A century-old choice created one of the Gulf’s oddest geopolitical features

THE BUSIESTUAEUAE petrol station in the United Arab Emirates (), one local jokes, is not in the . Head south from Khor Fakkan, a town on the country’s east coast, and a right turn takes you across a near-invisible border (see map). There are no police posts or customs checks, only a small sign welcoming you to Oman—and queues at the filling station, where a litre of petrol goes for 62 cents. Across the street, and across the border, it costs 18% more.