After Qaboos
The sultan hasn't picked a successor, creating uncertainties just when the country needs to perk up its economy and find jobs for its youth
An advertisement for Oman Air beside the road close to Muscat airport shows a smiling portrait of Sultan Qaboos, with the slogan below: "Steering the nation, even higher". Qaboos has been steering his nation, single-handedly, since 1970 and his influence on the country is so overwhelming (he occupies all the key posts in cabinet) that Omanis cannot imagine a future without him. While lengthy spells of medical treatment abroad appear to have been successful, the inevitable will arrive when the country has to contemplate a new era. The succession process will involve first a meeting of a family council, and later, if there is no agreement on a successor, the opening of a sealed letter containi
Also in this section
10 December 2024
Sector at economic and strategic crossroads, but clear path ahead for midstream additions
30 November 2024
Decades of turmoil have left Iraq’s vast energy potential underutilised, but renewed investment and strategic reforms are transforming it into a key player in the region
29 November 2024
The country's fifth and sixth oil and gas bid rounds have attracted a range of new players with gas as well as oil ambitions—and there’s a seismic shift in the contracting process
28 November 2024
Iraq is charting a new path for its indigenous resources and its youth, hoping to electrify the future with a mix of reforms and modernisation to fuel growth
