which has been in power since the 18th century.
The ruler was originally called a
sayyid
, but this
title was later changed to
sUltan
. Until the 1950s,
the country’s interior was ruled by a more religious
figure, also from the Al Bu Said, called an
imam
.
Like other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman
was Islamized during the seventh century. Early in
the 19th century, it became a commercial empire
that dominated the Indian Ocean trade. It gained
possessions on the coasts of e
ast
a
Frica
, the
Persian Gulf, Iran, and present-day p
akistan
. The
coming of European steam-powered ships, grow-
ing British influence in the region, and internal
political disputes brought this empire to an end
by the end of the 19th century. Thereafter, Omani
rulers relied heavily on the British for assistance
in consolidating and keeping their control of the
country. In more recent times, it has developed
close relations with the United States.
Most of Oman’s 3.3 million (2008 est.) inhab-
itants are Arabs, but there are significant numbers
of peoples from outside the country, especially
Baluchis from Iran, South Asians, and Africans.
More than 16 percent of Oman’s inhabitants are
nonnationals, many of whom are engaged by the
country’s oil industry. Islam is its dominant reli-
gion, with 75 percent belonging to the Ibadiyya
sect. Other Muslims belong to the Sunni and Shii
branches of Islam. Christians and Hindus also live
in Oman, and the sultan has granted them lands
for their churches and temples.
QATAr
The second-smallest state in the Middle East,
Qatar is located on a small peninsula bordered by
Saudi Arabia and the nearby island nation of Bah-
rain. Doha is the nation’s capital, and it is ruled
by a member of the Al Thani, a Sunni Arab clan
that migrated into the peninsula from central Ara-
bia and came to power with British assistance in
1868. Although it became a province of the Otto-
man Empire in the latter part of the 19th century,
it became a British protectorate after World War I
and attained independence in 1971. The Al Thani
developed friendly relations with a
bd
al
-a
ziz
ibn
s
aUd
, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Ara-
bia, and, as a result, the leading form of Sunnism
followed in Qatar is that of the Wahhabis, albeit
in a more liberalized form. Followers of Twelve-
Imam Shiism are a small minority. The country’s
population of 824,789 (2008 est.) is 95 percent
Muslim, but it is made up of diverse ethnic groups
(Arab 40 percent, South Asian 36 percent, Iranian
10 percent, and other 14 percent). This diversity
is a reflection of the changes the country has
undergone from once having an economy based
on pastoralism, pearling, and fishing to one based
on oil, which began to be exported in significant
quantities in the 1950s. Qatar has become a close
ally of the United States, and, under the present
emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (r. 1999 to
the present), local elections have been held, and
women have been given the right to vote and
run for office. The headquarters of the Al Jazeera
broadcasting network, one of the freest in the
Middle East, is also located there.
uNITED ArAb EMIrATES
The UAE, formerly known as the Trucial States,
is a federation of seven small states (Abu Dhabi,
Ajman, Dubai, Fujaira, Ras al-Khaima, Sharja,
and Umm al-Qaiwain) located near the Strait of
Hormuz on the southeastern shore of the gulf. It
is bordered by Qatar to the west, Saudi Arabia to
the south, and Oman to the east. The leaders of
the UAE come from its most powerful or wealthy
Arabian tribes, particularly the Al Nahayyan of
Abu Dhabi, the Al Maktoum of Dubai, and the
Qasimis of Ras al-Khaima and Sharja. Prior to
independence in 1971, the individual emirates
had established exclusive treaty relations with
Great Britain. Overall authority is now exercised
by the Supreme Council of emirs from each of the
seven states, with a president from the Al Nahayan
and vice president from the Al Maktoum. The
country is home to an estimated 4.6 million
(2005) people, of whom at least 47 percent are
nonnationals, mainly from South Asia and Iran.
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