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.

The first book to systematically analyze the foreign policy of the Sultanate in any lanuage.

When Sultan Qaboos overthrew his father as ruler of the Persian Gulf state of Oman in 1970, with the help of British advisers, few expected him to survive long. He was unknown to his own population, and the country was poor and plagued by civil wars. Yet he has built his regime's legitimacy on a policy of national unification, the assimilation of all of Oman to the oil rentier state framework, and of his state to the person of the sultan, the incarnation of the country's 'renaissance'. This books seeks to understand the mechanisms of social and political perpetuation of authoritarianism in post-colonial states such as Oman. It shows how one monarchical power has built and constantly renewed its basis to meet the internal and external challenges threatening its stability. Yet this book also raises the question of what happens when one part of this model, namely an oil-rent economy, falters, with half the population under fifteen years of age and when the privileges enjoyed till recently may no longer be tenable. Valeri also sheds light on the strategies adopted and challenges faced by other Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf, Morocco and Jordan.

The Sultanate of Oman is one of the few "good news" stories to have emerged from the Middle East in recent memory. This book traces the narrative of a little-known and relatively stable Arab country whose history of independence, legacy of interaction with diverse cultures, and enlightened modern leadership have transformed it in less than fifty years from an isolated medieval-style potentate to a stable, dynamic, and largely optimistic country. At the heart of this fascinating story is Oman’s sultan, Qaboos bin Sa’id, friend to both East and West, whose unique leadership style has resulted in both domestic and foreign policy achievements during more than four decades in office. Exploring Oman from a historical perspective, Funsch examines how the country’s unique blend of tradition and modernization has enabled it to succeed while others in the region have failed. Accounts of the author’s own experiences with Oman’s transformation add rich layers of depth, texture, and personality to the narrative.

Analyses of Ranciere's philosophy and its potential for understanding the conversation between contemporary politics and art cinema