Qaboos bin Said

{{Infobox royalty

| image = Omani Qaboos bin Said Al Said 2 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Sultan Qaboos in 2013

| alt = A photo of Qaboos aged 73

| succession = Sultan of Oman
Minister of Finance, Defence and Foreign Affairs

| reign = {{nowrap|23 July 1970 – 10 January 2020}}

{{labeldata|Prime Minister|Tariq bin Taimur (1970–1972)
Himself (1972–2020)}}

| predecessor = Said bin Taimur

| successor = Haitham bin Tariq

| succession1 = Prime Minister of Oman

{{labeldata|In office|2 January 1972 – 10 January 2020{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Calvin H. |title=Oman under Qaboos: from coup to constitution, 1970-1996 |last2=Rigsbee |first2=W. Lynn |date=2000 |publisher=Frank Cass |isbn=978-0-7146-5001-2 |location=London; Portland, OR}}}}

{{labeldata|Deputy|Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said (1972–2020)
Fahr bin Taimur al Said (1976–1996)
Qais Bin Abdul Munim Al Zawawi (1982–1995)
Thuwaini bin Shihab al Said (?–1984–2010)
Asa'ad bin Tariq (2017–2020)}}

| predecessor1 = Tariq bin Taimur

| successor1 = Haitham bin Tariq

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|11|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = Salalah, Muscat and Oman
(present day Dhofar Governorate, Oman)

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|01|10|1940|11|18|df=y}}

| death_place = Seeb, Muscat Governorate, Oman{{cite web |last1=Zacharias |first1=Anna |title=Oman's long night: from rumour to reality as a nation learns of Sultan Qaboos' death |url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/gcc/oman-s-long-night-from-rumour-to-reality-as-a-nation-learns-of-sultan-qaboos-death-1.962954 |publisher=The National |access-date=14 January 2020 |date=11 January 2020}}

{{labeldata|Buried|11 January 2020{{cite news |last1=Liz |first1=Sly |title=Oman's Sultan Qaboos is buried as his successor is named |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/omans-sultan-qaboos-is-buried-as-his-successor-is-named/2020/01/11/f09e3186-3475-11ea-9313-6cba89b1b9fb_story.html |access-date=4 March 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=11 Jan 2020}}

Royal Cemetery, Muscat}}

| full name = Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur bin Faisal bin Turki bin Said Al Said

| spouse = {{marriage|Nawwal bint Tariq|1976|1979|end=divorced}}

| house = Al Bu Said

| father = Said bin Taimur

| mother = Mazoon bint Ahmad

| religion = Ibadi Islam

| signature = File:Sultan Qaboos bin Said signature.jpg

| signature_alt = Signature of Sultan Qaboos

}}

Qaboos bin Said Al Said ({{langx|ar|قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد|Qābūs ibn Saʿīd Āl Saʿīd}}, {{IPA|ar|qaː.buːs bin sa.ʕiːd ʔaːl sa.ʕiːd|IPA}}; 18 November 1940 – 10 January 2020) was Sultan of Oman from 23 July 1970 until his death in 2020. A fifteenth-generation descendant of the founder of the Al Bu Said dynasty,{{cite encyclopedia |title=Qaboos bin Said |encyclopedia= Webster's New World Encyclopedia |url= https://archive.org/details/webstersnewworl000newy/page/694/mode/2up?view=theater&q=%22Qaboos+bin+Said%22 |url-access=registration |page=694 |isbn= 0-671-85017-2 |publisher= Macmillan Inc. |year= 1994 |location= New York}} he was the longest-serving leader in the Middle East and Arab world at the time of his death,{{cite web|title=Can Oman's Stability Outlive Sultan Qaboos?|url=http://www.mei.edu/content/can-oman%E2%80%99s-stability-outlive-sultan-qaboos|website=Middle East Institute|access-date=1 March 2017}} having ruled for almost half a century.

The only son of Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman, Qaboos was educated in Suffolk, England. After graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he served briefly in the British Army. He returned to Oman in 1966 and was the subject of considerable restrictions from his father. In 1970, Qaboos ascended to the Omani throne after overthrowing his father in a coup d'état, with British support. The country was subsequently renamed the Sultanate of Oman.

