Oman and the World: The Emergence of an Independent Foreign Policy

Joseph Kechichian, RAND Corporation, 1995, 400 pp. List: $24.95, AET: $18.

Reviewed by Shawn L. Twing

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time researching the Middle East knows how difficult it is to find objective, yet thorough, information without relying on overly detailed, specialized publications. This is particularly true for the countries in and around the Arabian peninsula. Given the concentration of some 70 percent of the world's proven petroleum reserves in the region and the dramatic events that followed the Aug. 2, 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the vast majority of publications related to this part of the Middle East focus on two narrow topics: oil production and the 1991 Gulf war. Although both subjects are of great importance, they can be better understood if they are put into a broader context. An attempt to accomplish this for one Arabian Gulf country, Oman, is Joseph Kechichian's recently released Oman and the World: The Emergence of an Independent Foreign Policy.

While the title suggests that the focus will be on foreign relations, Kechichian actually covers the centuries of history leading up to the creation of the modern Omani state, Oman's remarkable and unparalleled development since Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said ascended the throne in 1970, and case by case comparative studies of Oman's contemporary foreign relations with its Arab and Persian neighbors, the Western world, Asia, countries of the greater Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the emerging Central Asian republics. For the generalist, the scope of the book is sufficient to provide an in-depth understanding of Oman well beyond its foreign policy concerns. For the foreign policy specialist, Kechichian's position as a RAND scholar is evident in his thorough analysis of policy questions as well as the impetus beyond geostrategic decision-making. The RAND Corporation is noted for the quality of its policy-related research and Oman and the World is no exception.

One problem that often results when writers attempt to cover such a broad spectrum is that the quality of research is compromised in an effort to include everything imaginable between the book's covers. This is not the case with Oman and the World. Kechichian provides a detailed list of footnotes from the widest possible range of sources and few, if any, of his statements are unsubstantiated. The reader is left with the distinct impression that anything ever written about the Sultanate of Oman has been noted somewhere in this book. For those who wish to research specific topics or who are interested in subsections of Oman and the World, this detailed bibliography is an invaluable resource.

Related to the quantity of the research undertaken by Kechichian is the quality of that research. His access to key people in the Sultanate, including extensive interviews with Sultan Qaboos, lend considerable weight to this book. This is not an academic exercise incorporating an exhaustive list of citations into a general framework. Kechichian synthesized his talks with a broad spectrum of Omanis involved in foreign policy issues into a coherent framework for his overall discussion of Oman's relatively recent emergence as an active player in the international community.

Finally, Oman and the World is a timely book. Last November, the Sultanate celebrated the 25th anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Sultan Qaboos. The extraordinary educational, social and economic achievements of that quarter century ensure that Oman will continue to be an important player in regional and international affairs for the century to come. Kechichian's Oman and the World is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about this remarkable country.

Shawn Twing is the news editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.