Sultanate of Oman is situated in the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast.
Chief of state and government is the sultan, who appoints a cabinet called the "Diwans" to assist him.
Oman is known for its popular tourist attractions. Wadis, deserts, beaches, and mountains are areas which make Oman unique to its neighboring GCC nations (Wadis in particular). With a coastline of 1700 km, Oman offers some of the cleanest, most stunning beaches a visitor could hope to see.
Government:
In 1971, Sultan Qaboos bin Said set out to establish strong diplomatic relationships with Arab and other leading countries. Due to his influence, Oman was quickly welcomed into the League of Arab States. Over the years, Sultan Qaboos encouraged the development of a government and by the mid-70's he had created various Ministries, whilst personally overseeing the structure and function of internal security, finance, defense and oil affairs.
Oman's economic, social and political development since 1970 has been impressive by any international standard. The country's institutional structure, now firmly established, has fostered progress in every field. The Sultanate's system of government, founded on the twin principles of popular participation and the rule of law, continues to evolve and prosper with each authority, department and state institution enjoying clearly defined powers and responsibilities.
In 1981, the Sultan ordered the establishment of the Consultative Council designed to provide Oman's citizens with a greater opportunity to participate in the efforts of the country's government. The private sector was represented by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the remainder by the Government. His Majesty specified the tasks entrusted to the above Council, stating that it was to be, "…a forum for the combined efforts of the government and people's constituencies wherein they may undertake to study the aims and goals of our development plan…"