Queen Beatrix's Oman visit in doubt

A planned visit to Oman by The Netherlands' Queen Beatrix's is in doubt after unrest in the country.

Uprisings in the Arab world spread to the Gulf nation over the weekend, with two protesters killed in the port of Sohar, one of the places the queen is scheduled to stop.

The visit - which will see the queen accompanied by crown prince Willem Alexander, princess Maxima and various business officials - is presently scheduled to happen between March 6 and March 8.

A spokesman for the Dutch state information service said: "The foreign office is monitoring the situation very carefully."

Dutch politicians are said to be hoping host, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said al Said, will advise against the visit for security reasons, as if the Dutch government cancels it could be interpreted by Oman as an insult.

The Dutch business community is determined not to offend the sultan, as employers' organisation chairman Bernard Wientjes explained: "If the Dutch state decides the visit should not happen, then of course we won't be going either.

"But it would be a shame, since it would be extremely interesting for the leaders of Dutch business community to go there and sit down with the leaders of that country. It's really important in a country where many important decisions are taken by a group of leaders."

Demonstrators have staged protests in the Omani cities of Sohar and Salalah, with smaller scale demonstrations in the capital, Muscat. The protesters are demanding an end to corruption, higher wages, cheaper basic facilities, including water and electricity, and more jobs.