As sultan, Qaboos implemented a policy of modernization and ended Oman's international isolation. His reign saw a rise in the country's living standards, the abolition of slavery, the end of the Dhofar Rebellion, and the promulgation of Oman's constitution. Suffering from poor health in later life, Qaboos died in 2020. He had no children, so he entailed the royal court to reach consensus on a successor upon his death. As a precaution, he hid a letter which named his successor in case an agreement was not achieved. After his death, the royal court named his intended successor, his cousin Haitham bin Tariq, as sultan.

Early life and education

File:Portrait of Said Bin Timur.jpg, the father of Qaboos bin Said]]

Qaboos bin Said was born in the southern city of Salalah in Dhofar on 18 November 1940{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} as the only son of Sultan Said bin Taimur Al Said and Mazoon bint Ahmad Al Mashani.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/financial-troubles-said-bin-taimur|title=The Financial Troubles of Said bin Taimur|last=Serim|date=16 October 2014|website=qdl.qa|language=en|access-date=26 December 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/oman/articles/these-mosques-in-oman-are-an-architectural-wonder/|title=These Mosques in Oman Are an Architectural Wonder|last=Medhat|first=Gehad|website=Culture Trip|date=26 September 2017|access-date=26 December 2019}} He received his primary and secondary education at Salalah, and was sent to a private educational establishment at Bury St Edmunds in England at age 16.[http://www.omanet.om/english/government/hmspage/tribute.asp Tribute to His Majesty]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060118072515/http://www.omanet.om/english/government/hmspage/tribute.asp|date=18 January 2006}}{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/10/world/middleeast/sultan-qaboos-quiet-peacemaker-who-built-oman-dies-at-79.html |title=Sultan Qaboos, Quiet Peacemaker Who Built Oman, Dies at 79|work=The New York Times|date=10 January 2020|access-date=10 January 2020|last=Hubbard|first=Ben}} At 20, he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.{{cite web|title=Saudi Arabia|url=https://adst.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Saudi-Arabia.pdf|work=Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training|access-date=7 January 2021|page=307|format=Country Readers Series|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110033355/https://adst.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Saudi-Arabia.pdf|url-status=dead}} After graduating from Sandhurst in September 1962, he joined the British Army and was posted to the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), serving with them in Germany for one year. He also held a staff appointment with the British Army.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f3pV457NIE4C|title=Oman Under Qaboos: From Coup to Constitution, 1970–1996|last1=Allen|first1=Calvin H.|last2=Rigsbee|first2=W. Lynn|date=1 January 2000|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9780714650012|pages=28–29, 34|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2019/12/25/prayers-pour-in-for-ill-oman-ruler-sultan-qaboos|title=Prayers pour in for ill Oman Ruler Sultan Qaboos|website=gulftoday.ae|access-date=26 December 2019}}

After his military service, Qaboos studied local government subjects in England and then completed his education with a world tour chaperoned by Leslie Chauncy. Upon his return in 1966, he was placed under virtual house arrest in Al Hosn Palace in Salalah by his father. Here he was kept isolated from government affairs, except for occasional briefings by his father's personal advisers. Qaboos studied Islam and the history of his country. His personal relationships were limited to a handpicked group of palace officials who were sons of his father's advisors and a few expatriate friends such as Tim Landon. Sultan Said said that he would not allow his son to be involved with the developing planning process, and Qaboos began to make known his desire for change—which was quietly supported by his expatriate visitors.{{additional citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Rise to power

File:President Ronald Reagan during the arrival Ceremony for Sultan Qaboos bin Said of the Sultanate of Oman.jpg with Sultan Qaboos bin Said during a state visit in 1983]]

Qaboos acceded to the throne on 23 July 1970 following a successful coup against his father, with the aim of ending the country's isolation and using its oil revenue for modernization and development.[http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/PROFILE-Omans-Sultan-Qaboos-bin-Said-2011-03-24T110027Z PROFILE-Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006092934/http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/PROFILE-Omans-Sultan-Qaboos-bin-Said-2011-03-24T110027Z |date=6 October 2011}}. Forexyard.com (25 March 2011). Retrieved on 14 July 2011. He declared that the country would no longer be known as Muscat and Oman, but would change its name to "the Sultanate of Oman" in order to better reflect its political unity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/an-enduring-relationship-a-history-of-frienship-between-the-royal-air-force-and-the-royal-air-force-of-oman/a-history-of-oman.aspx|title=A History of Oman|website=rafmuseum.org.uk|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=9 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009072134/https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/an-enduring-relationship-a-history-of-frienship-between-the-royal-air-force-and-the-royal-air-force-of-oman/a-history-of-oman.aspx|url-status=dead}}

