Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July 2008, page 69

Diplomatic Doings

Omani Ambassador

	Oman’s Ambassador Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy (Staff photo D. Hanley.)

A SPECIAL WOMEN’S Foreign Policy Group (WFPG) event featured an informative talk by the Sultanate of Oman’s Ambassador Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy on April 24 at her official residence in Washington, DC. After dinner Patricia Ellis, president and co-founder of the WFPG, introduced Ambassador Al-Mughairy as the first Arab woman ambassador to serve in the U.S. capital. Since her appointment on Dec. 2, 2005, Ambassador Al-Mughairy, an economist by training, has focused much of her energy on the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement. “I practically lived on the Hill” until Sept. 26, 2006, when Congress voted on the bilateral agreement, Al-Mughairy told the audience.

The first half of her talk focused on the role of women in the Arab world and their daily struggle to care for their families, serve in the labor force, and at the same time maintain their cultural traditions and values. While it’s a mistake to think of Arab women as a single monolithic group, she said, women have the same educational opportunities as men in most Arab countries, with even higher enrollment in secondary schools. When Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed took Oman’s throne in 1970, he realized his country’s success depended on its people—half of whom are women. “So the education of women is never far from his mind,” Ambassador Al-Mughairy explained.

While American women who work in U.S. corporations rarely earn the same pay as their male counterparts, she noted, “in the Arab world we are paid the same salary for working in the same jobs.” In 1999 Omani women joined the businessmen’s council (they need to change their name, the ambassador quipped). In 2002 they became members of the municipal council, and today women hold three cabinet positions.

Ambassador Al-Mughairy has worked hard to improve the image of Muslim Arab women and dispel American stereotypes during her stay in the United States. The U.S. media doesn’t help change false stereotypes, she noted. In fact, they help distort the image of Muslim women.

The ambassador gave one amusing example of a challenge she has faced: Al-Mughairy and a male colleague have visited hundreds of senators on Capitol Hill. The congressperson inevitably would make a beeline to welcome her colleague, assuming he was the ambassador. “This gave us an excellent start to the meeting, because the senator or congressperson was usually so embarrassed I could ask for the moon,” she joked.

(L-r) Nabil Mohammed, Christ’l Safieh, Grace Said, Yusif Farsakh and Amb. Afif Safieh at the Palestine Center’s farewell party for the Safiehs on May 2. Party co-sponsors included the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; American Friends of Birzeit Society; Birzeit Society, DC Chapter; American Palestinian Women’s Association; Network of Arab American Professionals—DC; Ramallah Club of Washington, DC; Sharing Jerusalem; and Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace. Samar Assad, executive director of the Palestine Center, thanked the ambassador and his wife for representing all Palestinians regardless of their politics. “We are losing one of the best advocates for Palestine in the United States,” she said (Staff photo D. Hanley.)

Al-Mughairy proceeded to address her real passion, which is attracting more foreign investment in Oman. The Sultanate of Oman’s goal is to diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on the hydrocarbon industry by the year 2020. Oman exports mainly to the neighboring United Arab Emirates, and also to the Far East.

Unlike its neighbors, who rely on expatriate labor, most of the Sultanate’s workers are Omani nationals, the diplomat continued. The government works hard to create job opportunities for its educated graduates, and make sure they have the skills required in the private sector, she said.

Oman’s sophisticated container port in Salallah is strategically located between Europe and the Far East, and provides easy access to the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and East African Coast.

Oman also is developing a tourism industry. “We don’t want people to just come and lie on our beaches and enjoy our nice weather,” Al-Mughairy said. “We want tourists to learn about our culture and people and explore our spectacular mountains, coasts and deserts. This has to be done carefully, so we don’t spoil our country or our name.”

When asked why Oman has so few extremists, Al-Mughairy explained that her government “does not impose anything on us. It doesn’t interfere with the way we dress or comport ourselves. It’s up to our families. We also don’t interfere with the internal affairs of other nations. Iran is one of our closest neighbors and we have very good relations. We always believe in dialogue and diplomacy to solve problems.”

The ambassador mentioned a March 2008 survey of 11 countries in the GCC, Levant and North Africa region which found that Oman has the highest percentage of happy people (61 percent, followed by Saudi Arabia with 57 percent). One of the reasons Omanis are so happy is that they are optimistic about their future, Ambassador Al-Mughairy concluded.

After spending five of the happiest years of my life in Oman, this reporter always thought it was something in the sparkling water, or the clear air or fragrant coffee. Washington Report readers are encouraged to make up their own minds by visiting Oman themselves.

—Delinda C. Hanley