Sunday, December 7, 2014

Around Middle East & North Africa [12.07.14]

"Qaboos bin Said al-Said has ruled the Gulf state as an absolute monarch, albeit a benevolent one who has both unified and modernized Oman. 

the 74-year-old sultan has been under the care of doctors in Germany with what is said to be colon cancer. Unmarried, he has no heir or designated successor. 

Oman’s biggest challenge is to wean itself off over-dependence on hydrocarbons, state spending and public employment. So far the government is betting on infrastructure projects such as Duqm port, a big complex on the southern coast that is under construction. But the fall in the oil price to $70 a barrel is the subject of urgent debate.

Sultan Qaboos is seen as a visionary by Omanis and expatriates (including Western diplomats) alike. Over 44 years the sultan has used the oil money of his Gulf state of 4.1m people, of whom some 40% are expatriates, to transform Oman from a backwater with few miles of paved road into a prosperous state with generous social provision. He also unified it. 

Omanis note that their country is less rich than neighboring Saudi Arabia, but their ruler has done much more with its wealth. The sultan has made friends with everyone, including arranging talks between the West and Iran.

Omani law stipulates an idiosyncratic procedure to find a successor...."


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