modern conflicts that now include Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The result is a comprehensive understanding of Oman's place in the Middle East—and its influence upon the world's changing power structure.

Oman's 1970 coup launched a new political and economic structure that was created by and for Sultan Qaboos. The initially haphazard construction matured into a durable structure that continues under Sultan Haitham. This work details the early construction of the Qabusid state in the 1970s-1980s, emphasizing the interplay between personalities and the process of institutionalization. The narrative continues to the present demonstrating the resilience of the Qaboosid system.

In the depths of the Cold War and in the wake of Britain's announcement of its intention to withdraw 'East of Suez' by the end of 1971, Britain was faced with the stark reality of a Marxist rebellion in the Dhofar province of Oman. This rebellion, whose explicit aim was to 'liberate' the oil-rich Gulf region, confronted the British with the challenge of securing a political order in Oman conducive to protecting Britain's remaining interests in the midst of its military withdrawal from the region. 'State Building and Counter Insurgency in Oman' offers a nuanced picture of Britain's response to the challenges posed by this withdrawal, through an examination the complex Anglo-Omani relationship at this vital juncture in Middle East and Imperial History. James Worrall offers an examination of how officials in London and the Gulf defined British interests in Oman, and the debates that raged throughout Whitehall, under the successive governments led by Wilson and Heath, about how to best tackle the growing insurgency in Oman. The means by which this challenge was to be met (including the extent of both overt and covert support for the Sultan) in the post-Suez era, posed a number of challenges for decision-makers in Whitehall. The military, economic and diplomatic assistance given to the Omani government to re-establish Sultanate control and crush the rebellion in Dhofar is thus analysed within the context of a complex balancing act, as British politicians and officials tried to reconcile their attempts to create effective and centralised Omani administration and security bodies whilst maintaining the image of strategic withdrawal and the sovereign independence of Oman. Drawing extensively from newly released archival records and interviews with former officials and high-ranking officers, this book provides a systematic re-examination of the Anglo-Omani relationship during the critical years of Oman's transformation into a modern state. It will therefore provide vital information and analysis for students and researchers of Middle East History and Politics, the decline and end of empire and the policymaking processes at the heart of an imperial and military withdrawal.

First Published in 1999. Oman in the decades prior to the 1960s was largely isolated from the rest of the world and its changing economies and societies. With a limited education, little international links, small health systems and government under the then Sultan Said bin Taimur. Rural communities in northern Oman had very little contact with the Sultan's government, which was based in the southern province of Dhofar. In a world in which people in most countries, including the Gulf States, gained at least some benefit from modem education and health services, Omani villagers and pastoralists had recourse only to Koranic schools and traditional healers. On the other hand, however, they retained full responsibility for the management of their rural resources on which they depended for their livelihoods and for life itself and had evolved effective communal systems for their development and conservation. These were exemplified by regulations governing the protection of trees and by the work of the committees which controlled the traditional falaj water supply network. People worked interdependently, responding to the contributions made by other members of the rural communities in a system of mutual self-reliance. They also lived ~n harmony with their environment in a manner which time had proven to be truly sustainable. This volume looks at the changes that occurred after Sultan Qaboos came to power in 1970.

Oman is the inheritor of a unique political tradition, the imama (imamate), and has a special place in the Arab Islamic world. From the eighth century and for more than a thousand years, the story of Oman was essentially a story of an original, minority, movement: the Ibadi. This long period was marked by the search for a just imama through the Ibadi model of the Islamic State. Hussein Ghubash’s well-researched book takes the reader on an historical voyage through geography, politics, and culture of the region, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Oman has long-standing ties with East Africa as well as Europe; the first contact between Oman and European imperialist powers took place at the dawn of the 1500s with the arrival of the Portuguese, eventually followed by the Dutch, French and British. Persuasive, thorough and drawing on Western as well as Islamic political theory, this book analyzes the different historical and geopolitical roles of this strategic country. Thanks to its millennial tradition, Oman enjoys a solid national culture and a stable socio-political situation. Today, it is moving steadily towards a democratic future.

Oman is one of the most beautiful and popular countries in the Middle East, yet a few years ago it was one of the world’s backwaters where visitors were discouraged. The turning point came with the takeover of power by Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970. This book, first published in 1979, takes the reader around the country, from the rugged Musandam peninsula in the north to the southern province of Dhofar. It builds a bridge between historical and modern Oman, describes the people and their landscapes, and the country’s indigenous arts and crafts.