Rights
A 2021 Basic Law that finally settled the succession
The Basic Law of 1996 was replaced in 2021 by a new statute that created the office of Crown Prince and codified the succession for the first time.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Supreme Court is the highest court. The Supreme Court's constitutional division reviews the constitutionality of legislation.
Governing law
- Basic Law of the State, Royal Decree 6 of 2021
- Basic Law 1996 (Royal Decree 101/96), repealed
- Royal Decree 7 of 2021 on the Council of Oman
In practice
The 2021 Basic Law matters because Oman's previous succession mechanism was opaque, relying on a sealed letter from the Sultan and family consensus, and Sultan Haitham's accession in 2020 exposed how fragile that was. The new law names the eldest son of the Sultan as Crown Prince, which is a structural constitutional change rather than a restatement. It also strengthened the language on rights and on the Council of Oman, whose elected Shura Council has limited legislative powers alongside the appointed State Council. Sharia is named as the basis of legislation.