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RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMS #0647/01 2541209
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9939
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000647 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018 
TAGS: PGOV ELAB SMIG KTIP MU
SUBJECT: SULTAN QABOOS REPLACES LABOR MINISTER AND MUSCAT 
MUNICIPALITY CHIEF 
 
REF: A. MUSCAT 625 
     ¶B. 07 MUSCAT 232 
     ¶C. 06 MUSCAT 518 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (C) In a surprise move to many, Sultan Qaboos removed 
Oman's Minister of Manpower in a September 6 royal decree and 
replaced him with a government official who, although 
reportedly very competent, has little direct experience in 
labor issues.  The reason for the Minister's ouster is 
unknown, although foreign diplomats in Muscat speculate it 
was in response to Oman's Tier 3 ranking in the Department's 
2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.  On the same date, 
the Sultan issued another royal decree replacing the Chairman 
of the Muscat Municipality (who held minister rank) with the 
U.S.-educated Under Secretary for Heritage at the Ministry of 
Heritage and Culture.  Unlike the Manpower Minister, who was 
given no other position or title, the outgoing municipal head 
reportedly remains in the Sultan's good graces and was named 
as a Secretary General at the Diwan of Royal Court.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On September 6, Sultan Qaboos issued a royal decree 
appointing Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasr bin Abdullah al-Bakri as 
Oman's new Minister of Manpower.  Al-Bakri replaced former 
Manpower Minister Juma bin Ali bin Juma, who was not named to 
any other government position.  In a separate royal decree, 
Sultan bin Hamdun bin Saif al-Harthy, an Under Secretary at 
the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, was appointed as the 
new Chairman of the Muscat Municipality, replacing Abdullah 
bin Abbas bin Ahmad, who concurrently became a 
Secretary-General at the Diwan of Royal Court.  Al-Harthy 
will head the Muscat Municipality with the rank of Under 
Secretary, while Abbas will retain ministerial rank. 
 
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RISING STARS? 
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¶3.  (SBU) Al-Bakri is a non-controversial figure and a sheikh 
of one of Oman's less prominent tribes.  Prior to his 
appointment as minister, he was the Under Secretary for Water 
Resources at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and 
Water Resources.  He gained some local media attention this 
year for his role in orchestrating Oman's successful "Water 
and Sustainable Development" pavilion at the Zaragoza 
International Exposition 2008 in Spain.  He has no known 
direct experience related to the labor issues he will oversee 
in his new post. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The new Chairman of the Muscat Municipality is a 
much more known quantity to post.  Al-Harthy is a dynamic, 
American-educated (Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the 
University of Arizona) leader with an informal style.  He is 
lively, articulate and cultured with a wide range of 
interests.  He has spoken in the past of the deep influence 
that American culture has had on his life and thinking (ref 
C).  Having previously served on the Tender Board (2002-2006) 
and as Director of Town Planning and Survey at the former 
Ministry of Housing, Electricity and Water, he brings strong 
and varied credentials to his new position, which will serve 
him well in managing Muscat's many public infrastructure and 
construction projects. 
 
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A VERY HARD LANDING 
------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) While there were rumblings that all was not right 
between Minister Juma and some of his cabinet colleagues and 
palace officials, the ouster of the Minister of Manpower came 
as a surprise to most observers.  Adding to the shock value 
of Juma's forced departure is the fact that he was not 
simultaneously named to some other position, such as a member 
of the Majlis al-Dawla (the appointed upper house of Oman's 
bicameral advisory body), which is often used to provide a 
soft landing for former ministers.  No other minister removed 
from office in the recent past has been left high and dry 
like Juma. 
 
¶6.  (C) Speculation on the reasons behind Juma's ouster 
centers around a bitter feud with the Minister of Transport & 
Communications, who allegedly campaigned to bring Juma down, 
and improper dealings over land and a service station that 
Juma owned near Muscat's airport.  (Note:  Rumors involving 
government ministers and sweetheart land deals are rife in 
Oman.  Juma did not have a general reputation for being 
 
MUSCAT 00000647  002 OF 002 
 
 
corrupt.  End Note.)  In some circles, including the 
diplomatic cocktail circuit, Juma's downfall is widely 
attributed to the local uproar over Oman's placement on Tier 
3 of the Department's 2008 TIP Report. 
 
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A DE FACTO PROMOTION 
-------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Unlike Juma, Abdullah Abbas, Oman's fourth Shi'a 
minister (ref B), reportedly remains in the Sultan's favor. 
Some contacts point to Abbas's title as "Secretary General" 
at the Diwan, rather than the more numerous and less 
prestigious title of "Advisor," as proof that he continues to 
be held in high esteem by the Sultan.  (Note: The royal 
decree transferring Abbas to the Diwan of Royal Court 
specified that he keep his ministerial rank and "current 
financial allocations."  End Note.)  As there is already a 
Secretary-General of the Diwan, it is unknown what Abbas's 
duties at the palace will be.  Some speculate that given his 
experience with Muscat's infrastructure and construction 
projects, the Sultan may charge Abbas with overseeing 
building projects financed by the Diwan, such as the Royal 
Opera House, botanical gardens, and new national museum. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶8.  (C) Juma's departure from the Ministry of Manpower is a 
negative development for post given the strong working 
relationship between him and the Embassy on labor and TIP 
issues (ref A).  More than most Omani officials, he appeared 
to increasingly grasp the importance and complexities 
surrounding TIP and how his ministry could act to help combat 
it.  We will never know the true motivations for his ouster 
as they lie only with the Sultan, but cannot rule out that at 
least some of the royal displeasure with Oman's TIP ranking 
may have been targeted at Juma.  Post will actively engage 
with the new Minister of Manpower to maintain and strengthen 
cooperation on TIP issues.  End Comment. 
GRAPPO