US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1250

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001250 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/B, NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2015 
TAGS: PINR, PGOV, SCUL, MU, Domestic Politics 
SUBJECT: BIO: SHARIFA BINT KHALFAN AL-YAHYAI, MINISTER OF 
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 
 
REF: A. STATE 137596 
     B. 04 MUSCAT 1899 
     C. 03 MUSCAT 2515 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard L. Baltimore III. 
Reason: 1.4 (b, d). 
 
1. (C)  The requested information on Oman's female Minister 
of Social Development is provided below, keyed to ref A para 
3 format.  Much of this information was provided previously 
in ref B. 
 
2. (U) Dr. Sharifa bint Khalfan bin Nasser al-Yahyai, 
Minister of Social Development (since October 20, 2004). 
(Note: For ease of reference, this embassy uses the masculine 
form of surnames despite the fact that Omani sources will 
sometimes put a feminine ending on the surnames of female 
officials.  For this reason, Dr. Sharifa's surname sometimes 
appears in publications as "al-Yahya'eeya" or some derivation 
thereof.  End note.) 
 
A. (U) Born: October 14, 1969; Muscat, Oman. 
 
B. (SBU) Personal and Career Data 
 
-- She is married to Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis bin Jumaa 
al-Kindi, Deputy Dean of Student Affairs at Sultan Qaboos 
University, specializing in the Media and Journalism 
Department.  Dr. Sharifa has a son, Azzan (born in 2001), and 
a daughter, Shiam (born in 2002). 
 
-- Dr. Sharifa's older brother, Mohammed, is a journalist and 
political activist in self-imposed political exile in the 
U.S.  His political troubles began in earnest in 2003 after 
he announced the launch of the Gulf Press Freedom 
Organization, intended to advance the cause of free speech 
and journalistic professionalism in the Arabian Gulf region. 
He announced the organization while participating in a 
National Democratic Institute-sponsored forum in Yemen. 
Mohammed is currently working for the USG-funded Al-Hurra 
satellite television channel in Washington.  Mohammed's wife 
(Dr. Sharifa's sister-in-law) is another noted Omani 
journalist, Rafia al-Talaei.  Rafia is editor of Al-Maraa 
(Woman) magazine, which published a revealing interview with 
Dr. Sharifa soon after her appointment. 
 
-- Dr. Sharifa was raised in the Wilayat (district) of Barka, 
in the Muscat Governorate.  When she entered Sultan Qaboos 
University (SQU) as an undergraduate in 1988, she intended to 
specialize in English language and literature, but was so 
exasperated with the teaching styles in that department that 
she switched in her second year to the Department of Arabic 
Language.  Even as a freshman, however, she claimed in an 
interview to have been inspired to become an Assistant 
Professor, which was her goal.  She attained her Masters 
degree from SQU and began teaching Arabic there for a brief 
period before enrolling in the Ph.D. program at the 
University of Leeds (UK) Department of Arabic and Middle 
Eastern Studies, from which she graduated in 2001.  She then 
returned to SQU as an Assistant Professor in Arabic 
literature.  Admitting that her academic career kept her "to 
some extent detached from society and its problems," she is 
fond of research.  She edited a book with a colleague 
entitled "Studies in the Literature of Oman and the Gulf," 
and was 17 pages into a new study (in English) on "The Image 
of Omani Women in the Arabic Novel" when she was appointed 
minister.  She has published some literary articles in the 
Omani press, and in early 2004 was selected among SQU faculty 
to accompany 32 female students on a study tour to Malaysia 
and Singapore that is funded annually by the Sultan. 
 
C. (SBU) Religious Sect 
 
-- Dr. Sharifa is an Ibadhi Muslim. 
 
