Oman is actively stepping up its coastal security in light of ongoing challenges from the "axis of resistance." The activities of Iran’s allies in its “axis of resistance” have brought into focus the major challenge that Oman has always faced in securing its 3,175 km coastline. Oman’s ability to effectively police its own territorial waters is one half of the problem.
Oman seeks improve its coastal security
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
China’s mega Belt and Road Initiative, once President Xi Jinping’s flagship project, does not lack leadership support. Yet, 11 years after its inception, the project has yet to take off as envisioned. Meanwhile, the global trade and investment strategy of the United Arab Emirates – a country of just 11 million people – is providing an alternative vision
The UAEs Network-Based Vision for Economic Integration
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
Since the beginning of 2024, Omani authorities have announced a quick succession of economic initiatives: a new sovereign fund entity, the country’s first government-owned investment bank, a major mixed-use development project in the Jabal Akhdar mountain range, and a new waterfront development project for the capital, Muscat.
Oman Capitalizes on Domestic, Regional Economic Momentum
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington
In the early 20th century Djibouti was a French colony, separated from Yemen by the 32-kilometer Bab al-Mandeb Strait. When the colony needed labor for economic development and the construction of a new port in Djibouti city, they called on Yemeni builders, farmers and sailors. Most workers came from the Tihama region on Yemen’s Red Sea Coast, while the majority of Yemeni merchants trading in Djibouti were from Al-Hujariah, a mountainous region of central Yemen in modern-day Taiz governorate. Today, those who stayed and integrated into society are often referred to as the “Arabs of Djibouti.” Others, mostly merchants from Taiz city and nearby Al-Turbah left their families in Yemen and have maintained a lifestyle of circular mobility.
The Evolution of Yemen Migration to Djibouti
Center for Strategic Studies
Since the British withdrawal from the Persian Gulf in the early 1970s, Oman has relied on the United States as a key defense partner, and successive U.S. presidential administrations have considered Oman important to the promotion of regional stability and peace in the Middle East. Over the past decade, Oman has played the role of discreet mediator having served an intermediary in seeking to resolve the ongoing civil conflict in Yemen.
Oman: Politics, Security, and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service
Germany and the EU plan to import hydrogen and its derivatives from the Arab Gulf states. Although Germany has signed a joint declaration of intent with the Sultanate of Oman to this end, its efforts focus primarily on Oman’s larger neighbors. However, it would be a mistake to overlook Oman’s potential role within German and European energy policy, geostrategy, and climate diplomacy. Oman’s ambitious hydrogen plans can provide Germany and the EU with affordable clean energy; and enhanced (trade) relations with the Sultanate align with a value-based approach to trade, support global climate action, and stabilize regional power balances.
Omani Hydrogen for Germany and the EU
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik