, Columnist
Oman’s New Ruler Takes a Big Reform Risk
A government-sector overhaul is vital for the sultanate's future, but it could bring the unemployed out into the streets.
Not what it used to be.
Photographer: Bildagentur-online/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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New monarchs, now as throughout history, are expected to begin their reign with a display of royal generosity — handouts and subsidies for all, rewards and plum jobs for those who’ve been especially loyal, pardons and amnesties for those who haven’t.
This is doubly true for the newly crowned heads of oil-rich states, who theoretically have more largesse to distribute. And double again for those who succeed long-reigning and popular rulers: Opening the coffers is a good way to dispel end-of-an-era anxieties.