Oman

March 2007 | Risk Summary

The Omani government continues to reinforce its own popularity among the native population through spending and reforms: living standards are high, and will remain so even as oil prices (and hence spending capacity) falls. True, friendly relations with the US pose something of a threat to government in the sense that anti-American sentiment prevails throughout the region, and association with the White House has hurt Arab governments' domestic popularity. However, the same relationships have also yielded positive results for the Omani population. Through the free trade agreement, for example, the US has persuaded Oman to improve its record on areas

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