Oman: Introductory country profile

The UK has strong diplomatic, military, and economic ties with Oman. The UK has a military logistics hub at Duqm port and Oman has facilitated UK negotiations with Iran. The UK is currently negotiating a trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose six members includes the country.

This briefing introduces Oman’s politics, human rights, trade, and international relations. It also signposts further reading. Please visit the Library’s Middle East pages for further analysis on the region’s politics.

What does this paper cover?

This 15-page briefing provides an introduction to Oman’s: 

• Leadership, politics, and political rights
• Human rights, such as the rights of women and migrant workers
• Trade with the UK and current negotiations on a trade agreement 
• Economy, including key statistics on population, economic growth and leading industries 
• Foreign relations with the US, neighbouring Gulf states and Iran

The paper signposts further reading on each of these topics on pages 13 to 15. This includes links to UK Parliament proceedings on Oman and relevant Library briefing papers. 

Please visit the Library’s Middle East pages for further analysis on the region’s politics.