Significant tectonic activities influencing the sedimentary basins of Oman began in the Cretaceous Period. In the late Cretaceous, two major events occurred: the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and the concurrent closing of the Neo-Tethys Ocean. This sequence of events caused the ocean crust to be obducted.. This obduction was a precursor to the thrusting of the Oman Mountains.

Additionally, a crucial collision event took place from the Late Cretaceous into the early Palaeocene. This was triggered by the northward movement of the Indian Block, leading to compressive forces and slight inversion on the western edge of the Ghaba Basin and the South Oman Salt Basin. This collision event, dated around 75 million years ago, not only furthered the uplift and formation of the Oman Mountains but also caused the tilting of the eastern flank of the Ghaba Basin and the South Oman Salt Basin. Concurrently, this period of compression, coupled with active salt diapirism, initiated and propelled the growth of various faults, including the Maradi Fault Zone, which has remained active up to the present day.

As a result numerous oil fields have been found based on these tectonic activities.