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.  

Today's 4...Meddlers, widows, retrials and sunshine

Yesterday, the BBC reported that Osama Bin Laden's three widows will be welcomed into Saudi Arabia following their quasi-imprisonment and subsequent deportation from Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has quoted humanitarian reasons for allowing the women to settle back in the kingdom. For once, I agree with Saudi Arabia's decision. Two out of the three widows are Saudi Arabian, (the third is Yemeni) and it is highly unlikely that they would be allowed in many other countries. The women were undoubtedly subservient to their husband and we should be cautious about punishing them by association for the crimes of their husband.
 
Al-Jazeera reported that 21 Bahraini activists convicted by military court for participation in riots last year will be retried in a civil court. The ruling has come from the country's Court of Cassation following an appeal by the 21 activists to be retried. This is a significant step for Bahrain and should not be overlooked as insignificant. Some critics have been quick to label events in Bahrain as part of the wider "Arab Spring." I don't agree. That Bahrain can accept a possible error in its past rulings is a key differentiator between the island kingdom and the fallen regimes of Gadaffi and Mubarak.

Time's up Saleh...

The Associated Press reported that the UN's envoy to Yemen has requested former president Saleh to "stop meddling" in the country's affairs. The comment comes as President Saleh begins a full-scale offensive against alleged the al-Qaeda militants who have been the source of daily targeted attacks against military personnel since Hadi power. If Saleh cares at all about Yemeni internal affairs he will take the UN envoy's advice. Hadi is finally taking the tough stance necessary to restore order in the country and the last thing he needs is long-distance meddling from an ineffective former despot. It's time to let go Saleh.

And finally...

In the absence of anything noteworthy to say on Oman, I thought I'd tell readers that the Muscat's weather forecast for tomorrow is dry and sunny with temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius. Come on Oman...give me something to write about...please...  

A belt and braces execution in Riyadh

Today I read an article on DigitalJournal.com. It was my first time visiting their website, which I was drawn to by the bold headline: Sudanese man beheaded and crucified in Saudi Arabia.

Someone unfamiliar with the punitive norms of the closed kingdom may think that such a headline refers to some sort of gruesome act of retribution by one criminal gang to another. Sadly not. The Sudanese man was in fact put to death by the state following his conviction of rape, murder, theft and arson. Granted, assuming the defendant was guilty, he committed a vile series of crimes which deserve harsh punishment. Indeed, some states in the USA would execute one of their own citizens for committing a similar series of crimes.

My question is simple: why did the guilty man have to be beheaded and crucified? According to DigitalJournal.com, the Sudanese man was first beheaded after which his head was reconnected to his body. He was then crucified; a belt and braces approach to execution if ever I saw one. 

To me, beheading and then crucifying goes way beyond a strict judicial system. Such an approach is simple thuggery and smacks of the mafia-style tribal warfare which peppered the Arabian Peninsula before Abdulaziz Ibn Saud created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia shortly after the beginning of the twentieth Century.

I think it's time the country's judicial system officials have a think a about the message they are passing on to their own people, and to the rest of the world. There is no need for a belt and braces approach to execution. If Saudi Arabia insist on retaining the death penalty, they should at least do so in a responsible manner.

Today's 4...Taxes, beheadings, famine & Forumla1

The Lebanon Daily Star reports that Dubai plans to impose 200% tax on tobacco by August.

 

Such a move would double the current levy of 100% which the emirate imposes on tobacco products. The announcement to increase the levy to 200% was made by the director general of the Dubai Health Authority during a cardiology conference. Whilst this planned increase in tobacco tax may seemingly be motivated by a desire to improve the health of Dubai's smoking population, we should not ignore the obvious benefit to Dubai's tax collectors. The current 100% levy contributes 1% to Dubai's annual income. Doubling the levy will certainly benefit the emirate's economy. I am sure that health has played some part in the decision making process leading to the 200% tobacco levy, but as Dubai continues along the path of economic recovery I am certain the opportunity to add to the sovereign coffers was a deciding factor. 

Russia Today reports of a charge of beheading for "witchcraft" in Saudi Arabia.

 

A Sri Lankan woman is facing decapitation on charges on witchcraft in Saudi Arabia. The charges were brought against the woman after a Saudi man complained his 13 daughter began to behave abnormally after being in close proximity to the Sri Lankan lady in a shopping mall in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. According to Wahhabist Islam, the strict form of Sunni Islam which governs Saudi Arabian Sharia law, witchcraft is still a recognised crime. The only recommended sentence is death. In this blog I try to avoid professing strong opinions on religion, but I am now going to break my self-imposed rule. The fact that this Sri Lankan lady is facing the death penalty for being a witch in a country which likes to consider itself a key player in regional and global politics is quite simply barbaric. Furthermore, the fact that Wahhabist Islam provides the rationale for beheading this lady makes, in my opinion, Wahhabist Islam equally barbaric. Many Saudi Arabians are very well educated, having attended some of the best further education institutions in the world. It is definitely time for the country to wake up and put some of this education into practice by recognising Wahhabist Islam for what it really is.

Bad news about Yemen has now become the norm. When searching on Google news for "Yemen" one receives a barrage of news pages reporting on the latest attacks, with daily death tolls almost always in double figures. As if that wasn't enough The Economist reports that Among other troubles, Yemen faces a creeping famine. 

 

After such a protracted period of unrest in the troubled country it seems contingency is exhausted, not just at a government level but throughout the population with the richer families now unable to provide "zakat" (alms), one of the Five Pillars of Islam, to their poorer neighbours. Everything in Yemen, including food and the diesel required to fuel the country's water pumps travels by road. Throughout the months of unrest road routes have been cut or disrupted resulting in a food and water shortage throughout the country. As I have reported on this blog, Hadi's new government has almost no financial resources to improve the country's roads or increase fuel subsidies, both of which are vital steps to alleviate the worsening famine. More and more it seems the only solution is for international aid agencies to intervene. Unfortunately, such international programmes tend to gain momentum once famine is well and truly set in. It is unlikely that Yemen will receive the support it desperately requires until the situation reaches its nadir. 

And finally...
 

Bahrain's Grand Prix has received ample press coverage in the last week Today, Reuters, amongst many others, reports that Protests rage as Bahrain Grand Prix practice begins. 

 

Last night, as drivers prepared for the start of practice sessions on the Grand Prix track this morning protestors promised to mark the start of the small country's famous annual event with a "day of rage" against the ruling regime. Yesterday evening protests broke out in villages surrounding Manama. It seems unrest also spread into the capital as two members of the India Team asked to go home after seeing burning petrol bombs whilst travelling from the racing circuit back to their Manama hotel. Whilst I have sympathy with the plight of Bahrain's Shia majority population and the second-class treatment they receive at the hands of the Sunni minority leadership I do not believe disrupting the Grand Prix is the right way to transmit their message. Bahrain's Grand Prix is an annual event, much anticipated by Formula 1 fans around the world. As such, it is a major source of revenue from the country as well as a source of prestige on the global stage. Both the revenue and prestige are vital to anyone leading Bahrain and the event should be viewed as a key resource. In short, I think the protesters have adopted a self-harm approach by attacking the Grand Prix. The protesters also risk losing international support, without which they will struggle to progress their cause. My advice, although I very much doubt any Bahraini protesters read this blog, would be to leave the Grand Prix alone. Once, and not before, the last car has whizzed over the finish line the protesters should continue to push for an equal constitution.