Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

Publication Date: December 2008

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Abstract:

The Sultanate of Oman, a long-time strategic U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf, allowed U.S. access to its military facilities long before the 1990 Persian Gulf crisis. It hosted U.S. forces participating in recent major combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sultan Qaboos has been slowly opening the political process while trying to manage an economy that lacks vast oil reserves. This report will be updated periodically. See also CRS Report RL31533, The Persian Gulf: Issues for U.S. Policy, 2004.