Oman’s Ethics-Driven Foreign Policy - Saavedra, Julio; Julio Saavedra (al-Muʼtamar al-Duwalī al-Tāsiʻ bi-Mālīziyā: al-Dawr al-ʻUmānī fī Taʻzīz al-Akhlāq bayna al-Tanẓīr wa-al-Taṭbīq, 2025)
Ethics and pragmatism are not easy to reconcile in foreign policy. Whereas pragmatism calls for compromise, ethics sets boundaries that should not be crossed. Pragmatism seeks to safeguard a country's interests, in particular its security, economy and standard of living, as well as its geopolitical relevance; ethics, in contrast, seeks to do the right thing in accordance with solid moral principles. Looking around the world — and not only in these times of highly transactional, nationalistic and self-centred international relations — evidence abounds of how easily and how often pragmatism trumps ethics. And yet Oman manages to strike the right balance decade in, decade out. Its foreign policy has long given pragmatism its due: the Sultanate's large but sparsely populated territory in a highly strategic geographical location has historically attracted the attention of larger powers. This paper examines how Oman has nonetheless kept ethical principle at the centre of its external conduct.
Ethics and pragmatism are not easy to reconcile in foreign policy. Whereas pragmatism calls for compromise, ethics sets boundaries that should not be crossed. Pragmatism seeks to safeguard the country’s interests, in particular its security, economy and standard of living, as well as its geopolitical relevance. Ethics, in contrast, seeks to do the right thing in accordance with solid moral principles. Just looking around the world, and not only in these times of highly transactional, nationalistic and self-centred international relations, evidence abounds about how easily and often pragmatism trumps ethics. And yet Oman manages to strike the right balance decade in, decade out. Certainly, its foreign policy has long given pragmatism its due. After all, the Sultanate’s large but sparsely populated territory in a very strategic geographical location has historically attracted the attention of powers large and small. Ultimately, however, it is ethics that sets the course, with pragmatic considerations being circumscribed within the tenets of what can be described as constructive diplomacy. This unique focus stems from, and is aided by, Oman’s history straddling diverse cultures, from South Asia through the Middle East to East Africa, which gives it a profound understanding of the ethos of different nations, and also by the moral foundation of Ibadism and the premium it places on tolerance. But, most of all, the ethical core of Oman’s foreign policy rests on the convictions and principles of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, faithfully pursued now by his successor Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.
Keywords: conference publication; Oman; Foreign policy; Ethics in diplomacy; Neutrality; International relations; Pragmatism