GOVERNMENT

His Majesty the Sultan is the Head of State, the highest and final authority and the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. He is the symbol of national unity, which he maintains and upholds.
Article 42 of the Basic Statute of the State defines the Sultan’s functions. These include maintaining the country’s independence and territorial integrity, protecting its internal and external security, safeguarding its citizens rights and freedoms, upholding the rule of law, directing general state policy, and taking measures to confront dangers threatening the Sultanate’s security or national integrity, or that of its people.
His Majesty presides over the cabinet of ministers. He appoints and dismisses deputy prime ministers, ministers, under-secretaries and senior judges. He is responsible for declaring states of emergency, general mobilisation and war, or concluding peace under the provisions of the law, introducing laws, ratifying treaties and international agreements, issuing the general state budget and granting pardons for punishments. Rulings are issued and carried out in the name of His Majesty the Sultan.

Modernising the state

Addressing the Omani people when he assumed power in July 1970, Sultan Qaboos bin Said said: "I promise you that the first obligation I shall impose upon myself is to begin modernising the government as quickly as possible."
Today, Oman has a modern government with modern institutions and systems, with the administrative apparatus of state developed in four distinct phases. The second phase of development, up to mid-1975, established modern state functions, under a Royal Decree that created a Council of Ministers from just a handful of ministries, led by the ministries of health and education.

In the early 1970s, there were no laws or regulatory systems to define how institutions functioned, their principles and goals, or the rights and duties of employees. The codification of government began in the mid-1970s. In July 1975, Royal Decree 26/75 introduced laws to regulate the administration. It set out the Council of Ministers’ and other government bodies’ powers and responsibilities, in tandem with the Civil Service Law of Royal Decree 27/75, which outlined civil servants’ rights and duties.

List of Council of Ministers

Personal Representative of His Majesty The Sultan
H.H. Sayyid Thuwainy Bin Shihab

Deputy Prime Minister For Legal Affairs
H.H. Sayyid Fahad Bin Mahmood Al Said

Minister of Heritage & Culture
H.H. Sayyid Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said

Minister of Diwan of Royal Court
H.E. Sayyid Ali Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi

Minister of Royal office
H.E. General Ali Bin Majid Al Ma'amari

Minister Responsible For Defence Affairs
H.E. Sayyid Badr Bin Saud Bin Harab Al Busaidi

Minister of Interior
H.E. Sayyid Saud Bin Ibrahim Al Busaidi

Minister Responsible For Foreign Affairs
H.E. Yousef Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah

Minister of Justice
H.E.Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdullah Bin Zaher Al Hinai

Minister of National Economy & Deputy Chairman of Financial Affairs & Energy Resources Council
H.E. Ahmed Bin Abdulnabi Macki

Minister of Higher Education
H.E. Dr. Yahya Bin Mahfudh Al Mantheri

Minister of State And Governor of Muscat
H.E.Sayyid Al Mutassim Bin Hamoud Al Busaidi

Minister of State And Governor of Dhofar
H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Ali Al Qatabi

Minister of Transport & Communications
H.E. Malik Bin Sulaiman Al Ma'amari

Minister of Health
H.E. Dr. Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Moosa

Secretary General of Cabinet
H.E.Sayyid Hamood Bin Faisal Bin Said

Minister of Social Development
H.E. Sheikh Amer Bin Shuwain Al Hosni

Minister of Commerce And Industry
H.E. Maqbool Bin Ali Sultan

Minister of Legal Affairs
H.E.Mohammed Bin Ali Bin Nasser Al Alawi

Minister of Civil Service
H.E. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Matar Al Azizi

Minister of Awqaf & Religious Affairs
H.E.Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Salimi

Minister of Oil & Gas
H.E.Dr.Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Saif Al Rumhi

Minister of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources
H.E.Dr. Khamis Bin Mubarak Al Alawi

Minister of Housing, Electricity & Water
H.E. Sheikh Suhail Bin Mustahil Shamas

Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries
H.E. Sheikh Salim Bin Hilal Al Khalili

Minister of Information
H.E. Hamed Bin Mohammed Bin Mohsin Al Rashdi

Minister of Education
H.E. Yahya Bin Saud Al Sulaimi

Minister of Manpower
H.E. Juma Bin Ali Bin Juma

Council of Oman (Majlis Oman)

Oman’s government is a bicameral system. The Basic Statute of the State provided for the establishment of The Council Of Oman which was created by Royal Decree in 1997. It comprises the Majlis a’Shura (Consultative Council), whose members are elected by Omani citizens every three years, and the Majlis Al Dawla (State Council), whose members are appointed by the Sultan.

