Sultan Qaboos
Sultan, prime minister, foreign minister: Qaboos Bin-Said Al Said 

Sultan Qaboos seized power in a coup against his father, Said Bin-Taymur, in 1970. As sultan, he took on the role of prime minister and heads the foreign, defence and finance ministries. 

His policies have proved popular in spite of the lack of a democratic government. He instigated the use of oil revenues to develop the country's infrastructure and has gradually introduced modernisation of the government structure with the establishment of a Consultative Assembly in 1981, replaced by the Consultative Council (majlis al-shura) in 1990 and the Council of State in 1997. 

However, all important decisions are still made by the sultan himself.

Country Profile: Oman

The oldest independent state in the Arab world, the Sultanate of Oman is one of the more traditional countries in the Gulf region and was, until recently, one of the most isolated.

Located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula, the country has been viewed as strategically important given its position at the mouth of the Gulf. 

At one time it had its own empire stretching down the east African coast and vied with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Gulf and Indian Ocean. 

 

OMAN FACTS 
Population: 2.8 million (UN, 2003)
Capital: Muscat 
Major language: Arabic 
Major religion:Islam
Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 74 years (women) (UN) 
Monetary unit: 1 Rial = 1000 biaza  
Main exports:Oil 
Annual average income: US $6,180 (World Bank, 2000) 
Internet domain: .om
International dialling code: +968