Reuters reports that today in Oman, 55 protesters were sentenced to prison terms, mostly one to three months with one protester receiving a one year sentence. The sentenced were among hundreds arrested this spring for participating in protests in the eastern town of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali, calling for jobs, higher wages, and an end to corruption. The Public Prosecutor said in a statement that "The 55 protesters were accused of offences including ...

Last week, following President Barack Obama's address on the Middle East, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the Dean Acheson Lecture at the United States Institute of Peace where he discussed the Arab Spring.  McCain opened by noting that the uprisings  in the Middle East represent a repudiation of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and stated that Arab Spring should be "a clarifying event for the United States" which presents an ...

On Friday, protesters in Oman continued their sit-ins in the southern towns of Salalah and Sur.  Nearly 1500 people took place in the rally in Salalah, during which protesters called for freedom of expression and greater reform following the blockade of sites by local telecom operators.  Demonstrators have also demanded a probe into corruption by high level officials.  Protests in Oman began in January and led to Sultan Qaboos Bin ...

During a short briefing with the Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah,  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the two would discuss not only U.S. relations with Oman but also the recent events in the Middle East.  The minister noted the importance of U.S.-Omani relations and expressed his belief that the country and the region needs to promote "our younger generation, which is now is, in ...

Omani Sultan Qaboos bin Said pardoned 234 people who were arrested in anti-government protests in February.  Demonstrations broke out in the port city of Sohar in support of greater freedom of expression, higher salaries, and against government corruption.  Two people died during the unrest.

Reuters reports that heavy security after Friday prayers in the Omani port city of Sohar prevented protesters from gathering.  Checkpoints were set up across the city and armored vehicles blocked access to protest areas.  Access to mosques was restricted and helicopters patrolled above the city.  One resident stated that there were at least a dozen checkpoints set up.

More than 150 demonstrators rallied outside of government buildings in the Omani capital of Muscat on Saturday.  The demonstrations were in response to the police crackdown in the northern industrial port city of Sohar over the past week.  Last Tuesday, police removed about 100 demonstrators who had camped out in two of the city's major roundabouts for five weeks. In response, about 400 demonstrators protested in the city last Friday, culminating ...

Sultan Qaboos bin Said has granted legislative and regulatory powers to the Council of Oman in response to recent protests in the country.  Previously, only the Sultan and his cabinet had such powers with the Council of Oman acting as a strictly consultative body.  Whether the Sultan will retain veto power is unclear.  The Council comprises two bodies: the State Council (Majlis al-Dawla) and the Consultation Council (Majlis al-Shura).  Members ...

On Monday, the Brookings Institution hosted a discussion on the democratic uprisings taking place across the Middle East and the broader implications for the U.S. and the wider region.  Kenneth Pollack, Senior Fellow and Director of the Saban Center made opening remarks and moderated the event which included insights from the following speakers: Salman Shaikh, Fellow and Director of the Brookings Doha Center; Shadi Hamid, Fellow and Director of Research ...

For the fourth day in  a row protesters took to the streets of Sohar, Oman, demanding jobs and political reforms. The military attempted to break up the protests by firing into the air, but wounded one man before pulling back. Political parties are banned in Oman and Sultan Qaboos exercises absolute power in the country. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley commented on the protests stating, "we have been in touch ...

Writing at Foreign Policy, Mohammed Ayoob states that while Libya is important, we should not forget about Bahrain where regime change may, in the long run, be an even more momentous event.  Bahrain is  not only located in a region with around 60 percent of the world's proven oil reserves and 40 percent of it's natural gas reserves, it is also a member of the regional security organization, the Gulf ...

The protest wave spread to Oman over the weekend when residents of the city of Sohar, an industrial city 124 miles north of the capital Muscat, gathered to demand political and economic reforms.  Two people were  reported killed during clashes with security forces, although Reuters has updated that number to six as of Monday.  Angry demonstrators burned down two police stations and a state building on Sunday.  Protests continued on Monday with local media ...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet with King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister Saad Hariri of Lebanon in New York City on Friday. Clinton will then travel to the Middle East from January 8th to January 13th visiting the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar. Mark Toner, acting deputy department spokesman, said the focus of the trip is to, "consult with government officials on a full range ...

The United Nations released its 2010 Human Development Report yesterday, titled "The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development." This year's report, which includes new indices to adjust for inequality, women’s disadvantage, and multidimensional poverty, found that of the countries measured, Oman's Human Development Index (HDI) score improved the most over the last 40 years. Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco also improved considerably. Overall, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and ...

The second annual Asda’a Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey reveals overwhelming support for democracy among those between the ages of 18 - 24, ranging from a low of 85 percent in Oman to a high 99 percent in Kuwait. Also notable are the figures relating to technology and preferred methods of communication: Four out of five own a mobile phone; 60 percent use the Internet at least once daily; Google, Facebook, ...

Middle East Online reports that the media scene is growing in Oman after a royal decree "heralded a new era in broadcasting, bringing to an end more than three decades of dominance by the state-owned electronic media." The country now boasts four English newspapers and several mainstream Arabic papers and journals.  There are now three privately owned radio stations and the government is attempting to draw new investment into the ...

The NY Times has an interesting article on the "stirrings of discontent" in Oman. Michael Slackman explains, "as the quiet calls for change spread, there are some signs that Oman is taking the familiar approach of authoritarian states in the Middle East, relying on security services and restrictive laws to silence and frighten the people. A recently amended law allows the government to prosecute anyone associated with a web site ...

The control of central governments is growing weaker throughout the Arab world writes Rami Khouri from the Daily Star. The power has begun to shift “into the hands of Islamized urban quarters, armed militias, ethnic-based parties, neighborhood thugs, autonomous regional authorities, multinational corporations, and private-sector commercial real estate firms.” The influence of non-state actors was shown during the 2006 battle between Hezbollah and Israel, when Israel was forced to accept a ...

Bernd Debusmann, in an article in the Daily Star, points out that for the first time in their history the Gulf states are setting aside more money for education than for arms. He suggests this will lead to more reform. However, he points out that "while those driving the education train see it as the start of an Arab renaissance, religious conservatives see an assault on traditional values." ...

Event Summary Yesterday, Project on Middle East Democracy and Freedom House presented a panel of speakers addressing the issue of reform in Saudi Arabia and the other Arab Gulf states. Thomas Melia, Deputy Executive Director of Freedom House and former Director of Middle East Programs at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and Ali Alyami, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, spoke on ...