The coup was supported by the British, with Ian Cobain writing that it was "planned in London by MI6 and by civil servants at the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office" and sanctioned by the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson.{{cite book |last=Cobain |first=Ian|date=2016 |title=The History Thieves |location=London |publisher=Portobello Books |page=87 |isbn=9781846275838}}

The first pressing problem that Qaboos bin Said faced as sultan was an armed communist insurgency from South Yemen, the Dhofar Rebellion (1962–1976). The sultanate eventually defeated the incursion with help from the Shah of Iran, Jordanian troops sent by his friend King Hussein of Jordan, British Special Forces and the Royal Air Force.{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1984/CSA.htm|title=The Insurgency In Oman, 1962-1976|website=globalsecurity.org|access-date=26 December 2019}}

Reign

There were few rudiments of a modern state when Qaboos took power. Oman was a poorly developed country, severely lacking in infrastructure, healthcare, and education, with only {{cvt|10|km|0}} of paved roads and a population dependent on subsistence farming and fishing. Qaboos modernized the country using oil revenues. Schools and hospitals were built, and a modern infrastructure was laid down, with hundreds of kilometres of new roads paved, a telecommunications network established, projects for a port and airport that had begun prior to his reign were completed and a second port was built, and electrification was achieved. The government also began to search for new water resources and built a desalination plant, and the government encouraged the growth of private enterprise, especially in development projects. Banks, hotels, insurance companies, and print media began to appear as the country developed economically. The Omani riyal was established as the national currency, replacing the Indian rupee and Maria Theresa thaler. Later, additional ports were built, and universities were opened.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/will-oman-survive-sultan|title=A Test for Oman and Its Sultan|first=Elizabeth|last=Dickinson|magazine=The New Yorker}}Oman: the Modernization of the Sultanate, Calvin H. Allen, JrOman: The Bradt Travel Guide, Diana Darke In his first year in power, Qaboos also abolished slavery in Oman.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zZk9Y-HTQzcC&q=oman+slavery+1970&pg=PA347|title=Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem|author=Suzanne Miers|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|page=347|date=2003|isbn=0-7591-0340-2}}

The political system which Qaboos established was an absolute monarchy. The Sultan's birthday, 18 November, is celebrated as Oman's national holiday.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442164/Rouhani-felicitates-Oman-on-National-Day|title=Rouhani felicitates Oman on National Day|date=19 November 2019|website=Tehran Times|language=en|access-date=26 December 2019}} The first day of his reign, 23 July, is celebrated as Renaissance Day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/general/uae-leaders-greet-sultan-of-oman-on-renaissance-day|title=UAE leaders greet Sultan of Oman on Renaissance Day|last=Wam|website=Khaleej Times|language=en|access-date=26 December 2019}}

Oman has no system of checks and balances, and thus no separation of powers. All power was concentrated in the Sultan during his reign, and he served as prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, minister of defence, chief of staff of the armed forces, and chairman of the board of the Central Bank of Oman. All legislation since 1970 has been promulgated through royal decrees, including the 1996 Basic Law. The sultan appoints judges, and can grant pardons and commute sentences. The sultan's authority is inviolable.{{cite web|url=http://www.bti-project.org/reports/country-reports/mena/omn/index.nc#chap3|title=Country Report: Oman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228234844/http://www.bti-project.org/reports/country-reports/mena/omn/index.nc#chap3|archive-date=28 December 2014|url-status=dead}}

Qaboos's closest advisors were reportedly security and intelligence professionals within the Palace Office, headed by General Sultan bin Mohammed al Numani.{{cite magazine |magazine=Foreign Policy |quote=His closest advisors are security and intelligence professionals in the so-called Royal Office, headed by Gen. Sultan bin Mohammed al-Numani. |title=The Omani Succession Envelope, Please |first=Simon |last=Henderson |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/03/the-omani-succession-envelope-please/ |access-date=4 April 2017 |date=3 April 2017}}

=2011 Omani protests=

File:VP Cheney Sultan Qaboos Salah Oman 2002.jpg Dick Cheney during Cheney's visit to the Middle East in 2002.|left]]

