Oman was scarcely affected by the decolonisation of the Trucial States in December 1971, and defence support increased during the insurgency in Dhofar. The continuation of this policy was determined by economic and strategic interests, but there is no indication that Whitehall wanted to create an informal Empire in Oman or the Gulf during the 1970s. It was mutually convenient for defence support to continue unabated so long as it was in the Sultan’s interests. More significantly, supporting Oman’s forces was remarkably cheap because the costs of British loan service or seconded personnel was covered by the Sultan.