Council of State (Oman)

Council of State of Oman مجلس الدولة العماني Majlis ad-Dawla al-ʿUmāniyyi
Type
Type	Upper houseof theCouncil of Oman
Term limits	4 years
History
Founded	November 1997
Leadership
Chairman	Abdulmalik Al Khalili since 3 November 2020
Deputy chairman	Alkhattab bin Ghalib Alhinai
Structure
Seats	83
Political groups	Non-partisan(83)
Elections
Voting system	Appointment by theSultan of Oman
Meeting place
Muscat

TheCouncil of State(Arabic:مجلس الدولة العمانيMajlis ad-Dawla al-ʿUmāniyyi) is the upper house of theCouncil of Oman.It has 83 members all of whom are appointed by the Sultan. The other house is theConsultative Assembly(Majlis al-Shura).

Legislative process

The Council of State was established in December 1997 with a Royal Decree which states (article 17) that "the State Council shall assist the Government to implement the overall development strategy and shall contribute in deepening the roots of the Omani society, maintaining the achievements and ascertaining the principles of thebasic law of the state".

In October 2011, the legislative process was amended by a new Royal Decree; the Council of Ministers now refers a draft law to the Consultative Assembly which has to approve or amend it within 3 months of referral. The draft law is then referred to the Council of State which has to approve or amend it. If the two bodies disagree, they take a vote to resolve the difference. If an absolute majority approves the draft law the Chairman of the Council of State refers it to theSultan.

Functions

Identified Article 17 of the State Council and theShurasystem to the Council of State does everything possible to assist in the implementation of development plans and contribute to the consolidation of the inherent values of the Omani society and preserve the achievements and reaffirm the principles enshrined in the Basic Law of the State, and separated article (18) of the same system to achieve its goals the following powers:

• Preparation of studies that help in the implementation of development plans and programs and contribute to finding appropriate solutions to the economic and social constraints.
• Make proposals that would encourage investment in various productive and service sectors and the development of economic resources.
• Provision of studies and proposals in the field of human resource development and improve the performance of administrative bodies in order to serve the community and to achieve the overall objectives of the state.
• Review bills issued before taking action, and with the exception of laws that require the public interest filed directly to His Majesty the Sultan and offers recommendations of the State Council regarding the draft legislation submitted to the Council of Ministers.
• Study what transmits it to His Majesty the Sultan or the Council of Ministers of the topics that serve the public interest, and to express an opinion where

Requirements

• Must be anOmani citizen.
• Must have aged not less than 40 years of age (Gregorian calendaryears) on the date of appointment.
• Never sentenced of a felony or crime involvingmoral turpitudeor trust, even if he/she is rehabilitated.
• Not affiliated to a security or military authority.
• Not interdicted by a judicial judgment.
• Not suffering from amental illness.

Composition

The State Council has 83 members; they are appointed by the Sultan for a 4-year term.

Selection

The members of the council are mainly:

• Former Ministers, Undersecretaries and their equivalents.
• Former ambassadors.
• Former senior judges.
• Retired senior officers.
• Those who are known for their competence and experience in the fields of science, arts, and culture, and professors of universities, colleges, and higher institutes.
• Dignitaries and businessmen.
• Persons who have performed distinguished services to the Nation.
• Whomsoever His Majesty the Sultan chooses and who does not fall under the preceding categories.

See also

• List of Chairmen of the Council of State of Oman

External links

• Official website