The 2011 Omani protests were a series of protests in the Persian Gulf country of Oman that occurred as part of the revolutionary wave popularly known as the "Arab Spring".[http://www.brecorder.com/world/global-business-a-economy/19759-oman-budget-gap-rises-to-658mn-in-q1-spending-up.html Oman budget gap rises to $658mn in Q1, spending up] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201181718/http://www.brecorder.com/world/global-business-a-economy/19759-oman-budget-gap-rises-to-658mn-in-q1-spending-up.html |date=1 February 2016 }}. Business Recorder. (10 July 2011). Retrieved 15 January 2012. The protesters demanded salary increases, lower living costs, the creation of more jobs and a reduction in corruption.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}} Protests in Sohar, Oman's fifth-largest city, centered on the Globe Roundabout.[http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/photos/2011/03/02/globe_roundabout_sohar_oman Globe Roundabout – Sohar, Oman | The Middle East Channel] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711015914/http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/photos/2011/03/02/globe_roundabout_sohar_oman |date=11 July 2011}}. Mideast.foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved 28 March 2011. The Sultan's responses included the dismissal of a third of the governing cabinet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/qaboos-fires-10-ministers|title=Qaboos fires 10 ministers|first=Ravindra|last=Nath|website=Khaleej Times}}

According to CBS News, 19 June 2011,

Several protest leaders have been detained and released in rolling waves of arrests during the Arab Spring, and dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in the country is high. While disgruntlement amongst the populace is obvious, the extreme dearth of foreign press coverage and lack of general press freedom there leaves it unclear as to whether the protesters want the sultan to leave, or simply want their government to function better. Beyond the recent protests, there is concern about succession in the country, as there is no heir apparent or any clear legislation on who may be the next Sultan.{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-worlds-enduring-dictators/ |title=The world's enduring dictators: Qaboos bin Said, Oman}}

The Sultan did give token concession to protesters yet detained social media activists. In August 2014, The Omani writer and human rights defender Mohammed Alfazari, the founder and editor-in-chief of the e-magazine Mowatin "Citizen", disappeared after going to the police station in the Al-Qurum district of Muscat, only to be pardoned some time later.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/02/14/oman-activists-family-barred-traveling-abroad|title=Oman: Activist's Family Barred from Traveling Abroad|date=14 February 2017|website=Human Rights Watch}}{{cite web |url=http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/27072 |website=Disappearances in Oman |title=Oman – Enforced disappearance of human rights defender Mr Mohamed al Fazari | Front Line |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228173444/http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/27072 |archive-date=28 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}

=Foreign policy=

File:Gates & Qaboos of Oman.jpg to Muscat, Oman, April 5, 2008.]]

File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi meeting the Sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, at Bait Al Baraka, in Muscat, Oman on February 11, 2018.jpg with Qaboos, 2018|227x227px]]

Under Qaboos, Oman fostered closer ties with Iran than other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and was careful to appear neutral and maintain a balance between the West and Iran.{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/world/middleeast/16oman.html | work=The New York Times | first=Michael | last=Slackman | title=Oman Navigates Between Iran and Arab Nations | date=16 May 2009}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20200111212311/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/a-us-ambassadors-memories-of-sultan-qaboos/# A US ambassador’s memories of Sultan Qaboos] As a result, Oman often acted as an intermediary between the United States and Iran.{{cite news |last=Gladstone |first=Rick |date=4 September 2013 |title=Iran's President to Speak at the U.N. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/world/middleeast/irans-president-to-speak-at-the-un.html |newspaper=NYT |access-date=31 August 2016}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/pomegranate/2013/08/27/a-visit-from-the-sultan|title=A visit from the sultan|date=27 August 2013|newspaper=The Economist}} Qaboos helped mediate secret US–Iran talks in 2013 that paved the way to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action two years later.{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Sultan-of-Oman-dies-aged-79-years-old-613815|title=Oman's Sultan Qaboos dies, cousin Haitham named successor|website=The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com}}

In 2011, Qaboos facilitated the release of American hikers who were held by Iran, paying $1 million for their freedom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/09/21/140674880/tiny-nation-behind-the-scenes-of-americans-release|title=Oman Played Pivotal Role In Americans' Release|website=NPR.org|date=21 September 2011|language=en|access-date=11 January 2020|last1=Neuman|first1=Scott}}{{Cite tweet |author=HillaryClinton |user=HillaryClinton |number=1216788363778383873 |title=My thoughts are with the people of Oman as they mourn the passing of Sultan Qaboos. He led his country with wisdom and provided safe harbor for diplomacy. I'll always be grateful for all he did to help secure the release from Iran of three American hikers in 2011.}}

Oman did not join the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Houthis in 2015, and did not take sides in a Persian Gulf dispute that saw Saudi Arabia and its allies impose an embargo on Qatar in 2017.