The State Council (Majlis al Dawla)

According to Sultan Qaboos, the State Council is "another powerful building block in the Omani social edifice, which reinforces its achievements and reaffirms the principles we have laid out." These principles established a Shura (consultation) process, inspired by Oman’s national heritage and values and the Islamic Sharia, that incorporates features of the modern age.
Acting as an upper chamber, the State Council is central to Oman’s development goals. Appointed for their expertise at senior levels in various fields, the State Council members represent a wide range of views and experiences. The Council examines the issues presented to it, preparing studies on development and solving problems, and promotes cohesion and unity.
The State Council’s president and members are prominent members of the Omani community chosen for their expertise and seniority and appointed by Royal Decree.The State Council members must be Omani nationals, aged 40 years and above, of high status and reputation and with appropriate practical experience. Membership is for three years and is renewable. The size of Council membership does not exceed that of the Majlis a’Shura. State Council members are drawn from:
• former ministers
• under-secretaries and those of equivalent rank
• former ambassadors
• former senior judges
• retired senior officers
• those of proven expertise in science, literature and culture
• academic staff of universities, colleges and higher institutes
• dignitaries and businessmen
• people who have given distinguished service to the nation.
Members of the State Council cannot be elected to the Consultative Council (Majlis a’Shura). Membership of the State Council is barred to those who remain in public office, apart from members working in science, literature and culture, or as academic staff. However, His Majesty Sultan can make exceptions to this rule.
The State Council holds four ordinary sessions a year, although the president can convene extraordinary sessions if necessary. Royal Decree 86/97 defines the State Council’s powers. These include preparing studies to help to implement development plans and programmes, finding solutions to economic and social problems and proposing ways to encouraging investment, reforming the administration and improving performance. The Council has the power to review and revise draft laws prepared by ministries and government departments, and to propose draft amendments.
The Council submits proposals and recommendations to His Majesty the Sultan or the Council of Ministers. The council president submits an annual report to the Sultan on its activities and deliberations. The current State Council’s 53 members include five women, reflecting Sultan Qaboos commitment to promoting Omani women to senior institutions, and his belief that women can and will contribute to the welfare of the nation.

The Consultative Council (Majlis a’ Shura)

In 1990, Sultan Qaboos announced that the Consultative Council would replace the state consultative council (Majlis Al Istishari lil Dawla), a body of nominated members created in 1981. The first elected Majlis a’Shura was created in December 1991, its 59 members representing every wilayat in Oman. The Majlis a’Shura plays a purely advisory role, reviewing proposed legislation and submitting suggestions and proposals to ministers.
Omani citizens elect members of the Majlis a’Shura by popular vote: only the council president is appointed by Royal Decree, and council members elect two vice-presidents through a secret ballot. Each term lasts three years, and members may stand for re-election when the term ends. Candidates must be Omani citizens aged over 30, well educated and of good reputation. Successful candidates must resign from existing official posts. Membership of the Majlis a’Shura was extended to women in 1994, when two women were elected.
The last Majlis a’Shura elections took place in September 2000, when 175,000 voters flocked to polling booths across the country. There are no political parties in Oman, and the 540 candidates, including 21 women, stood for election as individual candidates. Two women – Rahila Al Riyami and Lujaina Mohsin Darwish – were among the 83 candidates elected to the fourth term of the Majlis a’Shura, which went into session in 2001.
Sultan Qaboos inaugurated the second term of the Council of Oman in November 2000, outlining the Sultanate’s domestic and foreign policy in the period ahead. His speech stressed the need for partnership between the government and Omani people, highlighting the need to diversify the economy and to prepare the Omani workforce to meet the needs of the modern age. In September 2001, in a joint session of the Council of Oman, which comprises the Majlis Al Dawla and the Majlis a’Shura, Sultan Qaboos addressed the need to develop human resources, creating new jobs for nationals and educating citizens about the importance of hard work.
The January 2001 session marked the new Majlis a’Shura term, and was devoted to regulatory and procedural matters. During the first quarter of 2001, the standing committees drew up their programmes and priorities and presented a list of topics for study to the Majlis in March 2001, which approved the committees’ proposals:

