16 October 2026
Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi visited Pakistan on 14 October 2026 for the eighth Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission. He and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed a protocol recording the minutes of the session. The two sides exchanged an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special, official and service passports. They also exchanged memoranda of understanding on records and archives, on information and broadcasting, on information technology and telecommunication, and on news exchange and media cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signings.
Session:
Eighth Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission
Date:
14 October 2026
Oman's signatory:
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi
Why it matters for exams: Named bilateral mechanisms and the documents they produce are standard international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JMC Joint Ministerial Commission — A standing ministerial body two countries use to review and expand their cooperation.
Service passport Service passport — A passport issued to government staff travelling on official duty, below diplomatic rank.
16 October 2026
Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Oman's Minister of Health, headed the Sultanate's delegation to the 73rd session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo. The session's theme was "Together for a Healthier Future: Action, Access, Equity" and the Minister is Vice-Chair of the Committee's Bureau. He said Oman has maintained polio immunisation coverage exceeding 99 per cent while strengthening surveillance, preparedness and response. He said Oman continues its work against antimicrobial resistance under the 2022 Muscat Ministerial Declaration, using a One Health approach. He described digital transformation, data and artificial intelligence as a strategic opportunity and called for clear governance frameworks and interoperability between digital systems. The agenda included health financing, health emergencies, polio eradication and the proposed Programme Budget for 2028-2029.
Session:
73rd session (RC73), Cairo
Polio immunisation coverage:
exceeding 99%
Theme:
Together for a Healthier Future: Action, Access, Equity
Why it matters for exams: The WHO regional committees, their numbered sessions and the declarations named after host cities are frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AMR Antimicrobial resistance — The loss of effect of medicines such as antibiotics against the microbes they once killed.
One Health One Health approach — An approach that treats human, animal and environmental health as one connected problem.
16 October 2026
Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Oman's Minister of Health, met Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt's Minister of Health and Population, in Cairo. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean. The two ministers discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in public health and health issues of common interest. They stressed continued coordination and the exchange of expertise, particularly in developing health human resources. They also discussed cooperation in advanced medical education and clinical training.
Oman's minister:
Dr Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti
Egypt's minister:
Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar
Occasion:
Sidelines of the 73rd session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral meetings held on the margins of a numbered WHO regional session link two facts an examiner can combine.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The official name of the country is the Sultanate of Oman and its capital is Muscat.
Its currency is the Omani Rial and its official language is Arabic, with widespread use of English.
Islam is the religion of the country.
Its form of government is a hereditary monarchy, and the Foreign Ministry names its constitution as the Basic Law of the State 1996.
The head of state is His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who ascended the throne on 11 January 2020 after the passing of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who had ruled Oman from 1970 to 2020.
Like his predecessor, Sultan Haitham belongs to the Al Bu Said dynasty, which has ruled Oman since the eighteenth century.
Oman's population is 5,442,883 and its area is 309,500 sq km (120,000 sq miles).
The country keeps UTC +4 time and its international dialling code is +968.
Capital:
Muscat
Currency:
Omani Rial
Official language:
Arabic, with widespread use of English
Population:
5,442,883
Area:
309,500 sq km (120,000 sq miles)
Time zone:
UTC +4
Why it matters for exams: Capital, currency, language and form of government are the first four things any paper asks about a Gulf country.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Sultanate — A state ruled by a sultan, here a hereditary monarchy.
Omani Rial OMR — The currency of the Sultanate of Oman, written OMR.
Al Bu Said — The dynasty that has ruled Oman since the eighteenth century.
Basic Law of the State — Oman's constitution, which the Foreign Ministry also calls the Basic Statute of the State.
Background
The Basic Statute of the State is Oman's constitution and represents the highest legislative authority in the Sultanate, regulating all the institutions of the State and their relations with citizens and residents.
It decrees that His Majesty the Sultan is Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the symbol of national unity and its guardian.
Under the Basic Statute the Council of Ministers assists the Sultan in formulating State policy and is entrusted with its implementation.
The Basic Statute makes 'Shura' — a system of participation and consultation rooted in Omani tradition — the founding principle of Omani political life.
It therefore establishes the Council of Oman (Majlis Oman) as the body competent to pass or amend laws.
The Council of Oman has two chambers: the Shura Council (Majlis A’Shura), which is directly elected, and the State Council (Majlis A’Dawla), which is appointed by Royal Decree.
