Omani-British Joint Training Area
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Oman
United Kingdom
Royal Army of Oman
British Army| Omani-British Joint Training Area | |
|---|---|
| Part of Ras Madrakah Training Area | |
| Duqm in Oman | |
 An Army Air Corps AW159 Wildcat helicopter above the training area in 2021. | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Training area |
| Owner | Oman United Kingdom |
| Operator | Royal Army of Oman British Army |
| Area | 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 mi2)[1] |
| Site history | |
| In use | 2019–present |
The Omani-British Joint Training Area is a training area established in 2019 for joint military training between Oman and the United Kingdom.[2] It is also used as a Land Regional Hub for expeditionary warfare by the British Army.[3]
Options for a permanent training area were first discussed at ministerial level in 2015.[4] In November 2018, British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that a new Omani-British Joint Training Area would be established in 2019 to facilitate joint military training between the two countries on a long-term basis, as well as to help the UK maintain a forward presence in the region.[5] A Joint Defence Agreement (JDA) was signed by the two countries on 21 February 2019 which officially mandated the creation of the base.[2]
Oman and the UK have shared close cultural, economic and military ties since the 1970 Omani coup d'état which saw Qaboos bin Said installed as the Sultan of Oman with significant British support. The 2019 JDA was considered by some foreign policy analysts to be an attempt by the then-terminally ill Sultan to make institutional arrangements which will outlast his reign and ensure close relations with the UK continue under his successor.[1] The agreement was also the result of intensifying British engagement in the wider region as the country sought to consolidate its global influence after leaving the European Union.[6] The two countries have previously engaged in large-scale military exercises — the largest being Exercise Saif Sareea, which was held in 1986, 2001 and 2018.[1]