Oct 07, 2026 13:33 pm IST

Opinion | flydubai Hijack, And How Syria's Descent Into 'Jihadism' Has Now Become Everyone's Problem

Al Hammimi, the Omani pilot who tried to crash a plane with 175 passengers on September 30, is a symptom of Syria's long-raging sectarian and extremist fire that has now reached far beyond Syria's borders.

Aditi Bhaduri Aditi Bhaduri Columnist

Aditi Bhaduri Columnist

The news that the recent flydubai hijacking was undertaken by an Omani national has shocked much of the world, and with good reason. Oman has distinguished itself in the turbulent region it belongs to as well as in the international community as a model Arab state and a genuine bridge-builder. The Sultunate abhors extremism of any form and has played a significant role in attempts to bridge divides between Sunnis and Shiites, among Iran and the Gulf states, the Arabs and Israel, and between Iran and the US.

It is probably the country's geographical location that makes it a natural bridge between the Arab world and Iran. Oman is isolated from much of the Arabian Peninsula because of a formidable mountain range, while Iran is just across the narrow Strait of Hormuz. Oman thus becomes a bridge between the Shia and the Sunni world, helped by the fact that the majority of Oman's Muslims, including the late Sultan Qaboosbin Said Al Said, are followers of the Ibadi sect of Islam, which predates both the Sunni and Shia sects. Perhaps that is why Oman has distinguished itself by its independent foreign policy and role as an intermediary.

While Oman's role in facilitating US-Iran talks that led to the nuclear deal in 2014 stands out the most, it has numerous other feats to its credit. It was Oman, under its late Sultan Qaboos, that was the architect of a Gulf security alliance that later found expression in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). In the 1970s, Oman publicly supported Anwar Sadat's peace overtures to Israel and was one of the only three Arab states that continued diplomatic relations with it after it recognised Israel. It then went on to play host to Israeli Prime Minister Itzak Rabin - the first public visit by an Israeli leader to an Arab Gulf state. More recently, in 2018, Oman........

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