• The legal committee reviewed the Omani Penal Code, promulgated under Royal Decree No. 7/74, the rehabilitation of uninsured accident victims and proposed amendments to regulations on early retirement.
• The economic committee studied soft loans, consumer protection, the role of major companies in economic growth and local regeneration, and evaluated the Sixth Five-year Plan (2001-2005).
• The health and social affairs committee studied traffic accidents.
• The education and culture committee examined the entry of the Secondary School graduates into further education, the workplace and public education. It reviewed the basic education system, and the 2020 Vision of Oman’s Economic Future. It is to review the enrolment of Omanis at medical colleges and the Shariah and Law College, and the introduction of computers and IT to the public school curriculum.
• The services and local community development committee completed its review of local committees and proposed ways to promote their role in local development. The Majlis Office directed the committee to study Housing Bank loans, and land fees in outlying regions.

The Majlis a’Shura began its third session in May 2001 and its fourth session in October 2001. Discussions included draft laws on evidence in civil and commercial matters, conservation and prevention of pollution, labour laws, regulating scholarships and study grants, and the draft communications regulation law.
During 2001, the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers referred five draft laws to the Majlis a’Shura committees, and three were issued as laws. Royal Decree 114/2001 promulgated the law on conservation of the environment and pollution prevention in November 2001. In March 2002, Royal Decree 29/2002 promulgated the law of evidence in civil and commercial matters and Royal Decree 30/2002 promulgated the communications regulation law.
The economic committee submitted recommendations on major companies’ role in energising economic activity and developing local communities, and on persuading major companies to employ more Omanis, to stimulate local markets and to fund community development. The committee recommended that companies’ willingness to contribute should influence government tenders.
The Majlis a’Shura asked its committees to consider the rising number of Omani job seekers and suggest ways to promote the importance of work and create jobs for Omanis. It created a public awareness and environment committee in 2001 to raise the council’s profile in environment and conservation, after His Majesty designated 2001 Omani Environment Year.
The Majlis reviewed the draft law on conservation of the environment and prevention of pollution. The committee’s proposals, approved by the Majlis at its May 2001 session, included a review of national conservation strategy. Members joined an international symposium on the environment and sustainable development and attended a seminar on desertification in Dhofar.
Priorities include encouraging Omani women to promote awareness of development, globalisation and its effects on consumer behavior, society and the economy. The effects of development included anti-social behavior among young people, and priorities include new measures to rehabilitate young delinquents.
During March 2002, the Majlis a’Shura held talks with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries about over-fishing. Requests for debates on the other topics will be put forward at future the Majlis sessions. After discussions with ministers are concluded, the Majlis submits its recommendations to His Majesty the Sultan.

External Relations

The Majlis Al Shura organises exchange visits with similar bodies in other countries. The president headed a delegation to the emergency session of the Arab Parliamentary Union Council in Egypt in April 2002, called to discuss Israel’s incursion into the Palestinian territories, the destruction of Palestinian institutions and its treatment of the defenceless Palestinian people.
The two female Majlis members attended a meeting of the Arab Woman Parliamentarians on the role of women in promoting Arab causes in Damascus in February 2001. Members attended the conference of the Parliamentary Union of Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Rabat in September 2001.
In May 2001, the Majlis a’Shura hosted the annual meeting of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). The meeting approved joint training and exchange visits between employees of the parliamentary Councils. The meeting agreed to a review of its annual meetings. A delegation headed by the Majlis secretary-general attended the meeting of (GCC) Majlis a’Shura and National Assembly general-secretaries in Qatar in April 2002.
Several International Parliamentary delegations visited the Majlis a’Shura in 2001/2; including one from the Iran, and another from the German Parliament. The Majlis also received a member of the Tunisian Council of Deputies in January 2001, the head of the Omani-British Parliamentary Group, the Japanese Parliament’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Relations at the Sudanese National Assembly as well as from other Arab Organisations.

The Civil Service

From 1980, the civil service entered a new period of development, under the second Civil Service Law of Royal Decree 8/80. This upgraded the administration, improving government institutions and expanding state services. This period saw growth in the numbers of people employed by the state. Since 1970 the Sultanate’s administrative system has developed three aspects:

• Regulating traditional the state activities such as security, defence, justice, foreign affairs, managing public funds and the state economy, and setting up ministries to administer them.
• Changing the concept of the state, to promote productivity and provide services. Ministries exploit and manage natural resources including oil, gas, agriculture, fisheries, commerce, industry and manpower. Other ministries and public service authorities were created to develop health, education, social development, information, the civil service, awqaf and religious affairs, justice, transport, communications, housing, electricity and water.
• Giving the state a leading role in planning and economic activities. Oman created several specialist councils, including the Development Council, the Financial Affairs and Energy Council and the Civil Service Council.
• Oman’s Civil Service is an independent body that assists government departments. Royal Decree 27/75 created a Diwan of Personnel Affairs, that established the basic elements of the civil service, structures, job grades and training systems, and simplified its operating procedures. It prepared the draft of the second Civil Service Law, which ensured that civil service development matched progress in other fields.

