Political situation in Oman

This file concerns domestic and foreign political affairs in Oman. It contains correspondence relating to:

• Ministerial changes in Oman following the resignation of the Prime Minister Tariq Bin Taimur
• Developments in the conflict in Dhofar, including the threat of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) providing air support to the rebels, military assistance from Jordan, and statements by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf (PFLOAG)
• The return of Omanis from Saudi Arabia via Buraimi
• Oman’s foreign relations; including diplomatic missions overseas and relations with the UAE.
• Internal affairs and rivalries within the Government of Oman, and HMG’s advice to Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed Al Said on government organisation
• The possibility of purchasing British military aircraft
• Coverage of Oman in the Arab and international press; including an interview with the Sultan and a report on Omani officials who had studied in the Soviet Union in the Lebanese newspaper Al Hawadith, and a report in The Economist covering increased US influence in the country
• The Sultan’s proposed visits abroad
• Education in Oman, including the activities of the British Council
• Briefings for the Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home’s visit to Iran, Israel, and Pakistan, covering regional issues including Britain’s new relations with the Gulf States, relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran, the birth of the UAE, coups in Sharjah and Qatar, the Dhofar rebellion and the modernisation of Oman