BIO: SHARIFA BINT KHALFAN AL-YAHYAI, MINISTER OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001250

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/B, NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2015
TAGS: PINR PGOV SCUL MU
SUBJECT: BIO: SHARIFA BINT KHALFAN AL-YAHYAI, MINISTER OF
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

REF: A. STATE 137596

B. 04 MUSCAT 1899

C. 03 MUSCAT 2515

Classified By: Ambassador Richard L. Baltimore III.
Reason: 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) The requested information on Oman's female Minister
of Social Development is provided below, keyed to ref A para
3 format. Much of this information was provided previously
in ref B.


2. (U) Dr. Sharifa bint Khalfan bin Nasser al-Yahyai,
Minister of Social Development (since October 20, 2004).
(Note: For ease of reference, this embassy uses the masculine
form of surnames despite the fact that Omani sources will
sometimes put a feminine ending on the surnames of female
officials. For this reason, Dr. Sharifa's surname sometimes
appears in publications as "al-Yahya'eeya" or some derivation
thereof. End note.)


A. (U) Born: October 14, 1969; Muscat, Oman.


B. (SBU) Personal and Career Data

-- She is married to Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis bin Jumaa
al-Kindi, Deputy Dean of Student Affairs at Sultan Qaboos
University, specializing in the Media and Journalism
Department. Dr. Sharifa has a son, Azzan (born in 2001),and
a daughter, Shiam (born in 2002).

-- Dr. Sharifa's older brother, Mohammed, is a journalist and
political activist in self-imposed political exile in the
U.S. His political troubles began in earnest in 2003 after
he announced the launch of the Gulf Press Freedom
Organization, intended to advance the cause of free speech
and journalistic professionalism in the Arabian Gulf region.
He announced the organization while participating in a
National Democratic Institute-sponsored forum in Yemen.
Mohammed is currently working for the USG-funded Al-Hurra
satellite television channel in Washington. Mohammed's wife
(Dr. Sharifa's sister-in-law) is another noted Omani
journalist, Rafia al-Talaei. Rafia is editor of Al-Maraa
(Woman) magazine, which published a revealing interview with
Dr. Sharifa soon after her appointment.

-- Dr. Sharifa was raised in the Wilayat (district) of Barka,
in the Muscat Governorate. When she entered Sultan Qaboos
University (SQU) as an undergraduate in 1988, she intended to
specialize in English language and literature, but was so
exasperated with the teaching styles in that department that
she switched in her second year to the Department of Arabic
Language. Even as a freshman, however, she claimed in an
interview to have been inspired to become an Assistant
Professor, which was her goal. She attained her Masters
degree from SQU and began teaching Arabic there for a brief
period before enrolling in the Ph.D. program at the
University of Leeds (UK) Department of Arabic and Middle
Eastern Studies, from which she graduated in 2001. She then
returned to SQU as an Assistant Professor in Arabic
literature. Admitting that her academic career kept her "to
some extent detached from society and its problems," she is
fond of research. She edited a book with a colleague
entitled "Studies in the Literature of Oman and the Gulf,"
and was 17 pages into a new study (in English) on "The Image
of Omani Women in the Arabic Novel" when she was appointed
minister. She has published some literary articles in the
Omani press, and in early 2004 was selected among SQU faculty
to accompany 32 female students on a study tour to Malaysia
and Singapore that is funded annually by the Sultan.


C. (SBU) Religious Sect

-- Dr. Sharifa is an Ibadhi Muslim.


D. (C) Relation to, Influence with Country Leaders

-- Dr. Sharifa's father's close relationship with the
influential Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court, Sayyid
Ali bin Humud al-Busaidi (also from Barka),is widely cited
as playing a role in the appointment of an otherwise obscure
Arabic literature professor as Minister of Social
Development. Sayyid Ali intervened at least twice before on
behalf of her family, specifically in the case of her brother
Mohammed. Sayyid Ali was the one who ensured that Mohammed
got a coveted government scholarship to pursue his Masters
degree at the University of Leicester, and was also the one
who warned Mohammed that he stood to be arrested for his
advocacy of the Gulf Press Freedom Organization (ref C).

-- Apart from the family connection to Sayyid Ali, Dr.
Sharifa is not believed to exercise a great deal of influence
with top officials. Her ministry has long suffered from
neglect under her poorly regarded and absentee predecessor,
Shaykh Amir bin Shuwain al-Hosni, and by all accounts she has
faced considerable resistance from her ministry staff in
making personnel changes. As the junior-most cabinet member
in terms of both age and tenure, and given her humble resume,
it will likely take some time for the minister to build
influence and stature with other national leaders.


E. (C) Reason for Appointment

-- The removal of Dr. Sharifa's predecessor had been long
expected when it finally came about in October 2004. The
anticipated successor, however, was the then-Under Secretary
of the Ministry, Dr. Thuwaiba al-Barwani, who was instead
transferred to the State Council (the appointive house of
parliament). While many people expected the post to go to a
female (the Sultan was determined to increase the number of
women in the cabinet, and this ministry is the one most
directly responsible for women's affairs),Dr. Sharifa was
not included on anyone's "short-list" of potential
candidates, nor did she expect the appointment herself. She
has a good reputation for hard work and intelligence.


F. (C) Views on the Sultan, His Policies, and on the U.S.

-- Dr. Sharifa has expressed praise and appreciation for the
Sultan's leadership and efforts at promoting opportunities
for women. She has made at least two trips in 2005,
including to represent the Omani government at the June
launching of the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival
on the Washington Mall (in which Oman was the featured
foreign country). She took the opportunity of her visit to
Washington to meet with State Department officials on Middle
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)-related issues and to
visit some non-governmental organizations. Dr. Sharifa
relies considerably on at least one special adviser in her
ministry who has excellent relations with the U.S. and UK
Embassies. Dr. Sharifa has met several times with American
personnel, and is promoting a proposal to place an American
NGO expert on her staff as a special adviser.


G. (C) Grooming for Ministerial Position

-- There is no indication that Dr. Sharifa received any
grooming for this position.


H. (C) Her Views on Timing of Her Appointment

-- As noted above, a change in personnel at the helm of the
Ministry of Social Development was long-anticipated by late

2004. Why she was the person appointed, however, is still
not clear.


I. (C) Goals and Aspirations, Reform-Mindedness

-- The minister has publicly stated that her future
priorities include "reinforcing social development and
intellectual awareness among members of society through the
activities and programs" of her ministry, and studying a
"national strategy to develop Omani women." Western
diplomats opine that she may feel a need to improve the
delivery of basic services in order to create the political
space to embark on more reformist agendas.

-- Further evidence that she is open to reform is the fact
that the Foreign Ministry has informally approached us with
requests that we help cultivate the young minister as someone
capable of instituting change.


J. (C) Meetings with U.S. Officials

-- The Minister has been open and frank in meetings with
Embassy officers, be it with the Ambassador or with our
part-time democracy coordinator. She does not stand on
protocol, but observes proper etiquette and dresses in
conservative fashion. She readily acknowledges the
challenges confronting her, both given her limited background
and the difficult work of her ministry.


K. (C) Religious Conservatives

-- Given the religious diversity in Oman, conservative
attitudes toward women in high office are more of a social
rather than religious phenomenon. There is no widespread
perception that conservative elements pose a physical threat,
making it unlikely that the minister is concerned with such
fears.
BALTIMORE