Government

The Government of Oman

Oman's timeline:

Sultan Said bin Taimur kept Oman in feudal isolation, which means that he kept Oman in a very primal style of living. In the 800s, the Ibadiyah Islamic sect began to rule Oman thru votes from Ibadite imams. The year 1507, caused quite a toll on Omanis as the Portuguese attacked Muscat and captured the Omani coast, the case continued on this matter for more than a decade. The Portuguese were driven out in 1650.

The Omani empire expanded to include Zanzibar, Mombasa on Africa’s east coast and parts of the Indian subcontinent, this started in the 1800s and ended in the 1900s. In 1913, Oman was ruled by two parties. The interior was ruled by Ibadite imams and the costal areas by the Sultan, but he regains the control of the interior in 1959, his ruling was described as a feudal and isolationist.

1970, was the year that Sultan Said bin Taimur’s son revolutionzed his father in a bloodless coup, and instead of his father’s approach Sultan Qaboos chose a more liberated and modernized path to rule the country. This was a very blissful year for Oman, compared what it had to go through all those previous years.

Fast forward to now, Oman continues to improve and develop daily, it has come so far from what it had been, and all the credit and gratitude goes to Sultan Qaboos for his astounding leadership.

The Government and Politics of Oman

Until 1970 the political title for the Al Said rulers was Sultan of Muscat and Oman, which implies that Muscat and Oman, were considered two separate historically irreconcilable political cultures. As mentioned before, Muscat had the cosmopolitan and secular tradition was ruled by the Sultan, while the interior, which had the tradition of insularity, tribal origin was ruled by an imam.

Chief of state and government is the hereditary Sultan, Qaboos bin Said, he has the “Diwans” to assist him. The sultan instituted and elected advisory council, Majlis ash-Shura, in the 1990s, but only few Omanis were eligible to vote. In October 4^th 2003, universal suffrage for those over 21 was instituted. Two women were elected to seats, and now Oman has two women ministers.

Legislative system of Oman: Oman’s judicial system traditionally has been based on the Sharia, which are Quraanic laws and the oral teachings of the Islamic Prophet Muhammed. Oman’s first criminal code was not endorsed until 1974. The structure of the criminal court system that is used currently was established in 1984, it consists of a magistrate court in the capital (Muscat) and four additional magistrate courts in Sohar, Sur, Salalah and Nizwa. Tribal custom is often the law, among the less populated areas and the nomadic Bedouin.

<Muscat then 

Muscat now>

Online Services:

Royal Oman Police

• online visa application
• traffic fines payment 
• visa application status 
• reports of lost documents 

The website also provides news about crimes and any new fines. The website, also has other features like multimedia, mobile services and general directorates.



http://www.rop.gov.om/english/index.asp

http://www.omansultanate.com/politics.htm

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14654492

http://www.photius.com/countries/oman/government/oman_government_government_and_polit~10162.html