Oman Qabus ibn Said: The Emergence of a Modern State
Sultan Qabus ibn Said Al Said, ruler of Oman
Courtesy Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, Washington (Photo
Mohamed Mustafa)
Muscat, capital of Oman, with Jilali and Mirani forts in
the background
Courtesy Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, Washington
After assuming power in 1970, Qabus ibn Said
concentrated on
restoring control over southern Dhofar region, which had
been in
rebellion against his father's oppressive rule. He used
economic
and military means, believing that poor economic
conditions had
helped motivate the Dhofari rebellion. By 1975 he
succeeded in
suppressing militarily the Marxist-inspired rebellion, and
the
sultan could turn to development issues and the
establishment of
modern governmental and administrative institutions. By
the mid1980s , virtually all regions of the country were linked by
a
transportation system and a telecommunications network.
Ministerial government and the civil service were
expanded, and
limited participation in the political process was created
in
1981 with the establishment of the State Consultative
Council and
in 1991, with the formation of the Consultative Council,
an
advisory body that superseded the State Consultative
Council.
Data as of January 1993
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