Editing History of Oman (section)

==2000s==
{{see also|2011 Omani protests}}
In September 2000, about 100,000 Omani men and women elected 83 candidates, including two women, to seats in the ''Majlis Al-Shura''. In December 2000, Sultan Qaboos appointed the 48-member ''[[Council of State of Oman|Majlis Al Dowla]]'', or State Council, including five women, which acts as the upper [[Chambers of parliament|chamber]] in Oman's bicameral representative body.

Al Said's extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the [[United Kingdom]], the [[United States]], and others. Oman's moderate, independent [[foreign policy]] has sought to maintain good relations with all [[Middle East]]ern countries.

Qaboos, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler, died on 10 January 2020 after nearly 50 years in power.<ref name = BBC>{{cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50902476|title = Sultan Qaboos of Oman dies aged 79|date = 11 January 2020|access-date = 10 January 2020|work = [[BBC News]]|archive-date = 15 January 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200115183138/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50902476|url-status = live}}</ref> On 11 January 2020, his cousin [[Haitham bin Tariq]] was sworn in as Oman's new sultan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/11/haitham-bin-tariq-sworn-in-as-omans-new-sultan|title=Haitham bin Tariq sworn in as Oman's new sultan|access-date=2021-08-03|archive-date=2022-09-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922065724/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/1/11/haitham-bin-tariq-sworn-in-as-omans-new-sultan|url-status=live}}</ref>