In October 2018, Qaboos invited Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Oman, despite his country not having official diplomatic ties with Israel. Netanyahu was the first Israeli prime minister to visit Oman since Shimon Peres in 1996.{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahu-makes-historic-visit-to-Oman-570388|title=Netanyahu makes historic visit to Oman|website=The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com}}

Philanthropy

Qaboos financed the construction or maintenance of a number of mosques, notably the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, as well as the holy places of other religions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alliancemagazine.org/feature/prominent-figures-in-muslim-philanthropy/|title=Prominent figures in Muslim philanthropy|website=Alliance magazine|date=4 September 2018 |access-date=26 December 2019}}

Through a donation to UNESCO in the early 1990s, Qaboos funded the Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental Preservation, to afford recognition to outstanding contributions in the management or preservation of the environment. The prize has been awarded biannually since 1991.{{Cite web |url=http://un-qaboos-prize.net/en/home.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=8 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911081901/http://un-qaboos-prize.net/en/home.html |archive-date=11 September 2018 |url-status=dead}}

Personal life

Qaboos was a Muslim of the Ibadi denomination, which has traditionally ruled Oman. Although Oman is predominantly Muslim, the Sultan granted freedom of religion in the country and financed the construction of four Catholic and Protestant churches in the country as well as several Hindu temples.{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/pm-narendra-modi-in-oman-live-updates-visit-to-shiva-temple-interact-with-ceos-sultan-qaboos-grand-mosque-5060235/?#liveblogstart|title=Modi in Oman LIVE Updates: PM prays at Shiva temple in Muscat, visits Grand Mosque|date=12 February 2018}}

The Sultan was an avid fan and promoter of classical music. His 120-member orchestra consists entirely of young Omanis who, since 1986, audition as children and grow up as members of the symphonic ensemble. They play locally and traveled abroad with the Sultan.{{cite journal |last=Trofimov |first=Yaroslavth |date=14 December 2001 |title=Oman has oil, but it had no orchestra |journal=Wall Street Journal |pages=A6}} Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin was commissioned to compose a work entitled Symphonic Impressions of Oman.{{cite web |url=http://schifrin.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LS&Product_Code=CD-ALEPH+028 |title= The Official Store of Lalo Schifrin: Symphonic Impressions of OMAN|website=schifrin.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217195951/http://schifrin.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LS&Product_Code=CD-ALEPH+028 |archive-date=17 December 2005}} Qaboos was particularly enthusiastic about the pipe organ.{{cite web|url=http://www.mathismusic.com/organs/carlo_curly.htm |title=Carlo Curly & Mathis Music |access-date=7 December 2006 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216141726/http://www.mathismusic.com/organs/carlo_curly.htm |archive-date=16 December 2008}} The Royal Opera House Muscat features the second largest mobile pipe organ in the world, which has three specially made organ stops, named the "Royal Solo" in his honour.{{cite web |url=http://www.timesofoman.com/News/44105/Article-In-the-Eye-of-Beauty--An-Ode-to-the-Organ |title=Times of Oman | News :: In the Eye of Beauty - an Ode to the Organ |access-date=24 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223003609/http://www.timesofoman.com/News/44105/Article-In-the-Eye-of-Beauty--An-Ode-to-the-Organ |archive-date=23 February 2015}}. Times of Oman; "In the Eye of Beauty – An Ode to the Organ" 11 December 2014; retrieved 24 December 2014. He was also a patron of local folk musician Salim Rashid Suri, whom he made a cultural consultant.{{cite web |url=http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/untoldlives/2013/11/the-singing-sailor-salim-rashid-suri.html |title=The Singing Sailor – Salim Rashid Suri |author=Margaret Makepeace |date=26 November 2013 |work=Untold Lives Blog |publisher=British Library |access-date=30 November 2014}}

