The Sultanate of Oman is currently facing a complex equation arising from rapid and intricate developments in the region. Following the Al-Aqsa storm, regional actors are shaping new alignments, making the preservation of neutrality and mediation a fundamental challenge for Oman.
Background of Oman's Neutrality Policy
Over the past five decades, the Sultanate of Oman has sought to distance itself from hostile regional equations by defining a doctrine of mediation and adopting a neutral policy. By transforming Muscat into a venue for negotiations and conflict resolution, it has attempted to carve out a political position for itself at both regional and even global levels. However, recent developments are not limited to regional issues, and Oman is genuinely on a path transitioning from the established global order to another.
Read more: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: Consequences of the Defense Agreement in the Middle East
New Challenges and the Need for Reevaluation
Today, the landscape of action in global and regional equations has changed, forcing many countries to reevaluate their strategic decisions and policies. The Sultanate of Oman is not exempt from this pressure and complexity. In fact, the transition from the unipolar liberal hegemony led by the United States to a multipolar order has created new challenges for Oman.
In the third decade of the third millennium, we are witnessing significant changes in the global order. These changes are reminiscent of the moment of transition from the Victorian world of the British Empire to the bipolar world after World War II. In this context, the Sultanate of Oman must closely monitor global and regional developments and adopt new strategies to protect its interests.
Since the early 1990s, the American order has acted as a guarantee for peace and stability along the path desired by the West. However, with global changes, the foundations supporting and legitimizing it have begun to tremble. This weakening of the foundations is clearly evident in the inability of the United States to form effective coalitions in the face of new threats.
The Sultanate of Oman must pay attention to the impacts of these changes on itself and the region, and in order to maintain its mediating and neutral position, it must employ new solutions. Changes in the global and regional order encourage Omani policymakers to reevaluate their strategies so they can effectively defend their interests.
Read more: Saudi Arabia and Military Challenges Against the Houthis · Prison Sentences and Fines for Those Accused of Harming Turtles in Oman
