Government & politics — Oman
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Oman: Sultanate of Oman
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Sultanate of Oman
- Country Name
Oman
- Local - Long
Saltanat Uman
- Local - Short
Uman
- Former Name
Sultanate of Muscat and Oman
- Etymology- history of name
the origin of the name is uncertain, but it apparently dates back at least 2,000 years since an "Omana" is mentioned by Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.) and an "Omanon" by Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.)
- Independence
1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
- National Holiday
National Day, 18 November; note - celebrates Oman's independence from Portugal in 1650 and the birthday of Sultan QABOOS bin Said al Said, who reigned from 1970 to 2020
Political system
- Government Type
absolute monarchy
- Constitution
- history: promulgated by royal decree 6 November 1996 (the Basic Law of the Sultanate of Oman serves as the constitution);
- amended by royal decree in 2011 amendments: promulgated by the sultan or proposed by the Council of Oman and drafted by a technical committee as stipulated by royal decree and then promulgated through royal decree; amended by royal decree 2011, 2021
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of Anglo-Saxon law and Islamic law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020); note - the monarch is
- both chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Pr
- ime HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
- Legislative Branch:
Description
bicameral Council of Oman or Majlis Oman consists of: Council of State or Majlis al-Dawla (87 seats including the chairman; members appointed by the sultan from among former government officials and prominent educators, businessmen, and citizens; members serve 4-year term) Consultative Assembly or Majlis al-Shura (90 seats; members directly elected in single- and 2-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve renewable 4-year terms)
Elections
Council of State - last appointments on 8 November 2023 (next appointments in November 2027) Consultative Assembly - last held on 29 October 2023 (next to be held in October 2027)
Election Results
Council of State - 87 nonpartisan members were appointed by the sultan;
Composition
- men 59, women 18, percent of women 20.7% Consultative Assembly percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - NA; 90 nonpartisan members were elected (organized political parties in Oman are legally banned);
Composition
90 men, 0 women;
Note
total Council of Oman percent of women 20.7%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Supreme Co
- urt (consists of 5 judges) judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the 9-member Supreme Judicial Council (chaired by the monarch) and appointed by the monarch;
- judges appointed for life subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Administrative Court; Courts of First Instance; sharia courts; magistrates' courts; military courts
- Regions or States:
11 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafaza); Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Buraymi, Al Wusta, Az Zahirah, Janub al Batinah (Al Batinah South), Janub ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah South), Masqat (Muscat), Musandam, Shamal al Batinah (Al Batinah North), Shamal ash Sharqiyah (Ash Sharqiyah North), Zufar (Dhofar)
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- none;
- Note: organized political parties are legally banned in Oman, and loyalties tend to form around tribal affiliations
- Suffrage:
- 21 years of age
- universal
- note - members of the military and security forces by law cannot vote
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: the
- no residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Muscat
- Capital - geographic coordinate
23 37 N, 58 35 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Ana ESCROGIMA (since 4 December 2023) embassy: P.C. 115, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Muscat mailing address: 6220 Muscat Place, Washington DC 20521
telephone
[968] 2464-3400
FAX
[968] 2464-3740
Email address and website
- ConsularMuscat@state.gov
- https://om.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Moosa Hamdan Moosa AL TAI (since 17 February 2021)
chancery
2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 387-1980
FAX
[1] (202) 745-4933
Email address and website
- washington@fm.gov.om
- https://www.culturaloffice.info/aboutomaniembassy