ABSTRACT
The long century of Oman's isolation came to an abrupt end with a palace coup d'état in the summer of 1970. Despite the new regime's more liberal emphasis when compared to its predecessors, Sulṭān Qābūs soon made it clear that he would retain many of the traditional prerogatives of Arabian monarchs. The few tamima's remaining after 1970 managed to retain their status only by acknowledging the supreme role of the state and confining their political ambitions to activities within their own tribes. In keeping with the new regime's rejection of isolation, external contacts were deepened and multiplied. Ties with Britain remained close but London lost relative influence due to the openness of post-1970 Muscat. In the 1970s, Oman entered a position of balance between the traditional past and a heavily Westernised future. In conclusion, the post-1970 era should not be viewed entirely as the abrupt departure from the past that slogans such as 'new dawn' would have it.