On 22 March 1976, Qaboos married his first cousin Sayyida Nawwal bint Tariq Al Said (born 1951), the daughter of his uncle Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur and Sayyida Shawana bint Nasir Al Busaidiyah.{{cite book |editor1-last=Montgomery-Massingberd |editor1-first=Hugh |title=Burke's Royal Families of the World Volume II Africa & the Middle East |date=1980 |isbn=0850110297 |page=107|publisher=Burke's Peerage Limited }} Nawwal was renamed Kamila at the time of her marriage and is the half-sister of Qaboos's successor, Haitham bin Tariq. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979{{cite web|title=Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed: A democrat visionary |url=http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/weekend-review/articles/sultan-qaboos-bin-saeed-a-democrat-visionary-1.729811|work=Weekend Review|publisher=Gulf News|access-date=4 October 2012|author=Joseph A. Kechichian|date=17 December 2010}} and produced no children.{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/who-will-take-over-sultan-qaboos-arab-worlds-longest-serving-ruler-1530757|title=Who will take over from Sultan Qaboos, the Arab world's longest serving ruler?|first=James|last=Tennent|date=28 November 2015}}

In September 1995, Qaboos was involved in a car accident in Salalah just outside his palace, which killed one of his most prominent and influential ministers, the deputy prime minister for finance and economy, Qais Bin Abdul Munim Al Zawawi.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/01bbe118f4da71aacadf28ff50c2944a|title=Sultan Escapes Unhurt, Top Aide Killed In Car Accident|website=AP NEWS|access-date=26 December 2019}}

Qaboos owned several yachts administered by the Oman Royal Yacht Squadron, including Al Said and Fulk Al Salamah, two of the world's largest yachts.

Qaboos was widely believed by Omanis and Gulf Arabs to be homosexual.{{cite book|author1=Christopher Ling|title=Sultan In Arabia: A Private Life|date=18 Mar 2011|publisher=Random House|isbn=9781845968311|chapter=6 (Salacious Scandals)|quote=Indeed, virtually since his accession to the throne of Oman, the assumption of homosexuality has pursued Sultan Qaboos relentlessly... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PCm45OHcDSoC}}{{cite book|author1=Brian Whitaker|title=Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East|date=2006|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520250178|pages=76–78|quote=...only three Omanis have discussed this subject with me openly...All three agreed that the sultan is generally believed to be homosexual by Omanis... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e0YhBQAAQBAJ}}{{cite book|author1=John Newsinger|authorlink1=John Newsinger|title=British Counterinsurgency|date=2016|publisher=Springer|isbn=9781137316868|page=154|edition=2, illustrated, revised|quote=The successful dressing up of the counterinsurgency campaign in Islamic garb is all the more impressive given that Qaboos was generally believed to be gay, consorting with long-haired youths 'of exquisite countenance'... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3oYDAAAQBAJ}} Qaboos's obituary in The Times described rumours throughout his life of "liaisons with elegant young European men".{{cite news |title=Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman obituary |date=13 January 2020 |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sultan-qaboos-bin-said-of-oman-obituary-nw33q0tg8 |access-date=21 January 2022 |work=The Times |language=en |quote=There were no other known relationships with women and despite rumours of liaisons with elegant young European men, the sultan’s private life remained firmly private.}}

Illness and death

Qaboos had suffered from colon cancer since 2014, for which he received treatment.{{cite news|title=The sultanate of Oman is taking a kicking|url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21724842-muscatcheap-oil-makes-it-hard-buy-dissent-sultanate-oman-taking|access-date=8 July 2017|newspaper=The Economist|date=8 July 2017}}{{Cite news |last=Wintour |first=Patrick |date=22 December 2019 |title=Oman readies baroque succession process as sultan's health worsens |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/22/oman-readies-baroque-succession-process-as-sultans-health-worsens |access-date=26 December 2019 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} On 14 December 2019, he was reported to be terminally ill from the disease after being admitted to the UZ Leuven hospital in Belgium, and opted to return home because he wanted to die in his own country.{{Cite web |last=Coosemans |first=Dirk |last2=De Keyzer |first2=Ruben |date=2019-12-14 |title=Sultan wou terug naar zijn land om te sterven, maar groot deel van zijn gevolg blijft in Leuven |trans-title=Sultan wanted to return to his country to die, but a large part of his entourage will remain in Leuven |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20191213_04766433 |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214063624/https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20191213_04766433 |archive-date=2019-12-14 |website=Nieuwsblad}}{{Cite web |date=1 January 2020 |title=Oman's Sultan Qaboos in stable condition |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/oman/omans-sultan-qaboos-in-stable-condition- |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101161215/https://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/oman/omans-sultan-qaboos-in-stable-condition- |archive-date=1 January 2020 |access-date=5 January 2020 |website=Khaleej Times |language=en |agency=Emirates News Agency}} He died on 10 January 2020 at the age of 79.{{cite news|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50902476|title= Sultan Qaboos of Oman dies aged 79|date = 11 January 2020|access-date = 10 January 2020|work = BBC News}}