The Council of Oman also discusses development plans and the state budget, besides other powers set out in law.
The Basic Statute stipulates that the rule of law shall be the basis of governance, that the judiciary shall be independent, and that a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a trial in which the right of defence is guaranteed.
Constitution:
the Basic Statute of the State
Head of State:
the Sultan, also Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
Legislature:
Council of Oman (Majlis Oman), two chambers
Directly elected chamber:
Shura Council (Majlis A’Shura)
Why it matters for exams: The two chambers of the Council of Oman, one elected and one appointed, are exactly the kind of contrast an examiner asks about.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Shura — Consultation; in Oman the constitutional principle of participation in decisions.
Majlis Oman Council of Oman — Oman's two-chamber legislature, competent to pass or amend laws.
Royal Decree — An order issued by the Sultan, which in Oman has the force of law.
Background
Oman is situated in the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula.
It is surrounded by the sea on two sides: the Sea of Oman to the north-east, and the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean to the south-east.
From Musandam it overlooks the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Gulf.
It has land borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the west, the Republic of Yemen to the south and the United Arab Emirates to the north.
The Foreign Ministry describes Oman as the third largest country on the Arabian Peninsula, with a total area of 309,500 square kilometres, much of its interior lying in the desert wilderness known as the Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter.
In the Hajar Mountains, Jabal Shams, at around 3,000 metres, is the highest peak in the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Akhdar is the Green Mountain.
The Governorate of Musandam, separated from the rest of the Sultanate by a strip of United Arab Emirates land, covers about 1,800 square kilometres with a population of 56,279 and has Khasab as its main town; its fjords have earned it the name 'Norway of Arabia'.
Oman encompasses 11 Governorates, each divided into provinces called Wilayats, and the southern Governorate of Dhofar is made green by seasonal monsoon winds around the port city of Salalah.
Land neighbours:
Saudi Arabia (west), Yemen (south), United Arab Emirates (north)
Seas:
Sea of Oman; Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean
Strait overlooked:
Strait of Hormuz, from Musandam
Highest peak:
Jabal Shams, around 3,000 m
Governorates:
11
Why it matters for exams: Oman's three neighbours and its command of the Strait of Hormuz are asked whenever Gulf shipping is in the news.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Musandam — Oman's northern governorate, cut off from the rest of the country by UAE territory.
Rub' al Khali The Empty Quarter — The great sand desert of the Arabian Peninsula.
Wilayat — A province within an Omani governorate.
Background
The Embassy of India in Muscat describes the Sultanate of Oman as a strategic partner of India and an important interlocutor at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).
The Omani Foreign Ministry's own list of its multilateral memberships records that Oman was a founding member of the GCC when it was established in 1981, became a member of the League of Arab States on 29 September 1971, became the 128th member of the United Nations on 7 October 1971, has been a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation since 1972 and joined the World Trade Organization in November 2000.
People-to-people contact between India and Oman is traced back 5,000 years; diplomatic relations were established in 1955, and the relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership in 2008.
Oman hosts an Indian community of approximately 674,950 as of February 2026 according to the Government of Oman, of whom 526,496 hold work visas according to National Centre for Statistics and Information data.
Twenty-two Indian schools in Oman teach more than 48,000 students, and Indian social clubs in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and Sur run linguistic wings for their members.
Oman is the only Gulf country with which all three of India's armed services hold joint exercises biennially: the navy exercise Naseem Al-Bahr, the air force exercise Eastern Bridge and the army exercise Al-Najah.
India has the highest number of defence memoranda of understanding with Oman of any country in West Asia, and the two sides meet in the Joint Military Cooperation Committee.
The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed during the Indian Prime Minister's visit of 17-18 December 2025 and entered into force on 1 June 2026; bilateral trade reached US$ 11.187 billion in FY 2025-26, with over 6,000 India-Oman joint ventures operating in Oman.
Diplomatic relations established:
1955
Strategic Partnership:
2008
Indian community:
approximately 674,950
Bilateral trade:
US$ 11.187 billion in FY 2025-26
UN membership:
128th member, 7 October 1971
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's candidates are asked about the Gulf states where Kerala's migrants work, and the 1955 date, the three service exercises and the trade agreement are the standard India-Oman questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CEPA Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement — A wide trade agreement covering goods, services and investment.
