Illegal gatherings

“We want our corrupt ministers sacked and replaced by members of the Shura, who’ve been elected by the people.

Many of them have been in power for a long time and have filled their pockets with funds that should have been redistributed amongst the people.”

Basma al-Kiyumi

The Sultanate of Oman, has always been, or better many see it this way, as a sort of Cinderella, in the complicated context of the Gulf region .
Sultan Qaboos has great diplomatic abilities, which turned useful when dealing with tribal issues, religious diversities within sects, and the reality of a country which compared with others, is very poor in oil and gas resources .
Oman can be defined as a very liberal country, a place where people from abroad, with different views, religions and cultures, live happily, despite problems, with locals .
Qaboos is the pillar supporting a reality made by many faces .
He is the one, keeping them all together .

Even though this is not passing through the mainstream international media, with the advent of the springs, also Oman and its ruler, started to have their panic moments .
The first moves made by H.M., were a double reshuffle of ministers, and later the promise of jobs and some bonuses granted to students and civil servants .
The government reshuffle was a solid sign that the ruler knows what is happening in the country and wants to help it .
The level of corruption in Oman is very high .
There is no step one can do, either in the public or private sphere, without bribing officials .
This is something happening everywhere in the Gulf and in the world as well, but when the country is small and has a weak economy, the consequences of corruption are felt even more .

Later on, after the people welcomed these initiatives, the crackdown on media and internet publications started .
The public prosecution jailed many for expressing strong public dissent, also against the Sultan .
This was also welcomed by the people who deeply love their ruler, and by nature, dislike confusion and chaos .
But on the long run, all this could turn against Qaboos himself .
Up to now, those jailed are perceived just as trouble makers, but insisting with repressive laws condemning "illegal gatherings", without clarifying what these exactly are, and imposing not so much veiled restrictions, on blogs and social networks, might be perceived like an obscurantist attitude, same as his father used to have .
So depending on how events will unfold in the rest of the region, also the legend of the peaceful Oman, might come to an end .