Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen. Oman's coastline faces the Arabian Sea to the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The exclaves of Madha and Musandam are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, while Musandam's coastal boundaries are formed by the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. It has a population of approximately 5.46 million and an area of 309,500 km2 (119,500 sq mi). Muscat is the capital and largest city. Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world, and has been continuously ruled by the Al Bu Said dynasty since 1744. Beginning in the 17th century, Oman became a regional power with an empire that competed with the Portuguese Empire and British Empire for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence and control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to present-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. In the 20th century, Oman had come under the influence of the British Empire while de jure remaining sovereign. Oman's oil reserves are ranked as the 22nd largest globally. In 2010, the United Nations Development Programme recognised Oman as the most improved country in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. Less reliant on fossil fuels than other Persian Gulf states, a significant portion of Oman's economy involves tourism, as well as the trade of fish, dates and other agricultural produce. The World Bank classifies Oman as a high-income economy. As of 2024, Oman ranks as the 42nd most peaceful country in the world in the Global Peace Index, and the most peaceful Arab state after Qatar and Kuwait. Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by a sultan, with power passed down through the male line. Qaboos bin Said served as Sultan from 1970 until his death in 2020. His reign saw a rise in the country's living standards, the abolition of slavery, the end of the Dhofar Rebellion, and the promulgation of Oman's constitution. Since he died childless, he had named his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq, as his successor in a letter, and the ruling family confirmed him as the new Sultan of Oman. Oman is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.