UAE angers Oman again by adding Musandam Governorate to Emirates map

The UAE has once again angered Oman after the issue of a promotional video by Al-Futtaim Emirati Company showing the Musandam Governorate within the UAE’s borders. The video was produced for the Mall of Oman. This has sparked a Twitter war, with users from Oman accusing the UAE of attacking their country because it developed the Port of Musandam with Chinese support.

This is not the first time that the UAE has provoked such anger. According to UAE journalist Humaid Al-Mansouri, for example, Muscat is set to become a burden on the rich Gulf States. “The Sultanate is witnessing a bad economic situation,” he wrote on Twitter. “40 to 60 per cent of Oman’s gross national product depends on oil.” He also questioned the competence of Omani workers.

The Emirati writer added that Oman has a budget deficit every year, and pointed out that the UAE is the Sultanate’s most supportive country.

Pro-Oman activists have circulated other “evidence” of anti-Oman activity emanating from the UAE. A photo issued on social media was said to be taken from an Emirati curriculum textbook, claiming that the Magan civilisation was Emirati, not Omani. The photo prompted widespread anger among Omanis, who called on officials in Muscat to investigate and deter anyone from trying to undermine the Sultanate’s history and civilisation.

Read: UAE-backed forces take over Omani cargo port

This is, apparently, not the first time that the UAE has been accused of looting the history, identity and civilisation of other countries. Activists on social media have recently circulated photos from the Port of Salalah showing some trees that were said to be transported from Socotra Island to the UAE. They accuse the Emirates and its leaders of looting these trees, and infringing Yemeni sovereignty in the process.

The trees are not native to the UAE, but the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean is under the supervision of Emirati troops. The UAE has already trained a number of Socotra residents on the pretext of creating a security force to protect the island.