Sultan Oman Haytham Ben-Tarek's visit to Saudi Arabia yesterday reflects the changes going on in the Gulf region that Israel needs to internalize. It was the Sultan's first visit abroad since coming to power and it was no coincidence that his choice was Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are convinced that the new ruler is inclined to side with them as Oman will benefit economically from an alliance with Saudi Arabia.

All this is happening in light of increased competition between the Emirates and Saudi Arabia that were previously considered close allies. As part of the distance between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Israel is also paying a certain price, at least publicly. It seems that the Saudis are taking a step back in everything related to normalization with Israel. This is also how the Omani foreign minister's statement from the weekend (that his country will not be the third Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel) can be explained.