Will Oman ever get over its empire?

Muscat looks different than just about every other Gulf capital. There are neither skyscrapers nor demonstrations of obvious opulence. But at first glance, Oman doesn’t seem so different than some older parts of Dubai or Abu Dhabi. There’s money; there’s men in traditional, flowing garments and women in burqas; there’s beautiful buildings funded by oil profits. 

Yet Oman is a peculiar place straddling past and present. There are echoes of empire, a people yearning for Oman to reclaim its status as a major geopolitical player, and a government facing the difficult task of preparing for a post-oil future.

Omani became independent in 1951 after 60 years of soft British colonisation. For years, the crown effectively controlled Muscat – a major trading point at the intersection of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia – by embedding senior advisers in the inner circle of the Sultan, descended from the Al bu Said family since 1744.