Following his death, the royal court declared three days of national mourning and halted all public and private official business for the same period, announcing the national flag would be flown at half-mast for a period of 40 days.{{cite news|url = https://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2020/01/oman-sultan-qaboos-dies-oman-state-media-200111000944539.html|title= Oman's Sultan Qaboos dies: state media|date = 11 January 2020|access-date = 10 January 2020|work = Al Jazeera}}{{Cite web |date=2020-01-11 |title=Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Who Modernized Oman, Dies; Successor Named |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/middle-east_sultan-qaboos-bin-said-who-modernized-oman-dies-successor-named/6182439.html |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=Voice of America |language=en}} Kuwait,{{Cite web|url=https://www.qppstudio.net/public-holidays-news/2020/kuwaiti-sultan-qaboos-mourning-public-sector-holidays-january-11-12-13-012514.htm|title = Kuwaiti Sultan Qaboos Mourning Public Sector Holidays January 11-12-13 - Public Holidays News Update}}{{Cite web|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2020/01/12/Kuwait-issues-three-days-off-for-mourning-over-death-of-Oman-s-Sultan-Qaboos|title = Kuwait issues three days off to mourn Oman's Sultan Qaboos|date = 12 January 2020}} Saudi Arabia,{{Cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/why-did-saudi-arabia-not-fly-its-flag-at-half-mast-following-the-death-of-omans-sultan-qaboos-1.1578911754812|title=Why did Saudi Arabia not fly its flag at half-mast following the death of Oman's Sultan Qaboos?|date=13 January 2020 }} Qatar,{{Cite web|url=https://timesofoman.com/article/2546764/Oman/Government/Qatar-declares-three-days-of-mourning-for-HM-Sultan-Qaboos|title=Qatar declares three days of mourning for HM Sultan Qaboos}} the United Arab Emirates,{{Cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/uae-leaders-mourn-death-of-sultan-qaboos-3-days-of-mourning-declared-1.1578729626522|title = UAE leaders mourn death of Sultan Qaboos, 3 days of mourning declared| date=11 January 2020 }} Bahrain,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2BDoCu6CI24pCqdL1RNAFVb1U%3D|title = Bahrain News Agency}} Jordan,{{Cite web|url=https://jordantimes.com/news/local/king-expresses-condolences-sultan-haitham-oman-over-passing-qaboos|title = King expresses condolences to Sultan Haitham of Oman over passing of Qaboos| date=11 January 2020 }} Lebanon,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/en/|title=الوكالة الوطنية للإعلامالموقع الرسمي أخبار لبنان على مدار الساعة}} and Egypt{{Cite web|url=https://egyptindependent.com/egypt-announces-3-day-mourning-for-death-of-sultan-qaboos/|title=Egypt announces 3-day mourning for death of Sultan Qaboos|date=11 January 2020}} all declared three days of mourning; India{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/india-announces-national-mourning-for-its-close-friend-sultan-qaboos-of-oman/articleshow/73217979.cms|title = India announces national mourning for its close friend Sultan Qaboos of Oman|newspaper = The Economic Times|last1 = Chaudhury|first1 = Dipanjan Roy}} and Bangladesh{{Cite web|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/01/12/bangladesh-announces-state-mourning-on-monday-for-sultan-qaboos-of-oman|title=Bangladesh announces state mourning on Monday for Sultan Qaboos of Oman}}{{Cite web|url=https://archive.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2020/01/12/nation-to-observe-mourning-day-on-monday-to-honour-omani-sultan-qaboos|title = Nation to observe mourning day on Monday to honour Omani Sultan Qaboos|date = 12 January 2020}} declared one day of mourning. The United Kingdom lowered flags to half-mast as a sign of respect, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson described Qaboos as a "father of the nation", and "an exceptionally wise and respected leader" who "sought to improve the lives of the Omani people" and contributed to the country's development "into a stable and prosperous nation".Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-flags-to-fly-at-half-mast-for-the-death-of-sultan-qaboos-of-oman UK flags to fly at half mast for the death of Sultan Qaboos of Oman]. Retrieved on 22 March 2022.{{cite web |title=PM statement on the death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan of Oman |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-statement-on-the-death-of-his-majesty-sultan-qaboos-bin-said-al-said-sultan-of-oman |website=Government of UK}}