IORA Indian Ocean Rim Association — The grouping of countries on the rim of the Indian Ocean.
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council — The six-member council of Arab states of the Gulf, of which Oman is a founding member.
Background
Oman accepted the World Heritage Convention on 6 October 1981. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists five Omani properties and classes every one of them as cultural, so Oman has no natural and no mixed property on the List. They are Bahla Fort, inscribed in 1987; the Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn, inscribed in 1988; the Land of Frankincense, inscribed in 2000; the Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, inscribed in 2006; and the Ancient City of Qalhat, inscribed in 2018.
Properties:
5, all cultural
Convention accepted:
6 October 1981
Most recent inscription:
Ancient City of Qalhat, 2018
Why it matters for exams: Country-wise World Heritage counts and the cultural-natural-mixed split are asked in almost every general awareness paper.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
World Heritage Convention Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage — The 1972 UNESCO treaty under which states nominate sites for the World Heritage List.
Background
The Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006 under criterion (v). The property has five components: Falaj Al Jeela, Falaj Muyasser, Falaj Daris, Falaj Malki and Falaj Khatmein. They represent more than 3,000 aflaj still in use in Oman, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre says the aflaj still provide 30 to 50 per cent of the country's water use. Water is drawn from groundwater, springs or surface sources and moved by gravity alone through underground and surface channels, with aqueducts and siphons to cross wadi beds. The systems are classified by water source into the Daoudi, Ghaili and Aini types. Shares of water are allotted on a time basis and measured by a sundial, and the flow is directed through sluices.
Inscribed:
2006, criterion (v)
Components:
5 aflaj
Aflaj still in use:
more than 3,000
Share of water use:
30-50%
Why it matters for exams: Traditional water-harvesting systems and their UNESCO recognition are a recurring environment and culture question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Falaj Falaj (plural aflaj) — An Omani gravity-fed channel that carries water from a source to fields and houses.
Wadi Wadi — A valley or stream bed that carries water only after rain.
Background
The Land of Frankincense was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000 under criteria (iii) and (iv). The serial property brings together the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah, the caravan oasis of Shisr or Wubar, and the ports of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed. Frankincense is the resin of the Boswellia sacra tree, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre calls it one of the most important luxury goods of the ancient world. Khor Rori is a fortified port about 40 km east of Salalah that was in use from the 4th century BC to the 5th century AD. Al-Baleed is a coastal port on the Indian Ocean that was in use from the 8th to the 16th century AD. Caravans carried the resin from the wadis through oases such as Shisr to these ports, from where it was shipped to Mesopotamia, India and China.
Inscribed:
2000, criteria (iii) and (iv)
Tree:
Boswellia sacra
Ports in the property:
Khor Rori and Al-Baleed
Why it matters for exams: The frankincense trade links Oman to the Indian Ocean trade routes that general studies papers cover.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Frankincense Frankincense — An aromatic resin tapped from Boswellia trees and burned as incense.
Background
Bahla Fort, with the oasis settlement around it, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 under criterion (iv), making it the first Omani property on the List. Bahla was the capital of the Banu Nebhan, who dominated the area from the 12th century to the end of the 15th century. The fort and the town wall are built of unbaked mud brick on stone foundations, and the outer wall combines stone with mud brick. The property was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1988 and removed from that list in 2004 after conservation work.
Inscribed:
1987, criterion (iv)
Tribe:
Banu Nebhan
On the Danger List:
1988 to 2004
Material:
Unbaked mud brick on stone foundations
Why it matters for exams: A property that entered and then left the Danger List is a favourite way to test the two UNESCO lists.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Danger List List of World Heritage in Danger — A separate UNESCO list for inscribed properties whose values face serious threats.
Background
The Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988. The group of settlements and necropolises dates from the 3rd millennium BCE. The property lies in Al-Dhahira Governorate in north-western Oman, and the core site is in the village of Bat, about 24 km east of Ibri. It is one of Oman's five World Heritage properties and, like the rest, is classed as cultural.
Inscribed:
1988
Period:
3rd millennium BCE
Governorate:
Al-Dhahira
Nearest town:
Ibri, about 24 km west of Bat
Why it matters for exams: Bronze Age sites in the Gulf are asked alongside the Indus Valley trade network, which reached this coast.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Necropolis Necropolis — A large ancient burial ground, usually set apart from the settlement it served.