D. (C) Relation to, Influence with Country Leaders 
 
-- Dr. Sharifa's father's close relationship with the 
influential Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court, Sayyid 
Ali bin Humud al-Busaidi (also from Barka), is widely cited 
as playing a role in the appointment of an otherwise obscure 
Arabic literature professor as Minister of Social 
Development.  Sayyid Ali intervened at least twice before on 
behalf of her family, specifically in the case of her brother 
Mohammed.  Sayyid Ali was the one who ensured that Mohammed 
got a coveted government scholarship to pursue his Masters 
degree at the University of Leicester, and was also the one 
who warned Mohammed that he stood to be arrested for his 
advocacy of the Gulf Press Freedom Organization (ref C). 
 
-- Apart from the family connection to Sayyid Ali, Dr. 
Sharifa is not believed to exercise a great deal of influence 
with top officials.  Her ministry has long suffered from 
neglect under her poorly regarded and absentee predecessor, 
Shaykh Amir bin Shuwain al-Hosni, and by all accounts she has 
faced considerable resistance from her ministry staff in 
making personnel changes.  As the junior-most cabinet member 
in terms of both age and tenure, and given her humble resume, 
it will likely take some time for the minister to build 
influence and stature with other national leaders. 
 
E. (C) Reason for Appointment 
 
-- The removal of Dr. Sharifa's predecessor had been long 
expected when it finally came about in October 2004.  The 
anticipated successor, however, was the then-Under Secretary 
of the Ministry, Dr. Thuwaiba al-Barwani, who was instead 
transferred to the State Council (the appointive house of 
parliament).  While many people expected the post to go to a 
female (the Sultan was determined to increase the number of 
women in the cabinet, and this ministry is the one most 
directly responsible for women's affairs), Dr. Sharifa was 
not included on anyone's "short-list" of potential 
candidates, nor did she expect the appointment herself.  She 
has a good reputation for hard work and intelligence. 
 
F. (C) Views on the Sultan, His Policies, and on the U.S. 
 
-- Dr. Sharifa has expressed praise and appreciation for the 
Sultan's leadership and efforts at promoting opportunities 
for women.  She has made at least two trips in 2005, 
including to represent the Omani government at the June 
launching of the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival 
on the Washington Mall (in which Oman was the featured 
foreign country).  She took the opportunity of her visit to 
Washington to meet with State Department officials on Middle 
East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)-related issues and to 
visit some non-governmental organizations.  Dr. Sharifa 
relies considerably on at least one special adviser in her 
ministry who has excellent relations with the U.S. and UK 
Embassies.  Dr. Sharifa has met several times with American 
personnel, and is promoting a proposal to place an American 
NGO expert on her staff as a special adviser. 
 
G. (C) Grooming for Ministerial Position 
 
-- There is no indication that Dr. Sharifa received any 
grooming for this position. 
 
H. (C) Her Views on Timing of Her Appointment 
 
-- As noted above, a change in personnel at the helm of the 
Ministry of Social Development was long-anticipated by late 
2004.  Why she was the person appointed, however, is still 
not clear. 
 
I. (C) Goals and Aspirations, Reform-Mindedness 
 
-- The minister has publicly stated that her future 
priorities include "reinforcing social development and 
intellectual awareness among members of society through the 
activities and programs" of her ministry, and studying a 
"national strategy to develop Omani women."  Western 
diplomats opine that she may feel a need to improve the 
delivery of basic services in order to create the political 
space to embark on more reformist agendas. 
 
-- Further evidence that she is open to reform is the fact 
that the Foreign Ministry has informally approached us with 
requests that we help cultivate the young minister as someone 
capable of instituting change. 
 
J. (C) Meetings with U.S. Officials 
 
-- The Minister has been open and frank in meetings with 
Embassy officers, be it with the Ambassador or with our 
part-time democracy coordinator.  She does not stand on 
protocol, but observes proper etiquette and dresses in 
conservative fashion.  She readily acknowledges the 
challenges confronting her, both given her limited background 
and the difficult work of her ministry. 
 
K. (C) Religious Conservatives 
 
-- Given the religious diversity in Oman, conservative 
attitudes toward women in high office are more of a social 
rather than religious phenomenon.  There is no widespread 
perception that conservative elements pose a physical threat, 
making it unlikely that the minister is concerned with such 
fears. 
BALTIMORE