In Oman, there were so many Omanis who wanted to study, so a lot of them went together to Basra in Iraq to study Islamic Theology. One of the students, Jaber bin Zayd (He was from Nizwa, which was considered the Islamic capital of Oman) wanted to return to the Islam before the Ali vs. Muawiya conflict. One of Jaber's students, Abdullah bin Ibadh decided to go with Jaber's teachings, and so he made a democratic (elections for ruler) Imamate in Nizwa, and Oman became culturally split into two: the Coast and the Interior. The Sultan ruled the Coast in Muscat, and the Imam ruled the Interior in Nizwa. Because there was no tension in this sect, nowadays in Oman there are no Madhabic tensions. Another thing to consider is that Oman had trade ties with East Africa and Southeast Asia, and they spread Islam there, but with no specific sect taking hold, until a legendary Omani merchant (not sure about this) became so successful he spread his own Madhab there. (Shafi'i Sunnism) Also, a few Ibadhis resided in Medina, but they were forced out by the Ummayad ruler into parts of Algeria and Libya, and they were basically cut off from the rest of the Ibadis. When Oman united under Ahmed Bin Said (from Rustaq in the Interior), the coast slowly converted to Ibadism, and so only a few communities, mainly in Muscat are Shia Muslims due to trade ties with other regions.(Iran, Northwest India and Pakistan) (Source: Omani Shia Muslim from Muttrah. (Coast)