Monday 02 / June / 2025
Muscat: With over 350,000 Omanis casting their votes at the recently concluded Majlis Al Shura elections, candidates who will represent their constituencies in the upcoming ninth session of the Shura Council said that their aim is to serve their people and their country, as best as they can.
According to statistics released by Oman News Agency (ONA), the Sultanate’s state-run news bureau, 350,581 people voted in the Majlis Al Shura elections, which were initially held from 7.00am to 7.00pm on Sunday, 27 October, before being extended to 9.00 pm to ensure that all those who had arrived to vote could cast their ballot.
Also read: Over 2500 voters choose 'no candidate' option in Oman's Shura elections
Confidence of the voters
“I am very happy to gain the confidence of the voters in Wilayat Bousher, and will not represent the wilayat only but all people in the Sultanate in this mandate, and this success came as a result of continuous effort in my community for years and I will strive to be at the behest of voters,” said Malik Al Yahmadi, the newly-elected Majlis Al Shura member for Wilayat Bousher.
“I seek to serve my country through the council and I will do my best to achieve the goals I have planned on the ground through collective work with other members and using the legislative and regulatory tools in the Shura Council.” Dr Said Al Wahibi, a council member of Wilayat Muttrah said, “I am seeking a change in the work of parliament and the state of the economic conditions that we are experiencing, while supporting the leaders who capable of change for the benefit of the country. As for my wilayat (Muttrah), I aspire to achieve quality economic transformation in the province as it includes the oldest market in the Sultanate and I also aspire to enhance these sites economically to optimally serve tourists.”
“In addition, I am interested in providing opportunities to job seekers and want to develop the level of education in higher education institutions in the Sultanate, which has affected the quality of education and the ability of graduates,” added Al Wahibi.
With 597 male and 40 female candidates vying for 86 seats across the Majlis Al Shura, only a few candidates will finally represent the Sultanate’s 11 governorates on the council.
One of those who were successful was Dr Fadhilah Al Rahili, who represented Wilayat Sohar, who had previously (unsuccessfully) attempted to run for the Shura Council, on two previous occasions as well.
Dr Said Al Wahibi added, “Over the years we have seen an evolution in communities increasingly accepting and more aware of the importance of women’s presence on the council, so men also voted for me, aside from women and we hope that women will have more presence among council members in the coming years.”
According to the ONA, the qualifications of the candidates for the current period are as follows: 28 candidates are PhD holders, including 26 male candidates and two female candidates, 75 candidates hold a Masters, including 67 male and eight female candidates, and 195 candidates are bachelor degree holders, including 185 male and 10 female candidates, 65 are holders of higher diploma certificate including 60 male 5 female candidates, and 274 were holders of the General Education Diploma, 259 were male candidates and 15 were female candidates.
“It should be noted that in yesterday’s elections, there were female candidates in all the governorates of the Sultanate, with the exception of two governorates: Al Wusta and Musandam. The highest number of female candidates was in the Muscat Governorate (20) and the Governorate of A’Dakhiliyah (six), which reflects the awareness of the Omani women and their keenness to participate in the national work,” added ONA.
