Relationship dossier
Oman
United Arab Emirates
Relationship assessment
Practical economic cooperation alongside periodic security mistrust
Oman toward United Arab Emirates
+35Oman has pursued bilateral economic cooperation with the UAE, including participation in plans for a rail link connecting Sohar with Abu Dhabi. In 2011, Oman announced it had uncovered an alleged UAE-linked spying network; the UAE denied the allegation.
United Arab Emirates toward Oman
+35The UAE has cooperated with Oman on plans for a rail link between Abu Dhabi and Sohar. Oman’s 2011 announcement of an alleged UAE-linked spying network, which the UAE denied, marked a significant source of bilateral mistrust.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship includes concrete economic cooperation, notably the planned Abu Dhabi–Sohar rail connection, while the 2011 spying allegations illustrate a significant security-related strain. These features point to a mixed but generally cooperative bilateral structure.
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 the United Arab Emirates maintain substantial economic and governmental cooperation, including a joint project to build a rail link between Abu Dhabi and Sohar. Relations have also included friction: Oman announced in 2011 that it had uncovered an alleged UAE-linked spying network, an accusation the UAE denied. The relationship combines practical cooperation with a history of security mistrust.
Areas of tension
- Oman’s 2011 allegation that it uncovered a UAE-linked spying network, denied by the UAE.
Key developments
Oman announced that it had uncovered an alleged UAE-linked spying network; the UAE denied the allegation.
Oman and the UAE advanced a joint project to build a rail link connecting Abu Dhabi and Sohar.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of current bilateral security cooperation are unclear.
- The long-term scope and progress of the Abu Dhabi–Sohar rail project are uncertain.