Your search

p. 12 : ... and his Foreign Affairs Adviser, Omar Baruni

This file concerns domestic and foreign political affairs in Oman. It contains correspondence relating to: Ministerial changes in the Government of Oman Internal challenges and rivalries within the government Meetings with ministers in the government, and HMG’s recommendations for government reform Developments in the Dhofar conflict, with statements from the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arab Gulf (PFLOAG) International media coverage on Oman, including allegations on the Soviet radio station Radio Peace and Progress that the British military have used napalm in Dhofar Oman’s foreign relations The views of Egypt, Libya, and Iraq on the Dhofar conflict and the presence of British officers in Oman Arrangements, briefings, and records of the visit of the Omani Minister for Communications, Social Affairs and Labour Abdul Hafidh Saleem Rajab to the UK Issues of development in Oman, including the construction of roads, hospitals, and schools and the employment of foreign advisers and staff Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed Al Said’s speech on National Day 1972, reviewing Oman's achievements in the past two years and plans for the future, and criticising PFLOAG and South Yemen

Qaboos bin Sa'id, Sultan of Oman from 1970 until his death in 2020, marked Omani history. He belonged to that very small circle of leaders who solemnized their time in power, transforming the Sultanate by empowering generations of citizens to lead constructive and fulfilling lives. Joseph Kéchichian provides a full assessment of the fourteenth Al Sa'id dynasty sovereign, setting out his vision for what was then a relatively isolated nation, championing the necessity for alliances, investing in people as well as the land, and founding key institutions that evolved over five decades. These achievements took time to materialize as Qaboo's preserved Al Sa'id rule, governed wisely, avoided internal and external political entanglements, and passed the torch to his successor Haitham bin Tariq, who validated Al Sa'id authority upon becoming Sultan. A Sultanate that Endures is a companion volume to Oman and the World: The Emergence of an Independent Foreign Policy (RAND, 1995). Ithighlights Omani history, with a particular focus on the religious creed Ibadhiyyah that embraces tolerance and prevents injustice. The transition from a theocracy to a monarchy that established dynastic rule is discussed in the context of the Sultanate's millennial history, affirming its rulers' legitimacy and citizen acceptance. The author evaluates how Ibadhiyyah and its traditions formed the gist of the Sultanate's foreign policies, concentrating on ties with predominantly Muslim-inhabited countries, engagement with the African Continent, its links with the Arab Gulf region, and appraising Omani diplomacy with key Asian and Western countries. The study closes with a preliminary analysis of the transition to Sultan Haitham, evaluates his primary appointments, and reviews his declared priorities for the nation. Future domestic and foreign policy challenges that may confront Omanis concludes the volume.

Un an exactement après son accession au trône, le sultan d’Oman a modifié les règles de transmission du pouvoir et nommé son fils aîné prince héritier. Une manière de renforcer la confiance et la stabilité, piliers essentiels du régime pour redynamiser l’économie.

Le sultanat d’Oman a été relativement épargné par le Covid-19, mais subit les conséquences d’un choc pétrolier inédit. La chute du prix des hydrocarbures pourrait (...)

This chapter analyzes the development of constitutionalism in Oman over three historic phases. It examines the establishment of the modern Omani state, and sheds light on the power struggle between the absolutist ruler, Sultan Saʿid bin Taimur al-Saʿid, and his reformist brother, Tariq bin Taimur al-Saʿid, the first serious attempt to introduce constitutionalism in Oman calling for limiting the Sultan’s power and transforming Oman into a constitutional monarchy. It details first how British authorities intervened as intermediaries in this power struggle, bolstering the Sultan’s powers and entrenching absolutist monarchy in Oman. The chapter then examines the events surrounding the late Sultan Qaboos’s issuance of the Basic Law – enacted during his twenty-sixth year in power – and situates it as a response to internal and external pressures within Oman and in the Gulf region in the mid-1990s. The chapter moves then to describe a movement for greater power-sharing emerging as part of Arab Spring-inspired protests in 2011 and describes some of the minor constitutional amendments enacted by Sultan Qaboos that year, which did little to alter the status quo. Finally, it examines the Sultan’s passing away in January 2020, the appointment of Sultan Haitham as successor, and his enactment of a new constitutional document intended to stabilize governance in Oman and devolve some authority to his inner circle, while largely avoiding a larger disruption of power dynamics.

This is the first, timely account of the modern Oman over the entire reign of Sultan Qaboos (1970-2020). The book provides unique, wide-ranging interdisciplinary and international perspectives on modern Oman by specialists in a variety of fields from Oman, Europe and North America. Utilising a range of perspectives, all chapters connect to the theme of rebirth, of the connections between the past and the future pursued by Sultan Qaboos and his government in fields as diverse as health, religion, law, economy, heritage and diplomacy. Not overlooking the many challenges faced during Sultan Qaboos' reign and still faced by Oman, the book engages various theories and perspectives about Oman's economic, religious, educational and cultural transformations under Qaboos (d. 2020 CE)

Séparé du reste de la péninsule arabique par une barrière montagneuse et le désert du Rub al-Khali, le sultanat d’Oman a construit son histoire tourné vers l’océan Indien. Son commerce maritime, longtemps florissant, déclina avec la concurrence de la Grande-Bretagne qui, vers le milieu du XIXe siècle, devint son protecteur. Le pays retombe alors dans un état d’extrême pauvreté. Depuis l’ère du pétrole et la fin de la puissance coloniale anglaise, les données se sont modifiées. Les revenus du pétrole ont permis le développement trés rapide des infrastructures et la fin d’un isolement séculaire. Ce changement s’est traduit récemment par l’adhésion d’Oman au Conseil de coopération du Golfe. Il y rejoint les Etats pétroliers conservateurs voisins : Arabie saoudite, Bahrein, Etat des Emirats arabes unis, Koweit, Qatar. Mais le particularisme omanais s’exprime à travers l’approche originale de son dirigeant, le sultan Kabous, sur des questions aussi importantes que la sécurité de la région ou le problème palestinien. Face aux sentiments panarabes ou islamiques dominants, le sultan Kabous maintiendra-t-il longtemps encore des positions qui vont à contre-courant ? C’est une des interrogations de cet article, qui tente aussi d’apprécier les chances de durée d’un régime encore fortement consolidé par l’assistance étrangère, britannique et américaine.

Baloch cultural life in Muscat is a vivid part of Oman's national landscape as it has evolved from the time the late Sultan Qaboos took power. Although often typecast as soldiers or police officers, Omani Baloch are deeply integrated into a broad spectrum of professions and social milieus. These include communities of arts and letters at the heart of the Omani cultural renaissance championed by the late Sultan and embodied in institutions such as Royal Opera House, the Muscat International Film Festival, and the Oud Hobbyists Association. The many nuances to Baloch identity have led to a plurality of social spaces, from literary forums intertwined with South Asian intellectual spheres to ceremonial contexts in which Omanis of Baloch, Peninsular Arab, and East African heritage converge. Networks of patronage and transnational circulations of songs and poetry among Baloch attest to the longevity of Western Indian Ocean circuits of cultural exchange.

The political culture in Oman seems to foster a pluralist intermeshing of national and sub-national identities that other diverse Arab states like Syria and Iraq were at pains to eliminate. This essay examines the Omani case to explore whether there are any lessons to be learned about sectarianism and how it can be confronted in the wider Middle East.