It became clear that the civil service structure had to expand, and Royal Decree 17/88 set up the Ministry of Civil Service. In 1998, Sultan Qaboos issued Royal Decree 89/98 defining the organisation of the Ministry of Civil Service, its powers and responsibilities.

Job planning and statistics

The Civil Service Ministry issues a half-yearly statistical bulletin, distributed to government planning departments, including the Ministry of National Economy. The ministry has studied job classification projects to reclassify public sector jobs, and submitted its proposals for approval.
Every year the Civil Service Ministry lists the students graduating from Sultan Qaboos University or universities outside Oman, and finds appointments that suit their qualifications and the needs of government departments. It also finds work for technical institute and secondary school graduates where possible. A centralised appointments system ensures equal employment opportunities for all. Civil Service Ministry inspectors regularly examine ministries’ staff files and registers to promote Omanisation, and has developed programmes to recruit nationals to the public sector.

Human resources data

Work has begun on a human resources database to link civil service departments to the ministry by computer to eliminate drudgery and to issue legal and security certification electronically. The Ministry of Civil Service’s system is one of the biggest manpower systems in the Arab World, and one of the first. It is the third largest system in the world in terms of the number of government users, linked to some 60 departments, with more than 86,000 job registers and 2,000 users.

Monitoring Omanisation

Royal Decree 95/97 created the Omanisation Monitoring and Follow-up Committee as a department of the Diwan of Royal Court, to monitor programmes for employing nationals in the public and private sectors. The committee compiles progress reports on employing nationals in the public and private sectors and proposes solutions to obstacles that hinder government Omanisation targets. The Royal Decree requires public and private sector authorities and bodies to provide whatever information and statistics the committee requires.
The committee has put together a library of reports and data on Omanisation, centralising reports from government departments and the private sector, tracking statistics on labour supply and demand. In the last year, it set up a computerised database to store the latest statistics.
Several specialised sub-committees supervise Omanisation in the public and private sectors, with members drawn both from government and business. These sub-committees highlighted obstacles to the Omanisation drive, and proposed alternative solutions. Their recommendations were put to the main committee for discussion, and the findings submitted to the Sultan Committee members carried out field studies on Omanisation, training and private sector pay. They travelled to several wilayats and governorates to discuss Omanisation and its obstacles. Members visited private sector companies to observe the Omani workforce at first hand. Some of Oman’s most senior, powerful and experienced private sector bosses put forward suggestions on promoting jobs for nationals.

Women’s rights

From the very outset of his reign, Sultan Qaboos resolved that Omani women should not be marginalised in the new, modern Sultanate. A champion of women’s rights, Sultan Qaboos has advocated the advancement of women in all spheres of society, and their right to help determine society's future.
Even when confined to the home, Omani women raised and taught the younger generation. Now, the government is keen to encourage Omani women to contribute to the national economy as working women, arguing that careers boost women’s self-confidence and equip them to play a greater role in Oman’s future development.
In 1988, Oman appointed its first female under-secretary in a Ministry – a first for any Gulf state. In 1989, a woman was elected to the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s board of directors. In 1999, Oman appointed its first female ambassador to The Hague.
Many other women have emerged in government and the private sector, becoming more visible in government posts, in the oil sector and in banking. Many Omani women work as teachers, doctors and nurses. Others do voluntary work through national body, the Omani Women's Associations.
In 1994, women were invited to stand in elections for the Majlis Al Shura (Consultative Council), but could only stand as candidates in the Muscat region, home to the largest number of educated and qualified women. However, women were able to stand as candidates in all wilayats from 1997. The State Council has studied many topics relating to development, including a study on national population policy. It has studied the draft law on civil transactions, the draft labour law, the draft communications law, the draft law on the environment and the prevention of pollution, the draft civil and commercial procedures law and the draft tourism law. It referred these studies to the Council of Ministers for approval.
Other social and economic issues debated by council members include creating private sector jobs for Omanis, private universities, the future of tourism, decentralising the administration, economic diversification, and the social effects of economic change.

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