Oman's Sultan has ruled for 42 years. But who's next?

Sultan Qaboos of Oman

Oman's Sultan, Qaboos bin Said al-Said, is 72 years old. He and his wife,  Sayyidah Nawwal bint Tariq have no children and the ageing sultan has not publicly stated his preference for an heir. Given the wider context of the "Arab Spring", when Sultan Qaboos eventually dies the currently uneventful country could be in for some domestic turbulence.

Interestingly, constitutionally Qaboos has done nothing out of the ordinary by not announcing his preferred heir. Article 6 of Oman's constitution states that the Ruling Family Council chooses the successor after the throne becomes vacant. The previous sultan's preference should be noted in an official letter and referred to only in the event that the Ruling Family Council fails to achieve consensus in choosing the new heir. Qaboos claims he has already written and sealed his letter and given it to the defense minister.  

Constitution aside, history tells a different story. Qaboos' predecessor was his father (removed from power in a palace coup by Qaboos in 1970), and a brief walk through the family tree shows that son has succeeded father since 1804 (and possibly earlier). When Qaboos dies, for the first time the ruling family will have to convene to select a successor rather than simply asking the previous ruler's son to take the reigns. They will be entering uncharted waters and maintaining the country's current stability in such a period of upheaval will be quite a challenge.   

By all accounts, Sultan Qaboos is a popular leader. During his watch Oman has flourished. But he is an absolute monarch who appears to take a hands on approach to his rule. This begs the question: is the current Omani regime too much of a one man band to pave the way for a smooth transition to the next ruler when the sultan dies? The self-imposed secrecy surrounding his successor means there is little, nay no, opportunity for a handover or training. Even if there were such an opportunity, there is no guarantee that the Ruling Family Council will select Qaboos' preferred candidate.

For what it's worth, I think Qaboos should shelve his constitutional duties and open the sealed envelope for all to see. By publicly announcing his chosen candidate he mitigates the the risk of surprising his family and citizens. Qaboos will also be able to involve the candidate in public duties, effectively instigating a handover process that will give the people some confidence in Oman's future continuity. Some come on Qaboos...tell us...Who's next?

Saudi sport - it's a man's world

Training in vain - there will be no Saudi women at London 2012

On 6 April, I posted on the decision made by Saudi Arabia's National Olympic Committee president Prince Nawaf bin Faisal not to endorse female participation in Saudi's Olympic team (see Saudi Olympic team - only men aloud). Prince Nawaf's decision provoked a strong, negative reaction from a range of NGOs globally. The International Olympic Committee were asked to consider imposing sanctions against the ultra-conservative kingdom. 

Today I happened across an article on the Daily Mail website which provides the concluding chapter to this little saga. In the article, the Mail reported that:

"Having discussed the issue in Quebec yesterday, the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) talks resulted in them not imposing any sanctions on the Middle Easterners"

In other words, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia's decision to exclude their own women from taking part in the Olympic Games (which directly contravenes the fourth, sixth and seventh fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter to which all participating countries are supposedly bound), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have decided to take no action.

Whilst this is not at all surprising, it is a great shame. The IOC's decision serves as a reminder of how hard it is (ignoring the multiple written and verbal proclamations to the contrary) to uncouple the Olympic Games from the forces of international politics. Saudi Arabia is a vital western ally. Jacques Rogge and his leadership would not be thanked by their respective governments for taking action that could potentially jeopardise the special relationship that the closed Kingdom shares with the west. 

So yet again, the acronym KSA will not appear during any women's Olympic events this summer in London. If there is any hope of seeing female representation from Saudi Arabia in Rio 2016, it will be due to reforms towards women's policies from within the Kingdom rather than any intervention from the IOC. For the time being Saudi sport (like so many things in Saudi Arabia) remains a man's world. 

Arabian Peninsula Focus finds its voice

Hello all. On the off-chance that there are any hardened Arabian Peninsula Focus fans out there, I owe you all an apology. I have not posted since 03 May - almost a month of silence. I'm afraid I have no exciting excuses for my silence. All I can say is that Arabian Peninsula Focus lost its voice...

Well friends and readers - thankfully we're back in business and will be posting furiously over the coming weeks and months. Our remit remains the same - from Saudi to Yemen, Kuwait to Qatar and Bahrain to the UAE we will endeavour to provide pithy opinions on the latest developments in the Arabian Peninsula. What's more, since my last post on 03 May, I have become yet more determined to find something to write about Oman and, excitingly, I think I may have finally found a topic on which to write a little Omani feature. So watch this space - Arabian Peninsula focus has re-found its voice is about to start singing from the rooftops!

No Salmon fishing in Yemen

Today I stumbled across a rather lovely article in the Daily Telegraph entitled There's no salmon fishing in Yemen, tourist board warns. 

When I trawl through Internet articles looking for recent news on Yemen I have come to expect accounts of violent attacks or Saleh's struggles to let go of power. I don't expect to read about fishing; I have to say it was rather refreshing to come across a positive article about Yemen.

Fancy a stop of fishing? well don't come to Yemen then!

The essence of the Telegraph's article is that since the release of the Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, (based on the novel by Paul Torday) there has been a surge of visitors to the Yemen Tourist Board's UK website. Amusingly, this recent interest in Yemen has stirred a panic in the Board's UK spokesman who has reiterated that salmon fishing isn't really popular, (or indeed possible) in Yemen.

I visited Yemen in 2007 and was blown away by its beautifully dramatic landscape and soft, distinctive architecture. At that time it was a popular destination for the more hardened European hikers, particularly from France and Germany  who impressed their younger Yemeni walking guides by making light work of the challenging terrain. It is therefore no surprise that those Brits who have seen the film version of Torday's novel are interested in visiting the country.

Yemen's rugged yet beautiful countryside

Sadly, this interest in Yemen as a tourist destination is dreadfully timed. I had a wonderful trip to the country in 2007 and I intend to go back at some point but I will not rush to Sana'a or the surrounding countryside at the moment. President Hadi needs to gain more control and especially needs to stop militant groups (allegedly al-Qaeda) from regularly attacking his army checkpoints before the country is ready to do themselves justice when it comes to tourism.

I only hope that the surge of interest tourist towards Yemen can stand the test of time necessary to see the country back on its feet. Growth in a tourist industry would undoubtedly benefit the country and, as I said before, it is a wonderful place to visit. That said, for the keen salmon anglers out there...best leave your rods and tackle in Blighty.