This is how they do it: A conflict management model in Oman

• Published date: 01 June 2024
• Author: Victoria Dauletova,Saba Al Rawas,Eram Al Rawas,Abeer Al Balushi,Sheikha Al Mamari,Adil S. Al Busaidi
• Date: 01 June 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21422

RESEARCH ARTICLE

This is how they do it: A conflict management

model in Oman

Victoria Dauletova

1

| Saba Al Rawas

2

| Eram Al Rawas

2

|

Abeer Al Balushi

2

| Sheikha Al Mamari

2

| Adil S. Al Busaidi

1

1

Sultan Qaboos University, College of

Economics and Political Science,

Department of Business Communication,

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

2

Sultan Qaboos University, College of

Economics and Political Science,

Political Science Department, Muscat,

Sultanate of Oman

Correspondence

Victoria Dauletova, Sultan Qaboos

University, College of Economics and

Political Science, Department of Business

Communication, P.O. Box 50 Al-Khoud

123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Email: vicky@squ.edu.om

Abstract

Oman and its conflict management model are the focus of

this paper. This model has crystalized out of the three

stand-alone but complementary systems of conflict resolu-

tion which evolved in an ad hoc fashion: the institute of

tribal leaders; the reconciliation committees; and the for-

mal judicial system. These systems offer a foundation for

the current efforts of the local people to sustain a peaceful

co-existence among the vibrant and ethnically diverse

Omani communities known for their turbulent past. The

analyzed data obtained from interviews with Omani tribal

leaders, reconciliation committee members, and lawyers

shed light on both the strengths of the conflict manage-

ment model and the modern challenges which the model

faces. The findings confirm that this model represents a

coherent entity run by an integrated constitutional-tribal

order. They also suggest that the model serves as a state

mechanism for balancing power between the country's

major players—the government and the institute of tribal

leaders. The novel contribution of this paper lies in linking

the origin and philosophy of each system with the “media-

tion identity”of Oman's foreign policy.

1|INTRODUCTION

Oman represents a blend of indigenous, traditional value-oriented communities and the mod-

ern state where the nation-building process initiated by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said led the society

to initiate groundbreaking social, political, and legislative reforms. Oman has earned the

Received: 14 June 2022 Revised: 10 November 2023 Accepted: 4 January 2024

DOI: 10.1002/crq.21422

Conflict Resolution Quarterly. 2024;41:507–524. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/crq © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. 507

reputation of a secure and peaceful country (Worrall, 2021). The social structure of the country

rests on ethnic nationalism, linguistic diversity, and religious pluralism (Ali & Sabea, 2023)

which ensures internal peaceful coexistence of all the ethnicities residing in Oman. In addition

to enjoying peace within the country, Oman also assists other countries in the region to attain

peace (Leonard, 2017). The engagement of Oman in mediating conflicts for neighboring coun-

tries strengthens the country's internal stability thereby making it harder to destabilize the

country internally (Worrall, 2021).

However, it is important for this study to acknowledge that the current peace and stability

were born out of a turbulent past. Starting from the Wahhabi invasion in the 19th century and

followed by the long-standing conflict between the interior of Oman and its littoral regions exac-

erbated by the Dhofar insurgency in the 1960s, Oman has had its share of violence and instability

(Valeri, 2009). These historical events brought Oman to unification and pushed the country to

consider appropriate mechanisms for maintaining the balance between internal and external

affairs and interests reflected in the principles guiding modern Omani foreign policy (Worrall,

2021). As a result, the country learned to draw its strength from its unstable regional neighbor-

hood by mediating regional and international conflicts. Mediation helped the country to gain

worldwide trust as an international player interested in win-win scenarios. Internally, Oman

established a comprehensive model of conflict management which meets the needs of the tribes

and the government and continues to impact Oman's diplomaticphilosophy and foreign policy.

The conflict management model presented in this paper has been conceptualized based on

20 semi-structured interviews conducted with tribal leaders, reconciliation committee members,

and lawyers. This paper strives to demonstrate the merits of the model as well as the challenges

that the modern society of Oman is facing in its attempt to resolve ongoing interpersonal and

intra-group conflicts. Moreover, with this study, we illustrate how to integrate indigenous con-

flict management strategies with government judicial systems thereby adding to the limited lit-

erature on the mechanisms of organizing and institutionalizing indigenous conflict resolution

models to resolve interpersonal and intra-group conflicts (Avruch, 2015; Azizova et al., 2016;

Lundy et al., 2022; Lundy & Njonguo, 2019; Mengstie, 2022; Millar, 2014). The Omani model

takes into consideration the expectations and calls from the past (ancestral heritage, traditional

cultural and Islamic values, Sharia Law, social conduct) and the present (the state apparatus,

modern governance, the civil legislative system), bridging government efforts with the voice of

the community in the country's ongoing attempts to re-shuffle and balance power among all

the players across the systems in response to internal and external changes and challenges. In

addition to a description of the model, this paper also provides a nuanced analysis of the factors

influencing conflict management philosophy in Oman at both interpersonal and international

levels. It offers insights that can be of interest to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners,

aiding in the development of region-specific conflict resolution strategies.

The paper starts with the literature review reporting the impact of the state-building process,

tribal-state relations, foreign policy, national culture, and diplomacy on the evolved model of

managing conflicts in Oman followed by a description of the socio-cultural context and the

main pillars of the Omani conflict management model. The focus of the paper is on the three

systems—the institute of tribal leaders, the reconciliation committees, and the formal judicial

system, their strengths and the perceived challenges they face. By situating the model in the

wider context of diplomacy and foreign policy, the paper seeks to demonstrate the role

the model plays in revealing Oman's outward-facing foreign policy ambitions to strengthen the

country's “mediation identity.”

508 DAULETOVA ET AL.