[oman-l] Oman's economic future

[Michael F. DAVIE]

>>While I agree with Abdulla Baabood's analysis, I feel that one should not
>>state that "Oman" is this or that "Oman" should do that. Behind the word
>>"Oman" there are people, actors of a situation.
>
>***Hehehe, we're entering an area of TABU here. If you believe that the
>Omani man or woman can stake their future, you're wrong. The "people" has no
>saying, and they cannot act for their  situation: Oman is NOT a democracy. I
>am putting no value in this, and I hope it won't be misunderstood (though of
>course it will) by westerners value of what is right and justice: IMO, most
>Omanis have a higher value of life than westerners believing going to the
>poll box everyn fourth year or so is the ultimate freedom.
>
>If Oman, as a country, and
>>thus as a society, needs to find a way out of what seems to be a very
>>uncomfortable future situation, then the anaysis should centre on the
>>people who will do it.
>>
>>In other words, who are the actors of tomorrow's Oman? How do they fit in
>>with the local,  regional or international economic situation? Who, in
>>Dubai, managed to make that country what it is, and why? How did they see
>>the opportunities, how did they use "the system" to push forward their
>>agenda, what resistances to it were made, how were they able to circumvent
>>these obstacles? What is different in Oman?
>
>***You can't compare Oman to Dubai. Oman have some pride. The fact that you
>can buy anything in Dubai if you have the money doesn't make it to an
>example for Oman. Dubai business doesn't represent Omani values. What is
>Dubai? Some would say the prostitute of the Middle East. It's nothing
>remarkable about Dubai - lacking oil money they do the business without tax
>and moral values. I'm exagarating a bit here, but In hope you get my point.
>Dubai will be just as short lived as business.
>
>
>Walang ano man
>Tommy

I feel that the debate on whether such or such a country is "democratic" or
not, whether is conforms to "Western" standards or not, is a vast and
complex question, which is not necessarily part of the question asked
above. I fully understand that Oman political life and standards are not
the same as elsewhere, and "democratic" and "western" nations should be no
more of a standard than any other country or political system. It would be
very difficult to prove that the "western  democratic" system is the best,
etc.

However, whatever the choice of Dubai, it was done by people, who
identified an apportunity, and which, for the time being, has  succeeded.
It also succeeded because clients needed it (needed that point in space for
a particular type of economy at a particular point in time). This, however,
was apparently not the case for Oman.
I feel it would be interesting to understand why there was not the same
perception of things in Oman, as compared to Dubai. Or to put things the
orther way round, what was the world view of Omani decision-makers, both
private and State, in this respect.
>From this idea, it should be possible to extend the debate to who are the
persons trying to occupy the "window of opportunity", and how do they see
the post-oil Omani situation?

Salamat
Michael Davie




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Michael F. DAVIE          davie@droit.univ-tours.fr
UMR 6592 "URBAMA" (Urbanisation dans le Monde Arabe)
23 rue de la Loire,  B.P. 7521,  37075 Tours Cedex 2 (France)
Tel. : (+33) 02 47 36 84 69,  Fax. : (+33) 0 2 47 36 84 71
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