Muscat: The diplomacy of the Sultanate of Oman is guided by the principles of openness, neutrality and mutual respect, Foreign Minister said in a statement to an international delegation of executives in Muscat on Friday.
“We believe in creating spaces for dialogue, where conflict is resolved pragmatically and common interests unite diverse perspectives,” said Sayyid Badr al Busaidy.
Oman’s rejection of what he called binary oppositions, zero-sum games and choosing not to communicate.
Such practices in foreign affairs are “rooted in a flawed mindset: one of competition, not partnership,” he said.
Addressing the opening session of the YPO’s 2025 Retreat on the theme of “Diplomacy: Neutrality and Influence”, Sayyid Badr spoke about how Oman’s ancient water networks, aflaj, have inspired its foreign policy.
He explained how Oman’s mountain communities, instead of fighting over scarce water resources, shared water supplies to boost prosperity and trade, so creating an environment of equality, trust and partnership.
Negotiated agreements allowed each village to water crops, replenish drinking water supplies and wash clothes for a few hours, before redirecting water so another village could do the same.
“Instead of combat, they used conversation, reciprocity and pragmatism to reach agreements on water sharing,” he said. “They learned to be good neighbours."
The minister said that this mentality is vital in today’s global environment, as we all have a shared responsibility and a shared interest in overcoming challenges such as climate change, poverty and epidemics of disease.
He warned that policies of antagonism, hate speech, discrimination and double standards, aimed at weakening others in order to elevate oneself, are counterproductive.
As world leaders try to mitigate global warming, policies based on rivalry prevent bold climate commitments, he argued. States prioritise their own medium-term economic gains over shared long-term objectives.
Sayyid Badr urged policymakers to lead by example, to inspire others to push themselves towards more effective climate goals.
He also addressed the current global situation where antagonism has become commonplace, preventing effective conflict resolution.
“Their refusal to engage constructively exacerbates hostility, deepens distrust and prevents resolutions,” he added.
Sayyid Badr spoke about the current crisis in Palestine as an example of this. He said that unwillingness to include all relevant parties in peace efforts will lead to unsustainable resolutions. He argued that only by listening to the legitimate demands of all Palestinian groups and allowing Palestinians to choose their own leaders, will justice prevail.
“The key ingredient in diplomacy is trust,” said Sayyid Badr. “If we show that we trust our partners, if we occasionally take a leap of faith, they will reciprocate.”
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