In order to establish a new state Qaboos first had to peacefully unite the tribes, put an end to ancient feuds and persuade the leaders of the individual groupings to hand over their traditional powers to the Omani state and to actively cooperate in the building up of the new country – a difficult task for a young ruler if ever there was one.

The head of the tribe is the eldest of the tribe, the sheikh. Some Omani tribes elect their chiefs. If the candidate holds himself a loof from the nomination this is taken as a sign that he isprepared to accept the election and also possesses the moral qualities necessary for the office. The good and bad qualities ofthe candidates are minutely weighed against one another in heated discussions until agreement is reached as to who is best-suited to lead the tribe. He is confirmed in his off ice as sheikh by the personal agreement of the tribal members.

The Omani society was devided for centuries into the two big fractions of Hinawi and Ghafiri. This division is eclipsed by a tension which is completely independent of tribal affinity. While the people of the interior tended towards isolationism, the occupants of the coastal regions, especially the wealthy port towns, demonstrated an openness to the outside world.