ABSTRACT
The 1985 decision to establish diplomatic relations was implemented in 1986. A specific call was made to Omani students studying abroad "at the expense of foreign parties. "They were told that they must return to Oman in order to submit applications "to further their studies at the expense of the Sultanate's Government." In October, several Cabinet posts were reshuffled; Hamad Ibn Hamud was appointed Special Adviser to Sultan Qabus. The Government, out of concern about the influence of the foreign labor community, decreed that Omanis could no longer intermarry with non-Omani nationals, except those from Gulf Cooperation Council states. Omani Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs Haytham Ibn Tariq explained that Oman was concerned primarily with what went on in its territorial waters and not with events in international waters. The Indian Ocean which borders our country has become a zone of international competition due to the regional problems around it.
