Oman
The Sultanate of Oman is a Gulf state exhibiting low range performance in the Representation and Participation categories of the Global State of Democracy framework, and mid-range performance in Rights and Rule of Law. Over the last five years, it has experienced no notable changes in levels of performance. Oman’s economy depends on oil, with petroleum activities accounting for more than a third of GDP. The country is poorer than its Gulf neighbors, with oil resources that are more costly to extract.
Oman escaped direct colonization, but it was a British protectorate from 1891 to 1951. In 1970, the British helped Qaboos bin Said overthrow his traditionalist father in a palace coup. Qaboos ruled Oman for fifty years, and during his life the country became an important facilitator of dialogue and was seen as the “Switzerland of the Middle East.” Faced with protests over unemployment during the Arab Spring in 2011, Oman received aid from the GCC, made some changes to its Basic Law, and created new jobs and social benefits for Omani citizens. While elections for the Shura (consultative) Council are regularly held, formal political parties continue to be banned. Sultan Qaboos died in 2020 and he was succeeded by his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq al Said, who continued most of Qaboos’s policies. The Shura Council, already weak, was stripped of some of the democratic accountability won in 2011. Cycles of contestation continued to revolve around (state-provided) employment, with the state working to assuage the demands of protesters through economic benefits even as it cracked down on them and the media who covered them. This pattern repeated in large protests in 2018-2019, and smaller ones in 2021. The high unemployment rates are a result of the country’s relatively small oil reserves compared to other Gulf countries, as well as a high reliance on foreign labor and a lack of economic diversification.
Oman is plurality Ibadi, a small Islamic sect that is neither Sunni nor Shia, and Ibadi Islam is functionally the state religion. Oman also has a sizeable Sunni population and a small Shia population; there is little religious conflict within the country. Oman has a large migrant worker population (40 per cent of the total population are expatriates, overwhelmingly from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Tanzania) who are denied the benefits of citizenship and operate under the kafala system, giving employers nearly complete power over workers’ right to movement. Oman’s government has sought to relieve unemployment problems through Omanization of higher-skilled migrant jobs. While it has a reputation for being the most progressive of the Gulf countries, Oman’s government still closes newspapers critical of the state, arrests protesters, and prohibits speech that is judged to insult the Sultan or harm public order. Women are discriminated against in marriage and family law, and face arrest for even reporting rape or sexual assault.
Oman’s Sultan Haitham has named a crown prince, but in all other ways appears to be following the policies set by his predecessor. Looking ahead, Oman may find itself under pressure to preserve its relatively progressive regional reputation and improve Gender Equality, especially as its neighbors take limited steps to remove restrictions on women. It will also be important to watch unemployment, as this issue continues to be a popular priority.
Monthly Event Reports
October 2023 | Oman holds legislative elections
Oman conducted general elections on 29 October to elect 90 members to the Majlis Al-Shura Council for its tenth term, spanning 2023 to 2027. There were a total of 843 candidates, including 32 women. The elections saw a record turnout of 65.9 per cent, with more than 753,000 registered voters casting their ballots across the country. The early voting statistics showed a balanced gender participation, with 13.55% male and 10.39% female voters. The voting process was monitored by Oman's Supreme Committee for Elections to ensure its fairness and transparency. As an absolute monarchy, the elected legislature serves primarily in an advisory capacity. Despite the democratic proceedings, the sultan retains primary power, with political rights and civil liberties remaining limited.
Explore past monthly event reports
GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022
Basic Information
Human Rights Treaties
Global State of Democracy Indices
Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years
Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time