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Since the development of the country's infrastructure in the 1970s, national development plans have given priority to reducing dependency on oil exports and encouraging income-generating projects in non-oil sectors (diversification), promoting privatesector investment, and effecting a wider geographical distribution of investments to correct regional imbalances. Such a wider distribution is intended to narrow the gap in the standard of living in different regions, develop existing areas of population, and discourage migration to densely populated urban centers, such as Muscat (also seen as Masqat), the capital. Equally important are the national goals to develop local human resources, to increase indigenous participation in the private sector, and to improve government management and organization.
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Oman, a country study Federal Research Division Kessinger Publishing, LLC ISBN-10: 1419138294 ISBN-13: 978-1419138294
Foreword Preface Chapter 1. Historical Setting THE GULF IN THE ANCIENT WORLD Sunni Islam The Spread of Islam THE AGE OF COLONIALISM TREATIES WITH THE BRITISH INDEPENDENCE PERSIAN GULF STATES — Oman Foreword Acknowledgments Preface Introduction Chapter 1. Historical Setting TRADE IN THE GULF THE GULF IN THE ANCIENT WORLD EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAM Sunni Islam Shia Islam The Spread of Islam THE GULF IN THE MIDDLE AGES THE AGE OF COLONIALISM WAHHABI ISLAM AND THE GULF TREATIES WITH THE BRITISH DISCOVERY OF OIL INDEPENDENCE DEVELOPMENTS SINCE INDEPENDENCE TRIBAL NATURE OF GULF SOCIETY Chapter 6. Oman COUNTRY
SOCIETY ECONOMY TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS NATIONAL SECURITY Oman — Geography and Population Climate Population Oman — Society Education Health Oman — The Economy Public Finance and the Five-Year Development Plans Foreign Trade and the Balance of Payments Hydrocarbon Sector Reserves Oil Production and Exports Foreign Downstream Ventures Gas Development and Production Agriculture and Fishing Agriculture Fishing Non-oil Minerals Industry Tourism Transportation Telecommunications Labor Water and Power Banking Oman — Government and Politics Faisal ibn Turki, 1888-1913 Taimur ibn Faisal, 1913-32 Said ibn Taimur, 1932-70 Qabus ibn Said: The Emergence of a Modern State The Dhofar Rebellion State Formation and Politically Influential Groups The Al Said Dynasty Established Merchant Families Government Institutions Consultative Council Judicial System The Media Oman — Foreign Relations Regional Relations International Relations Chapter 7. Regional and National Security Considerations Historical Overview Impact of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88
Persian Gulf War, 1991 Territorial Disputes Regional Security Problems Collective Security under the Gulf Cooperation Council Military Capabilities of the Persian Gulf States Kuwait Organization and Mission of the Forces Role of Kuwaiti Armed Forces in the Persian Gulf War Personnel, Training, and Recruitment Internal Security Police and the Criminal Justice System Human Rights Practices Bahrain Persian Gulf War Internal Security Qatar United Arab Emirates Organization and Equipment The Role of the United Arab Emirates in the Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Internal Security Problems Oman Mission of the Armed Forces Organization and Equipment of the Armed Forces Omani Role in the Persian Gulf War, 1991 Internal Security
Foreword This volume is one in a continuing series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the Department of the Army. The last two pages of this book list the other published studies. Most books in the series deal with a particular foreign country, describing and analyzing its political, economic, social, and national security systems and institutions, and examining the interrelationships of those sy