Country profile · Arabian Peninsula
Oman
Oman has about 5.5 million people, and 44% of them are foreigners. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq rules as an absolute monarch. Oman holds the southern shore of the Strait of Hormuz and has long been the Gulf's go-between: it hosted the secret US-Iran talks behind the 2015 nuclear deal. Since March 2026 Iranian drones have hit its ports.
Where Oman ranks
All rankings →Which alliances is Oman in?
All alliances →Who runs Oman?
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq became sultan on January 11, 2020, the day after Sultan Qaboos died. Qaboos had no children, and a sealed letter he left named Haitham, his cousin. Haitham had been minister of heritage and culture since 2002. The sultan is also prime minister and supreme commander. He has the final say on every law and can rule by decree. In 2021 a new Basic Statute created the post of crown prince, and Haitham named his eldest son, Theyazin, born in 1990. Since January 2026 Theyazin has also been deputy prime minister for the economy. Political parties are banned. Omanis elect the 90 members of the Shura Council, most recently in October 2023 by phone app, when no woman won a seat. In June 2026 the sultan added 11 seats reserved for women. Bills also pass an appointed State Council and need the sultan's approval. The ruling family follows Ibadi Islam, and Oman is the only country where it is the main faith.
Photo (August 2024): Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, Wikimedia Commons, OGL 3.0 (cropped)
Who are Oman's allies and rivals?
Oman tries to stay friends with everyone. It is a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, but it was the only member that stayed out of the Saudi-led war in Yemen in 2015. US forces have had access to Omani air bases such as Masirah since 1980, and to the ports of Duqm and Salalah since 2019. Yet Oman condemned the US-Israeli war on Iran in 2026, and President Trump threatened to bomb Oman in May and again in August. Britain signed its first treaty with Oman in 1646 and has had a naval support base at Duqm since 2018. Sultan Haitham makes a state visit to Britain on October 20 to 22, 2026. India's navy may also use Duqm, and an India-Oman trade deal took effect on June 1, 2026. About 675,000 Indians live in Oman. Oman has no relations with Israel. It kept talking to Iran even after Iranian drones struck its ports.
Allies and partners
United KingdomTreaties since 1646; naval base at Duqm since 2018
United StatesUses Omani bases since 1980; Trump threatened Oman in 2026
IndiaNavy uses Duqm; trade deal in force June 2026
QatarFellow mediator; joined Hormuz talks in July 2026
- Strait of Hormuz Oman's Musandam exclave. The shipping lanes run through Omani waters at the narrowest point.
- Sohar Tankers swap cargoes here to avoid the strait. An Iranian drone killed two people here on March 13, 2026.
- Duqm British naval base, refinery and port open to US forces. Iranian drones hit it in March 2026.
- Salalah Container port. Iranian drones set its fuel tanks on fire on March 11, 2026.
- Oman
- Partner
- Tensions
Who does Oman trade with?
Oman exported goods worth about $60.5 billion in 2025 and imported $44.6 billion (National Centre for Statistics). Oil and gas made up about 62% of exports and about 70% of government revenue. Oman pumped about 1.1 million barrels a day in January to August 2026. It belongs to OPEC+ but not to OPEC. China is by far the largest buyer (chart): it took 93% of Oman's crude oil in 2024. Oman is also the world's eighth-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, shipping 11.9 million tonnes in 2025. All its oil and gas terminals lie outside the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE supplies about a quarter of Oman's imports, many of them goods made elsewhere. Oman cut its government debt from 68% of GDP in 2020 to 35% in 2025 (IMF). From 2028 it will tax incomes above 42,000 rials (about $109,000) at 5%, the first income tax in the Gulf. Foreigners hold about three in four private-sector jobs.
Sells to
Share of Oman's exports
China43.4%- India8.8%
Saudi Arabia6.7%
South Africa5.5%
South Korea4.4%
Buys from
Share of Oman's imports
United Arab Emirates24.2%- China11.3%
- India8.4%
Kuwait7.7%- Saudi Arabia7.1%
Goods, 2025. Exports as recorded by the countries that bought them (the UAE publishes no figures); imports as reported by Oman. UN Comtrade.
Why does Oman mediate between Iran and the West?
Oman has kept good ties with Iran since the 1970s, when the Shah sent troops to help Sultan Qaboos defeat a rebellion in Dhofar. Qaboos made a habit of taking no sides, and Sultan Haitham has kept it. From 2011 to 2013 Oman hosted secret talks between US and Iranian officials, which led to the 2015 nuclear agreement. In April and May 2025 Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi carried messages between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Abbas Araghchi in five rounds of talks. A sixth round was called off after Israel attacked Iran in June 2025. On May 6, 2025 Oman brokered a ceasefire between the United States and Yemen's Houthis, whose negotiators live in Muscat. Oman hosted US-Iran talks again on February 6, 2026, three weeks before the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Pakistan brokered the April 2026 ceasefire. In August 2026 Oman and Iran agreed on a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and on clearing mines together.
What has the Iran war done to Oman?
Iranian drones and missiles have hit Oman since March 1, 2026, mostly ports used by US forces. They struck Duqm, set fuel tanks on fire in Salalah and killed two people in Sohar on March 13. Iran's foreign minister said the attacks were "not our choice". At the strait's narrowest point the shipping lanes run through Omani waters, but in July 2026 Iran said it no longer recognizes them. Ships are still attacked off Oman's coast. In September a torpedo strike off Musandam killed an Indian sailor, and in October drones hit tankers off Musandam and Sohar. Sohar has become a hub where tankers swap cargoes to avoid the strait. Oman's export terminals lie outside the strait, so its oil kept flowing, and the IMF expects it to be the only Gulf economy to grow in 2026, by 4.1%. Oman spent 5.7% of its GDP on its military in 2025, the eighth-highest share in the world (SIPRI, chart).
Military spending as a share of GDP, 2025
Full ranking →
Algeria8.8%
Israel7.8%- Saudi Arabia est.6.5%
- Oman5.7%
- Kuwait4.7%
Jordan4.6%
Iraq2.4%
Iran2.1%
Turkey1.9%
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, 2026 edition