The new government of Oman

The new government of Oman under His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, 11 January 2020

The Sultanate of Oman entered a new era on 10 January 2020 with Haitham bin Tarik ascending to the throne, following the passing of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. The peaceful transition in accordance with the will of the late Sultan sent an important message of unity, cohesion, and continuity in the country. The Diwan of the Royal Court announced, in a twitter post: “Haitham bin Tarik was sworn in as the new Sultan of the country... after a meeting of the royal family which decided to appoint the one who was chosen by the Sultan”. His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, a graduate from Pembroke College, University of Oxford, was formerly the Minister of Heritage and Culture and served as Secretary-General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2002. He called for efforts for further development of the country and pledged to continue working towards raising the standard of living of the people. In a televised address to the nation on 11 January 2020, he said: “We will continue to follow in the same course the late Sultan adopted… embracing foreign policies based on peaceful coexistence among peoples and countries without any interference in the domestic affairs of other states”1 . In his first address to the nation, he vowed to maintain Oman’s foreign policy of peaceful coexistence and friendly ties with all nations. In a speech on February 23, 2020, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik clearly outlined the most important principles and steps that would guide his governance of the country: “We will direct the government, with all its sectors, to implement more efficient system of management which places, on top of its priorities, financial balance, economic diversification, the sustainability of the national economy, besides developing all relevant laws and regulations, God willing”.2 Soon, the new government under His Majesty Sultan Haitham had to contend with the dual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the world oil market. The government responded by mobilising all sectors in addition to establishing the Supreme Committee under the Royal Order to deal with the unprecedented situation.

The new government

In keeping with the pledge to “take the necessary measures to restructure the state’s administrative apparatus” in order to “achieve good governance, performance, integrity and accountability,” His Majesty Sultan Haitham signed a series of Royal Decrees to restructure his government: The three deputy Ministers have been retained: His Highness Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said for the Council of Ministers, His Highness Shihab bin Tariq al Said for Defence Affairs and His Highness Asaad bin Tariq al Said

1 Oman Daily Observer. (2020, January 11). 2 omannews.gov.om (2020, February 23).