Ancient times

Already in the third century, the eastern Arabian Peninsula was inhabited by the Umm an-Nar culture, whose territory extended from present-day UAE to the northern part of Oman. Important trading partners for this early culture were the Sumerians as well as the Indus Valley culture in present-day Pakistan. The land was then referred to as Magan and was limited to the present northern part of the sultanate. Little is known about the organization of this culture, aside from a mention by Naram-Sin of Akkad (2200 BC) about a victory over King Manium of Magan.

Due to the existing copper deposits in the country, Magan early gained significance, as copper was needed for the production of the very popular bronze at that time. At its peak between 2200 BC and 1900 BC, up to 4000 tons of copper were mined. At that time, the transport of various export goods primarily took place via sea routes.

When the Indus Valley culture declined around 1800 BC and direct trade with Mesopotamia ceased, Magan lost significance despite ongoing copper mining. This is likely due to the fact that Mesopotamia began sourcing copper mainly from Cyprus thereafter.

In the 6th century, the Persians conquered the coasts of Oman for the first time and built the famous irrigation system "Falaj". The Arab tribe of Azd from Yemen then expelled the Parthians from Oman in the 2nd century AD and settled there.