CHAIRMAN OF MUSCAT MUNICIPALITY NAMED OMAN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000232 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR KISL MU SUBJECT: CHAIRMAN OF MUSCAT MUNICIPALITY NAMED OMAN'S FOURTH SHI'A MINISTER REF: MUSCAT 171 Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (SBU) A Royal Decree issued on March 4, 2007, granted the current Chairman of the Muscat Municipality, Abdullah bin Abbas bin Ahmad, the rank of minister. With the addition of Abbas, there are now approximately 50 individuals with ministerial rank in Oman, although only 30 of them have formal ministerial portfolios and are part of the Council of Ministers (the cabinet). In addition to having broad responsibilities for the city of Muscat, Abbas is the supervisor of the Sohar Development Office, a position he obtained through appointment by the Diwan of Royal Court. Given the growth of the capital and the large-scale industrial projects underway in Sohar (reftel),Abbas is a key figure in Oman's economic development plans. ¶2. (C) Abbas is the fourth member of Oman's relatively small (no more than 5% of the population) but influential Shi'a community to be elevated to the rank of minister. While Abbas is not part of the cabinet, the three other Shi'a ministers hold key positions in the Council of Ministers: Maqbool bin Ali Sultan (Minister of Commerce and Industry), Ahmed bin Abdul Macki (Ministry of National Economy),and Rajha bint Abdulameer bin Ali (Minister of Tourism). While Abbas' sectarian affiliation has, in keeping with standard Omani practice, been entirely absent from news reports and public discussion, it has been the subject of some private discussion. For example, the primary Omani online discussion forum - omania2.net - contains a subject thread on whether Abbas "deserved" the title of minister. While most of the discussion focused on Abbas' qualifications and competency, a few participants complained that as a Shi'a, Abbas was not "trustworthy." Post will report septel on the Shi'a community in Oman and local attitudes towards the Shi'a in light of sectarian strife in Iraq. ¶3. (C) Biographic Note: One of the most well known public officials in Oman, Abbas is a native of Muscat from the al-Bahrani tribe and a U.S. university graduate. His brother, Abd al-Athim bin Abbas al-Bahrani, is the Chairman of the General Federation of Workers of Oman. An engineer by training, Abbas is the Chairman of the Oman Society of Engineers and a former Chairman of the Oman Tourism Development Company (now called "Omran"). While praised for his leadership role in developing the annual month-long Muscat Festival, rumors have circulated that engineering and event management companies with ties to Abbas hav received preferential treatment in the awarding f government contracts. Nevertheless, and most mportant, Abbas is much esteemed by Sultan Qaboos, who often turns to Abbas for handling special projects because of his management and organizational skills. His elevation to the rank of minister undoubtedly reflects the Sultan's confidence in him and is a reward for his work in the municipality and elsewhere. End Bio Note. GRAPPO