Oman, Gulf of

Oman, Gulf of, north-western arm of the Arabian Sea. It leads through the Strait of Hormuz to the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Oman is bounded on the north by Iran, and on the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The northern part of the Gulf of Oman is between 50 and 200 m (165 and 650 ft) deep, and the depth increases rapidly as the gulf merges with the Arabian Sea. The Gulf of Oman is about 560 km (350 mi) long, and although there is some fishing, the area is mainly important as a shipping lane. In ancient times, ships from China and South East Asia traded here with merchants from the Middle East. Today, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz form part of one of the world's most important strategic waterways: about 80 giant tankers carrying oil from the Gulf States pass through it every day. Their cargoes represent about 66 per cent of the seaborne oil trade.