However, the Royal Family Council decided to respect the sultan’s will, which named his cousin Haitham as his chosen successor. Article 4 of the White Book states: ‘The system of governance is Sultani, hereditary in the male descendants of Sayyid Turki bin Said bin Sultan, provided that whomever is to be chosen from among them as successor shall be a Muslim, mature, rational and the legitimate son of Omani Muslim parents.’

Analysis of the geography of Oman: state borders, climate, biodiversity, land fertility, nature reserves and environmental issues.

Fanack provides an overview of the population of Oman, including an overview of its demographics and refugee situation.

Overview of governance in Oman: the monarchy, the executive, the legislative, the legal system, local government, military.

Fanack’s Oman country file provides a comprehensive overview about Oman, its history, politics, culture, economy and much more.

Oman is using enhanced oil recovery techniques to boost production, but it has simultaneously pursued a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector’s contribution to GDP.

A report describes in depth how human rights defenders are routinely beaten, placed in solitary confinement and forced to endure extreme temperatures and humiliation. Other tactics used to punish activists include spreading rumours to tarnish their reputation, which prevents them from finding a decent job once they are released from prison. Families are also pressured to persuade relatives to stop criticizing the state. In other cases, activists are simply told that they must leave Oman and never return.

Just last April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sent a clear message to Oman after adviser Stéphane Roudet and his team visited Muscat for 13 days visit. The team concluded that Oman is a long way from boasting an economy that can one day be self-sustainable without the luxury of oil and gas, and would need to make “substantial” reforms to do so

The ruler, now 76, is ailing and has spent months at a time in Germany receiving cancer treatment. Nevertheless, Oman appears destined to maintain internal stability and its global reputation as a peacemaker. This is largely thanks to Qaboos who offered several concessions to protestors at the beginning of the Arab Spring in 2011

In its early day, Omani rap was an underground scene, but 2016 saw the scene expanded by new songs and rappers. However, although it is very YouTube-based, it is still overlooked, regionally and in the rest of the world.