At Stake in this Election: 

• All 86 seats in the Omani Consultative Assembly  

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: Sultan / Prime Minister HAYTHAM bin Tariq al-Said (since 11 January 2020) 

• Head of Government: Sultan / Prime Minister HAYTHAM bin Tariq al-Said (since 11 January 2020) 

• Assembly: bicameral Council of Oman (Majlis Oman / مجلس عمان) including an 85-seat Council of State (Majlis al-Dawla / مجلس الدولة) and an 86-seat Consultative Council (Majlis al-Shura / مجلس الشورى) 

Electoral System:  

• The Sultan is appointed by the Royal Family Council from among the legitimate male descendants of Sayyid Turki bin Said bin Sultan. 

• In the Council of State, all 85 members are appointed by the Sultan. 

• In the Consultative Council, all 86 members are directly elected by plurality vote from 1-2 seat constituencies and serve 4-year terms. 

Last Election: 

In 2019, independents won all 86 seats in the Consultative Council. Voter turnout was 49.02%. 

New/Unique in this Election:  

The Ministry of the Interior has launched an app called “Election” (انتخاب) that will allow voters to vote online. The app will use ID cards and AI-powered facial recognition to verify voters’ identities. The app also provides access to electoral resources such as candidate profiles, community fora, accessibility information, and election results. Voters can also register online via the elections.om website. 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: 16 February 2023 

• Voter registration deadline: 14 September 2023 

Main Candidates in this Election: 

All candidates run as independents.  

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 4,576,300 (2022 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 753,952 (2023) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 1,790,800 (2022 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Ratified (by accession) 7 February 2006 

• Gender Quota: No 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 15 out of 85 (17.7%) in the Council of State and 2 out of 86 (2.3%) in the Consultative Assembly 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.816, Very High, Rank 54 (2021)  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Not available (2023) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 17 March 2008, Ratified 6 January 2009 

• Projected population with a disability: 686,445 (2022 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Oman: No 

• Election Access: Yes 

• Election Judgements: No