What Trump’s election win means for Omanis 

Reuters

Omanis are divided in their reactions to Donald Trump’s victory in the US election. Perspectives range from concerns about heightened regional conflict to a mixed outlook for local business.

Some local businessfolk are keen to welcome Trump’s own investments in Oman, including the upcoming Trump International Hotel.

The $4 billion project, set to be completed in the first quarter of 2026, will feature 140 rooms, a private beach, a golf course and around 200 properties for sale. Located in the coastal town of Yiti, about 40km from the capital Muscat, the glitzy hotel is expected to be a boon for local tourism and businesses.

Moreover, according to a government source, Trump is negotiating with the authorities to build another resort at Musandam, an enclave region in the northern tip of Oman – on the Strait of Hormuz.

Local construction and hospitality professionals are generally optimistic, believing that Trump’s activities in the region could help to deter regional conflict. 

However, other Omanis fear that Trump may side with Israel over Gaza and Lebanon, while some have concerns about how the President-elect will handle relations with Iran. 

Geographically, the sultanate is among Iran’s closest GCC neighbours. The two countries share control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that serves as a crucial transit route for oil tankers. An estimated 40 percent of the world’s crude oil exports pass through this chokepoint each day.

The concern is that, with Iran repeatedly threatening to block the Strait in retaliation for Israeli attacks, Trump and his Nato allies could respond if the Islamic Republic follows through. As winter nears and temperatures dip, Europeans become increasingly dependent on hydrocarbons, some of which pass through the Strait, to warm their homes.

Moreover, many locals have direct trading relationships with the substantial number of Iranians residing in the sultanate. 

Given existing US-led sanctions, locally based Iranians view Oman as a crucial outlet for trade, collaborating with local businesspeople to sustain their livelihoods.

These partnerships could be negatively impacted if Trump decides the US needs to intervene to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

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Trump may be unpredictable but at least he is a known entity who already has one presidential term under his belt, so the thinking goes.

Some Omanis say the President-elect represents the lesser of two risks compared with Kamala Harris, the defeated Democratic candidate. Ms Harris had limited experience at the helm of a state power and that could have been detrimental to security in the Middle East.

Whether the President-elect can balance economic interests with political pressures remains to be seen, but Omani business leaders are hopeful he will choose diplomacy over confrontation.

Saleh Al-Shaibany is a journalist and lecturer, and CEO of AlSafa Press & Publishing