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Small Business (BC),
Vancouver, Canada |
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Background: |
The inhabitants of the area of
Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century,
a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of
friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman`s dependence on British
political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British
colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of
his father, he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization
program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the
longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman`s moderate, independent foreign
policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern
countries. |
|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Sultanate of Oman
conventional short form: Oman
local
long form: Saltanat Uman
local short form: Uman
former: Muscat and Oman |
|
Government type: |
monarchy |
|
Capital: |
name: Muscat
geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E
time
difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) |
|
Administrative divisions: |
5 regions (manatiq, singular -
mintaqat) and 4 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad
Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Buraymi*, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah,
Masqat*, Musandam*, Zufar (Dhofar)* |
|
Independence: |
1650 (expulsion of the
Portuguese) |
|
National holiday: |
Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18
November (1940) |
|
Constitution: |
none, note - on 6 November
1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a basic law
considered by the government to be a constitution which, among other
things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister,
bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the
government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic
civil liberties for Omani citizens |
|
Legal system: |
based on English common law and
Islamic law, ultimate appeal to the monarch, has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage: |
21 years of age, universal,
note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote
|
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state: Sultan
and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and
prime minister since 23 July 1972), note - the monarch is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: Sultan and
Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and
prime minister since 23 July 1972)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed
by the monarch
elections: the monarch is hereditary |
|
Legislative branch: |
bicameral Majlis Oman consists
of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (70 seats, members appointed by the
monarch, has advisory powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber
(84 seats, members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms, body
has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only
advisory powers)
elections: last held 27 October 2007 (next to
be held in 2011)
election results: new candidates won 46 seats
and 38 members of the outgoing Majlis kept their positions, none of the 20
female candidates were elected |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court
note:
the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who
practice secular and Shari`a law |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
none |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
none |
|
International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77,
GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI
chancery:
2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1]
(202) 387-1980
FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Gary A. GRAPPO
embassy: Jameat A`Duwal Al Arabiya
Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat
mailing address: P. O. Box 202,
P.C. 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos, Muscat
telephone: [968]
24-643-400
FAX: [968] 24-699771 |
|
Flag description: |
three horizontal bands of
white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on
the hoist side, the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath
superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near
the top of the vertical band |
|
Economy - overview: |
Oman is a middle-income economy
that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources, but sustained high
oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman`s budget and trade
surpluses and foreign reserves. Oman joined the World Trade Organization
in November 2000 and continues to liberalize its markets. It ratified a
free trade agreement with the US in September 2006, and, through the Gulf
Cooperation Council, seeks similar agreements with the EU, China and
Japan. As a result of its dwindling oil resources, Oman is actively
pursuing a development plan that focuses on diversification,
industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the
oil sector`s contribution to GDP to 9 percent by 2020. Muscat is
attempting to "Omanize" the labor force by replacing foreign expatriate
workers with local workers. Oman actively seeks private foreign investors,
especially in the industrial, information technology, tourism, and higher
education fields. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources,
metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international transshipment
ports. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$61.21 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$40.52 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
5.3% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$19,100 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 38.3%
services: 59.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
920,000 (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
|
Unemployment rate: |
15% (2004 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
4% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
20.3% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $13.82 billion
expenditures: $13.67 billion (2007 est.) |
|
Public debt: |
2.8% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products: |
dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa,
vegetables, camels, cattle, fish |
|
Industries: |
crude oil production and
refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production,
construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
3.2% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
11.89 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
8.661 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
740,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption: |
66,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
733,100 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports: |
15,440 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
5.506 billion bbl (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
18.98 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
8.795 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
10.19 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
795.2 billion cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Current account balance: |
$3.785 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$22.68 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
petroleum, reexports, fish,
metals, textiles |
|
Exports - partners: |
China 23.6%, South Korea 17.9%,
Japan 10.9%, Thailand 10.7%, South Africa 7.7%, UAE 6.3% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$11 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery and transport
equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
|
Imports - partners: |
UAE 22.4%, Japan 16.4%, US
8.1%, Germany 5.5%, India 4.3% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$30.68 million (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$7.004 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$3.483 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$NA |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$NA |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$16.16 billion (2006) |
|
Currency (code): |
Omani rial (OMR) |
|
Currency code: |
OMR |
|
Exchange rates: |
Omani rials per US dollar -
0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845 (2003)
|
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
278,300 (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1.818 million (2006) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone
communication stations, limited coaxial cable
domestic:
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing, open-wire,
microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system
with 8 earth stations
international: country code - 968, the
Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine
cable provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
|
|
Radios: |
1.4 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
13 (plus 25 repeaters) (1999)
|
|
Televisions: |
1.6 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.om |
|
Internet hosts: |
3,763 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
319,200 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
137 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 7
over
3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 130
over
3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m:
51
914 to 1,523 m: 35
under 914 m: 34 (2007) |
|
Heliports: |
2 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 4,126 km, oil 3,558 km
(2007) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 34,965 km
paved: 9,673 km (includes 550 km of expressways)
unpaved: 25,292 km (2001) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 12,155 GRT/7,244 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 1,
passenger 1
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
|
|
Ports and terminals: |
Mina` Qabus, Salalah
|
|
Disputes - international: |
boundary agreement reportedly
signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman`s
Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment
have not been made public |
|
Trafficking in persons: |
current situation: Oman
is a destination country for men and women primarily from Bangladesh,
India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who migrate willingly, some of whom become
victims of trafficking when subjected to conditions of involuntary
servitude as domestic workers and laborers, including non-payment of
wages, restrictions on movement and withholding of passports, threats, and
physical or sexual abuse, Oman may also be a destination country for women
from Asia, Eastern Europe, and North Africa for commercial sexual
exploitation
tier rating: Tier 3 - Oman was downgraded to Tier
3 in the 2007 report because it did not report any law enforcement efforts
to prosecute and punish trafficking offenses in 2006 and continues to lack
victim protection services or a systematic procedure to identify victims
of trafficking |
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