Abstract

Omani-British relations occupy great importance in the history of Gulf-British relations, given the long and distinguished history that has governed the relations of the two countries over several decades covering several areas, the most important of which is the diplomatic and political sphere.
The research examines the development of political relations between the two countries during the period of the British Conservative Party government headed by Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990), and these relations deepened further after the efforts made by the Thatcher government to preserve British interests in Oman, despite the British withdrawal from the Arabian Gulf region in 1971, due to the events in the region following the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the developments of the Iraqi-Iranian War of 1980.
This research was based on unpublished documents of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which closely monitored the British government's orientations through contacts it made with its embassy in Muscat towards taking appropriate means to ensure the strengthening of the British presence in the Sultanate of Oman by relying on the strengthening of joint cooperation between the two sides.