The Gulf of Oman is a body of water that serves as the northwestern arm of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean. It is a geographical feature, not an act or institution. The Gulf is approximately 560 kilometers (350 miles) long and 320 kilometers (200 miles) wide at its broadest point. It is bordered by Iran and Pakistan to the north, and Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the south and west.
The Gulf of Oman's historical significance lies in its role as a vital maritime trade corridor for thousands of years, connecting the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Until the 18th century, it was often known as the Makran Sea.
The Gulf's primary function today is as a critical gateway for global energy trade. It connects to the Persian Gulf through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which is a strategic chokepoint. This mechanism makes the Gulf of Oman the only entrance from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean into the Persian Gulf. A significant portion of the world's liquefied natural gas and approximately 20% of global oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making the Gulf of Oman central to international energy security.
The Gulf of Oman is closely connected to the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea. It is also linked to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea via the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In terms of recent changes, the Gulf of Oman has been the site of increased geopolitical tension, with naval operations conducted by the US, French, and Italian navies, and confrontations involving the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Furthermore, in 2018, scientists confirmed the Gulf of Oman contains one of the world's largest marine dead zones, an area of 165,000 square kilometers with little to no oxygen, caused by increased ocean warming and fertilizer runoff. To bypass the Strait of Hormuz, the UAE completed the Habshan-Fujairah oil pipeline in 2012, which allows oil to be exported directly to the Gulf of Oman.