"With only three million people stretched over a large territory of mountainous desert, Oman has been able to harness its modest oil reserves to build schools and hospitals. The average life expectancy of an Omani, which was 49 when the sultan came to power in 1970, is now 74.
Oman is promoting its beaches and its wild and empty hinterland as a niche tourist destination. The country shares the cosmopolitan instincts of its neighbors in the Persian Gulf and shuns the rigid Islamic mores of its western neighbor, Saudi Arabia. An ethos of pragmatism puts Oman in the unusual position of being an ally of both Iran and the United States."
