Oman is a chameleon of a country: whatever you want it to be, it will become. If you are seeking a modern country, you will spot its cosmopolitan shopping malls and well-equipped watersports facilities. If you are seeking antiquity and tradition, you will observe ancient trading towns and smell the aroma of frankincense. Very much still an Islamic country, resplendent mosques jostle alongside large hotel complexes.
Oman is a beautiful country, and, moreover, very unspoiled - whatever you are looking for, you are sure to find it here.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Sultans of Muscat (Oman) were often powerful figures in Arabia and East Africa, who often came into conflict with the colonial powers in the region, particularly the Portuguese, who first settled in the 16th century, in an attempt to protect their eastern trade routes.
In recent years, Omani concerns have been focused on the country’s strategic importance to the West, underlined throughout the last two decades as it has been used as a staging post for Anglo-American military, naval and air operations, most recently in both assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq. In 1994, Oman was also the first Gulf state to establish official relations with Israel. It has managed to, under politically delicate circumstances, also foster cordial relations with countries such as Iran, now extending as far as mutual security co-operation in the Gulf.
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