A RARE RE-SHUFFLING OF OMANI MINISTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000881 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR MU SUBJECT: A RARE RE-SHUFFLING OF OMANI MINISTERS Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) On September 9, the Omani government announced that Sultan Qaboos had issued Royal Decrees re-shuffling government ministers and splitting off ministerial portfolios to create two new ministries. In accordance with standard Omani practice, no official explanations were given for the re-shuffle. A description of each of the major changes, along with relevant available biographic information, is provided in the paragraphs below. Post does not believe that the decrees indicate any major shift in Omani policies. End Summary. MAJLIS AL-SHURA -------------- ¶2. (U) Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali al-Qatabi, the long-time president of the Majlis al-Shura (the lower, directly-elected house of Oman's bicameral advisory body),retained his minister rank, but was named as a "State Advisor." Sheikh Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salim al-Issai, a former Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, was appointed the new president of the Majlis. ¶3. (C) This was probably the most significant of the cabinet changes. Al-Qatabi, a Sunni, served as president of the Majlis al-Shura since 1991. He was reportedly resistant to change at the Majlis -- or anywhere else, for that matter -- and was not an advocate for increased powers for the proto-legislative assembly. He suffered from poor health in recent years and it is expected that he will have little to do as a State Advisor. Al-Issai, an Ibadhi, is the ranking member of the al-Issai tribe based in the al-Batinah region along Oman's northern coast. He had previously served as vice-president of the State Consultative Council (a precursor of the Majlis al-Shura) prior to his appointment in 1991 as Minister of Social and Labor Affairs. For the last several years, he has performed mainly ceremonial duties as a State Advisor, most notably as the guest of honor at high-profile sporting events. MINISTRIES OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES -------------- ¶4. (U) The former Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries has now been split into two separate ministries. Sheikh Salim bin Hilal al-Khalili, the former head of the combined ministry, will retain leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture. The newly created Ministry of Fisheries will be headed by Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali al-Qatabi. ¶5. (C) Along with his brother, Sheikh Abdullah al-Qatabi (see para 2 above),Muhammad al-Qatabi is the most prominent figure in the Sunni Muslim al-Qatabi tribe from the al-Dhahira region, which is closely related to the "Katabi" tribe in the UAE. First promoted to ministerial rank in 1986 as vice-president of the Civil Service Council, he has served as Minister of Regional Municipalities Affairs (1986-89) and Minister of Electricity and Water (1989-2001). He has been Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar since 2001. Contacts in Dhofar report that al-Qatabi was not seen as an effective governor and that his departure from the area will be welcomed by many. GOVERNOR OF DHOFAR -------------- ¶6. (U) Replacing al-Qatabi as Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar is Sheikh Muhammad bin Marhun bin Ali al-Ma'amari. He previously served as Deputy Governor of Dhofar and more recently was Oman's ambassador to the UAE. He is the cousin of General Ali Majd al-Ma'amari, Minister of the Royal Office and head of the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. MINISTRIES OF TRANSPORT/COMMUNICATIONS AND CIVIL SERVICE -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) Dr. Khamis bin Mubarak al-Alawi, originally from the city of Sur, is the new Minister of Transport and Communications. A 1988 graduate of the University of Denver, with advanced degrees from Canadian and British institutions, al-Alawi was a well-respected academic at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat before being named Minister of Regional Municipalities and Environment in 1997. He served as Minister of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources (after his former ministry merged with the Ministry of Water Resources) from 2001-2004, and later as Minister of Housing, Electricity & Water (2004-2007). MUSCAT 00000881 002 OF 002 ¶8. (C) The outgoing Minister of Transport and Communications, Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Harthy, has been appointed the new Minister of Civil Service. Al-Harthy replaces Sheikh Hilal bin Khalid al-Ma'awali, who is leaving the Ministry of Civil Service for membership in the Majlis al-Dawla (the appointed upper house of the Majlis of Oman). Al-Ma'awali, a former Inspector General of the Royal Oman Police (ROP),reportedly has been sick for several years and regularly receives medical treatment in Europe. He was allegedly injured helping to prevent the Sultan from falling off his horse during an accident at the Royal Stables. MINISTRIES OF ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES -------------- ¶9. (U) The Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources, headed since 2004 by Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim bin Amir al-Rawas, has been split into two separate entities: the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources. Al-Rawas will continue to serve in the cabinet as Minister of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, while the long-time (since 1987) Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Sayyid Humud bin Faisal al-Busaidi, was named as the new Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. The Sultan appointed the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal bin Sa'ud bin Harib al-Busaidi, to replace Sayyid Humud as Secretary General of the Council. MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND ELECTRICITY & WATER AUTHORITY -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) The Ministry of Housing, Electricity and Water (MHEW) was renamed the Ministry of Housing and its responsibilities for electrical and water matters transferred to a newly created "Electricity and Water Authority." The Under Secretary of the MHEW, Sheikh Muhammad bin Saif al-Shabibi, is the new Minister of Housing (the former Minister moved over to Transport & Commerce -- see para 7). Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Mahruqi, a technocrat and former Director General of the Private Sector at the Ministry of National Economy, is the Chairman of the Electricity and Water Authority, which reportedly was created to pave the way for privatization of these sectors. (Note: Al-Mahruqi's position does not carry ministerial status. End Note.) COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (C) The re-shuffling of ministers does not indicate any significant change in Omani policies. All of the affected individuals are well-known personalities who have held senior government posts for years. Moreover, as noted above, the transfer of the president of the Majlis al-Shura and the Minister of Civil Service to less demanding positions was likely strongly influenced by health concerns. The creation of a separate Ministry of Environment was reportedly motivated in part to help the Sultanate to better track, prepare for and clean-up after severe weather phenomena in the aftermath of tropical cyclone Gonu, which lashed Oman in June. The decision to add "climate change" to the formal name of this ministry is puzzling given that the Sultan is somewhat skeptical of claims related to global warming. GRAPPO