Oman kicks off ambitious reform project
A significant revamp promises to slim down the Omani government, bring in new faces and mark the start of a new era.
“We were holding our breath [for] this day to come!” Buthaina Al-Jabri, the co-founder of the Omani students union in the United Kingdom, told Al-Monitor. On Aug. 18, Oman's new ruler Sultan Haitham restructured the government.
Upon his ascent to the throne in January, Haitham pledged to “undertake necessary measures to restructure the state’s administrative apparatus.” Omani researcher in political sociology Mubarak Al-Hamdani told Al-Monitor he believes the new ruler is pursuing policies recommended by the national strategy Oman 2040.
“The old style was not working anymore,” Al-Jabri commented.
In Kumzar, an isolated village accessible only by boat in the country’s northernmost tip, people are “happy” with the announcement, said one enthusiastic fisherman over the phone.
