The continental material of the Saih Hatat window has been affected by a Late Cretaceous, obduction‐related, HP‐LT metamorphism below the Oman ophiolite. A high‐rate exhumation process is witnessed by the Maastrichtian‐Palaeocene onlap onto the blueschist‐facies rocks. Drastic metamorphic omissions are documented between the lowest, eclogitic units and the overlying, blueschist‐facies ones. Widespread late‐metamorphic shear structures point to a top‐to‐the‐NNE detachment, in opposition to the sense of the Late Cretaceous obduction. The inversion of the shearing sense occurred under similar, low temperature conditions in both the blueschist and eclogite‐facies units. Admitting that these HP‐LT metamorphic rocks formed progressively at various depth in the subducting Arabian margin, a two‐stage extensional mechanism of exhumation is suggested: (i) early uplift of the eclogitic rocks up to the blueschists depth by ductile thinning or squeezing of a ‘blind extensional allochthon'; (ii) exhumation of the whole HP‐LT metamorphic core complex by inversion of the obduction sole‐thrust and isostatic rebound of the lower plate.

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