The Sultanate of Oman and the neighboring United Arab Emirates (UAE) have historically enjoyed close ties. Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who previously led Oman and the UAE during 1970-2020 and 1971-2004, respectively, forged strong relations. Under current Sultan Haytham bin Tareq Al Said’s leadership, the bilateral relationship has improved, overcoming some previous sources of tension.

During the final decade of Sultan Qaboos’s reign, numerous issues affected Muscat’s relationship with Abu Dhabi. In the security realm, Omani authorities in 2011 claimed to have uncovered an alleged...