This report describes the relationship between the United States and the Sultanate of Oman, especially with respect to Oman's support of U.S. efforts toward peace in the Middle East, the U.S. free trade agreement with Oman, and Oman's relatively close relations with Iran, the last of which seems incongruous with the other positive aspects of Oman's relationship with the U.S.

This report discusses U.S. economic and security assistance to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Developing, implementing, and managing metadata is crucial to successful knowledge management, and academic libraries have traditionally played a central role in these activities. The Arabian Gulf countries are underrepresented in the existing research into library metadata practices. This exploratory study used semi-structured interviews of metadata managers at 8 universities with the goal of developing understanding of the current state of metadata practices, including descriptive cataloging, identity management, and knowledge organization in academic libraries of three Arabian Gulf countries (Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar), as well as potential future developments to facilitate discovery of resources. Findings provide insights into this previously under-researched area and contribute to understanding of knowledge management and risks on a global scale.