Oman is rarely mentioned when people talk about Russia’s policies in the Middle East. Yet in recent weeks, some interesting developments have been spotted on this track.

In early October, just in time for the second Russian-Omani Business Forum — which was held in Oman's capital, Muscat — Oman eased visa requirements for Russian citizens. Both developments testify to the countries' progress in fostering bilateral ties; this development has been gaining momentum since a Russian Federation Council delegation visited the sultanate in April 2016. Should the trend continue, Oman might take its relationship with Russia to the "next level," thus becoming, arguably, the last Gulf state to recently bolster its ties with Moscow. So far, Russia's political, economic, military and technical cooperation isn't as close with Oman as it is with other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Russia-Oman bilateral relations were largely haunted by the Cold War legacy. Oman was the only Gulf monarchy directly affected by the Soviet expansionist policy in the Middle East.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Consolas; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} By the time the Soviet Union was aiding the Marxist Dhofar Liberation Front — which participated in a communist-inspired insurgency in Dhofar province — Moscow has already swayed its influence in South Yemen. The USSR hoped the Dhofar Front would be instrumental in bringing communists to power in Oman.

The Dhofar Rebellion, though ultimately unsuccessful, was deemed a Soviet attempt to intervene in Oman’s affairs. Nevertheless, Oman managed to overcome hurdles and cultivate friendlier relations with Moscow in the post-Soviet period.