Relationship dossier
Oman
Saudi Arabia
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation alongside differences over regional policy
Oman toward Saudi Arabia
+25Oman agreed with Saudi Arabia in 2021 to establish a coordination council and has pursued bilateral economic and security cooperation. It did not join the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen and has maintained a more accommodating regional approach toward Iran.
Saudi Arabia toward Oman
+30Saudi Arabia has pursued closer bilateral economic and security coordination with Oman, including agreeing in 2021 to establish a coordination council. Saudi regional policy has diverged from Oman's positions on Yemen and Iran.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines bilateral economic and security coordination with differing approaches to regional conflicts. The 2021 coordination-council agreement marked closer engagement, while Oman's non-participation in the Yemen intervention and its approach to Iran remain important policy differences.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Oman and Saudi Arabia maintain practical cooperation, including bilateral economic and security coordination and a 2021 agreement to establish a coordination council. Their policies have differed over regional conflicts: Oman stayed outside the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen and has pursued a more accommodating approach to Iran. These differences coexist with closer bilateral engagement, but the breadth and implementation of cooperation are not fully clear.
Areas of tension
- Different approaches to the Yemen conflict and the Saudi-led military intervention.
- Different approaches to Iran and regional diplomacy.
Key developments
Oman and Saudi Arabia agreed to establish a bilateral coordination council during King Salman’s visit to Oman.
Oman did not join the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral economic and security cooperation are unclear.
- The extent to which Saudi Arabia and Oman coordinate on Yemen and Iran policy is unclear.