What is the capital of Oman?
Country Name | Oman |
Full Country Name | Sultanate of 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.) |
Government Type | absolute monarchy |
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) |
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 |
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 |
Who is the president of Oman?
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 Prime HAITHAM bin Tarik Al Said (since 11 January 2020) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch |
Citizenship Criteria: |
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Oman dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: unknown |
Legal System: | mixed legal system of Anglo-Saxon law and Islamic law |
Suffrage: | 21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces by law cannot vote |
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 Court (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 |
International Law Organization Participation: | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
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 |
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 |
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/ |