SUMMARY
Oman first came under the rule of the Al Bu Sa’id dynasty in the 18th century and the family has preserved its hold on power into the 21st century. Oman is governed by an absolute monarchy and the monarch serves as both chief of state and head of government. Sultan Saʿīd ibn Taymūr ruled from 1932 until 1970, when he was overthrown in a bloodless coup and replaced by his son, Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id, who remains the monarch as of 2018.
Under Sultan Saʿīd ibn Taymūr, the separate interior and coastal areas of Muscat and Oman respectively were united in 1951 but his conservative policies failed to develop the country. In the economically depressed area of Dhofar, his policies were oppressive enough to ignite a rebellion against his authority (for more information, see Government of Oman – PFLO. When Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id came to power, his carrot-and-stick approach led to the ending of this rebellion. Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id also combined the areas of Muscat and Oman officially with the name “Sultanate of Oman” and he broadened the political space to a wider audience. The Basic Law of the State is Oman’s first written constitution and it established a bicameral legislature comprised of a Consultative Council, elected by popular vote, and a Council of State appointed by the sultan in 1996. In 1997, a decree permitted women to stand for election and universal suffrage for those aged 21 or over was introduced in 2001. Yet, members of the military and security forces cannot vote and organized political parties remain banned.
When the Arab Spring wave of popular uprisings hit Oman in 2011, greater political freedom was one of the demands of the protesters but no call for a regime change or removal of Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id was made. Accordingly, this issue was addressed by increasing the powers of the Consultative Council and protests about the matter did not re-emerge.
Oman only had 3000 troops in 1970 but in response to the conflict with the PFLO, it quickly increased its troop size to 15 500 troops by 1975 (see Government of Oman – PFLO. As of 2017, Oman had 43 000 active armed forces personnel and 4000 active paramilitary troops. The Sultan’s Royal Armed Forces consist of the Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman and Royal Air Force of Oman. The monarch also serves as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
During the seventies, many states were apprehensive of the growth of left-wing movements in the region and feared that Oman was on the verge of a revolution. Therefore, the governments of the United Kingdom, Iran and Jordan all sent military troops to assist the Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id to fight against the PFLO as secondary warring parties in 1970, 1973 and 1975 respectively. In addition, the US, Saudi Arabian, Pakistani and Indian governments provided other forms of support.
