Your search
Results 13 resources
-
This study seeks to analyze the implications of Oman’s participation in the Maritime Silk Road, which is the maritime component of the Belt and Road Initiative, announced in 2013 by the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping. Sultan Qaboos has transformed Oman from an isolated and backward country to an active political mediator in the region. Oman’s neutral stance and diplomatic connections with every political actor in the region differentiate Oman from the rest of the Gulf countries. Geographically, Oman is situated in the intersection of the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Historically, Oman ruled South Asian and East African coasts, extending its influence. The geographical position and historical legacy make Oman as a key country for the Maritime Silk Road. Thus, participation of Oman in the Belt and Road Initiative is invaluable in the eyes of the Chinese policymakers. Omani policymakers, who want to diversify Oman’s economy, welcome Chinese investments. However, increasing Chinese involvement in Oman’s economy might harm Oman’s sovereignty because of Chinese practice of using debts as exerting pressure on the lending states’ sovereignty. Moreover, the intensified competition between the USA and China in the Indian Ocean could compromise Oman’s neutral stance. Yet, Sultan Qaboos’ legacy is followed by Omani policymakers. While benefiting Chinese economic investments, Oman performs balancing acts against China.
-
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)
-
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.
Explore
Resource type
- Book (1)
- Book Section (9)
- Journal Article (3)