Oman (1983: Doomsday)

Oman, also known as the Sultanate of Oman, is an absolute Islamic monarchy located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by the UAE; Saudi Arabia to the west; and Yemen to the southwest. Oman's coast abuts the Arabian Sea to the south and east and the Gulf of Oman to the northeast. Since 1990, Oman has been a member of the Gulf States Union.

Pre-Doomsday
The history of modern day Oman can be traced back several thousand years to Arab tribes who journeyed from the Uman region of Yemen and settled down to fish, herd, or breed livestock. Beginning in the 12th Century, Oman was ruled by a series of royal dynasties, the last being the Al Said clan who rose to power in the 1740s and still rule to this day. In 1515, the capital city of Muscat was seized and held by the Portuguese for over a century before the Omanis were able to drive them out. Oman subsequently took control over Portugal's former colonies in East Africa and by the early 1800s, had emerged as a major regional commercial power. This ended when Great Britain outlawed slavery, resulting in a collapse of the economy and the shrinking of the population. By 1850, Oman was a poor nation, all its colonies having been seized by England. The next century would see Omani rulers consolidate power, but at the same time come under the influence and control of Britain through a series of treaties until 1970, when Britain formerly granted independence. The same year saw the archconservative sultan overthrown in a coup, which placed his son, Qabus ibn Said Al Said, on the throne. He reversed his father's harsh laws, consolidated power, quelled the insurgency, and upgraded the military. He created a modern government structure, built a modern infrasturue, upgraded education and health facilities; and began to develop natural resources.

Doomsday
Oman was not directly impacted as a result of Doomsday. However, it did receive fallout carried by winds from strikes in North Yemen which fell across the western regions of the country.

Post-Doomsday
To be continued...

Economy
After gaining independence in 1970, the Omani economy bore witness to rapid and unstructured expansion which saw traditional exports overtaken and surpassed by the production and export of petroleum and natural gas. In particular, agriculture, which had constituted 75% of the GDP, had dropped to almost 3% by 1983. It should be noted, the oil industry came late to Oman as compared to the other Gulf nations. The first oil field was discovered in 1962 and it was not until 1967 that export began. None the less, by the advent of Doomsday petroleum production had come to occupy a significant portion of the economy. By 1983 in fact, it represented 43% of the overall GDP; accounted for 82% of government revenues; and constituted 98% of exports. However, the oil industry had already begun to slow down by this time in large part due to the glut of oil on the international market which was reducing demand and revenue. Oman had already begun to recognize that they had to diversify their economy given their oil reserves would eventually be used up and were beginning to make a slow transition to a more diversified economy. Although other Middle East nations constituted their largest trading partners in both exports and imports, countries such as the US, Japan, Britain, Germany, and France were also major trading partners. For example the US alone accounted for nearly $5 billion in exports and $3 billion in imports.

To be continued...

Military
The main mission of the Omani military is to protect the monarchy, defend the nation, and maintain internal security. In the post Doomsday world, it still continues to carry out these functions but has widened it scope to participate in security operations with other Gulf State Union members. Much of Oman’s military equipment was acquired from western nations and as such, the nation has not been able to update it much since 1983. The current goal is to begin phasing out older equipment as newer models are manufactured by GSU armament factories. As of 2010, the total armed forces: army, navy, and air force, stands at approximately 42,000 personnel.

The army, also known as the Royal Armed Forces (RAF), is the largest part of the Omani military and numbers about 29,500, including paramilitary units, and 3,700 foreign personnel. It includes two armored regiments composed of three tank squadrons; one armored reconnaissance regiment composed of three armored car squadrons; eight infantry regiments; four artillery regiments; one air defense regiment of two batteries; one infantry reconnaissance regiment composed of three reconnaissance companies; two independent reconnaissance companies; one airborne regiment; and one field engineering regiment of three squadrons. The tank squadrons use mainly British Chieftains and the armored car squadrons are outfitted with British Scorpion light tanks and French VBC-90s.

The Royal Oman Air Force (ROAF) numbers 3,500 with its principal airbases located at Thamarit in the south and on Masirah. It consists of two fighter-ground attack squadrons of modern Jaguars, a ground attack and reconnaissance squadron of older Hunters, and a squadron of Strikemasters and Defenders for counterinsurgency, maritime reconnaissance, and training purposes. The ROAF is equipped with three transport squadrons and two squadrons of helicopters for troop transport and medical transport. Skyvan aircraft fitted with radar and special navigational gear conduct maritime reconnaissance and antipollution

The Royal Oman Navy (RON) current stands at approximately 3000 people, headquartered in As Sib. The main base of operation for the RON is the Said ibn Sultan Naval Base at Wudham Alwa, which was under construction at the time of Doomsday and did not open until 1988. As of 1983, the RON was in the process of upgrading it forces with four Province-class missile boats armed with Exocet anti-ship missiles and 76mm guns. At the time of Doomsday, only two of these vessels had been delivered. The navy also includes four Brook Marine fast-attack craft with 76mm guns, four inshore patrol craft, and the 10,000 ton landing ship Fuk al Salamah, constructed and launched in 1990 with the assistance of the GSU.

Foreign Relations
Oman has been a member of the Gulf States Union since 1990. Since the creation of the LON in 2008, it has been represented through its membership in the GSU via single delegate appointed to represent the group.