Modern Era
Modern Era
The Portuguese began to establish small settlements, which were exemplary of the strategy in the Middle East. Yet even here, the Portuguese struggled to establish them long-term. Time and again, they had to defend themselves against the Ottomans, English, Persians, and Dutch. In 1650 AD, it was the Yaruba dynasty that initially unified Oman and expelled the Portuguese. This dynasty had a significant influence on East Africa, bringing great wealth through the slave trade and trade with India. A civil war, lasting about 25 years and resulting from power struggles, allowed the Persians to reemerge before Ahmad ibn Said successfully pushed them back. Since 1746 and until today, the Said dynasty has ruled with the current ruler Haitham ibn Tariq. In 1798, Great Britain gained influence in Oman through a treaty with the Sultan of Muscat and the East India Company. In 1840, Sultan Said decided to move his seat of government to Zanzibar. Despite British influence, this was a flourishing time in history, but after his death, there were disputes in the succeeding generation, leading to the division of the realm into Oman and Zanzibar in 1856. From that point on, the economy went downhill. Maritime trade collapsed, aided by the opening of the Suez Canal and the advent of steamships. Until 1970, the father of the current Sultan kept his country in isolation.
Discover Oman with experts who have called it their home
Your dream holiday, tailor-made by experts.
We don't just know Oman from books, we visit the country several times a year to experience the culture, landscape and people first-hand.
From your first enquiry to your return home, we are there for you personally - by phone, email or WhatsApp, whenever you need us. Our trips are as unique as you are: individually planned and provided with exclusive privileges and high-quality arrangements that will make your trip unforgettable.
Experts for your Oman trip
You might also like this
History of Oman
The territory of today's Sultanate of Oman was inhabited as early as the Stone Age. Around 2000 BC, Magan, as the region was then called, experienced a peak in copper mining. From 563 BC, Oman was ruled by various Persian rulers. The Persians facilitated the rebuilding of overseas trade with India, Ceylon, and East Africa. An important innovation introduced by the Persians was the so-called 'falaj'. These are canals that secured the water supply in the villages and the irrigation of the fields and are still used today. When in 630 AD the population of Oman voluntarily accepted the faith of I...
Modern Times
In 1970, Sultan Qaboos ibn Said deposed his father and became the new ruler of the Sultanate of Oman. After his death in January 2020, his cousin Haitham ibn Tariq succeeded him. With oil revenues as the basis, the Sultan managed to nearly revolutionize the country in just a few decades through infrastructure, education and health. To this day, citizens honor their head of state for his remarkable efforts....
Life Expectancy in Oman
In the Arab world, the life expectancy of people is usually not comparable to that of Western Europe or North America. There are various reasons for this. However, in Oman, life expectancy has come remarkably close to that of the Western world in recent decades. In 2015, it was 76 years – the average of both genders. Comparing life expectancy to just about 30 years earlier, it was only 41 years. A change as striking and rapid as the overall development of the Sultanate on the Persian Gulf. Why has life expectancy improved? There are several answers to this. The simplest is: The government of...