Succession

File:Sultan Qaboos's Last Will.jpg

Unlike the heads of other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Qaboos did not publicly name an heir. Article 6 of the constitution says the Royal Family Council has three days to choose a new sultan from the date the position falls vacant. If the Royal Family Council fails to agree, a letter containing a name penned by Sultan Qaboos should be opened in the presence of the Defence Council of military and security officials, supreme court chiefs, and heads of the upper and lower houses of the consultative assemblies.{{cite news|last=Dokoupil|first=Martin|title=Succession Question Fuels Uncertainty in Oman|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oman-succession/succession-question-fuels-uncertainty-in-oman-idUSBRE84N0K420120524|access-date=16 March 2021|newspaper=Reuters|date=24 May 2012}} Analysts saw the rules as an elaborate means of Qaboos securing his choice for successor without causing controversy by making it public during his lifetime, since it was considered unlikely that the royal family would be able to agree on a successor on its own.

Qaboos had no children, and only one sister, Sayyida Umaima (who predeceased him in 2002), but no male siblings; there are other male members of the Omani royal family including paternal uncles and their families. Using same-generation primogeniture, the successor to Qaboos would appear to be the children of his late uncle Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur, Oman's first prime minister and the Sultan's former father-in-law. Oman watchers believed the top contenders to succeed Qaboos were three of Tariq's sons: Asa'ad bin Tariq, Deputy Prime Minister{{Cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2017/0417/In-Oman-a-train-of-succession-mystery-Who-follows-Qaboos|title=In Oman, a train-of-succession mystery: Who follows Qaboos?|date=17 April 2017|journal=Christian Science Monitor}} for International Relations and Cooperation{{Cite news|url=https://timesofoman.com/article/130858|title=Here is why Social Development Ministry honoured 32 private firms|work=Times of Oman|access-date=2018-12-01|language=en-GB}} and the Sultan's special representative; Shihab bin Tariq, a retired commander of the Royal Navy of Oman; and Haitham bin Tariq, Minister of Heritage and National Culture.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50902476|title=Sultan Qaboos of Oman dies aged 79|date=11 January 2020|access-date=11 January 2020|language=en-GB}}

On 11 January 2020, Oman state TV said the Royal Family Council, in a letter to the Defense Council, had decided to defer to the choice that Qaboos named in his will, and thus had opened the letter by Qaboos naming his successor, announcing shortly that Haitham bin Tariq is the country's ruling sultan.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/9ca4a9910ede3e11b2fbf085189e628b|title=Oman names culture minister as successor to Sultan Qaboos|date=11 January 2020|website=AP NEWS|access-date=11 January 2020}} Haitham has two sons and two daughters.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oman-sultan-newsmaker-idUSKBN1ZA0KV|title=Oman's new ruler chosen to provide continuity|newspaper=Reuters|date=11 January 2020|via=www.reuters.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/444092/Who-is-the-new-Sultan-of-Oman|title=Who is the new Sultan of Oman?|date=13 January 2020|website=Tehran Times}}

Awards and decorations

{{Infobox royal styles

|royal name = Sultan of Oman

|image = 50px

|dipstyle = His Majesty

|offstyle = Your Majesty

}}

=National honours=

{{flag|Oman}}:
70px Grand Master of the Order of Al-Said
70px Grand Master of the Military Order of Oman
70px Grand Master of the Civil Order of Oman
70px Grand Master of the Order of Sultan Qaboos
70px Grand Master of the Order of the Renaissance of Oman
70px Grand Master of the Order of Al Nu'man
70px Grand Master of the Order of Merit of Sultan Qaboos
70px Grand Master of the Order of Merit
70px Grand Master of the Sultan Qaboos Order for Culture, Science and Art
70px Grand Master of the Order of Appreciation
70px Grand Master of the Order of Achievement

=Foreign honours=

{{flag|Austria}}:
70px Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (31 March 2001) {{cite web | url = http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXIV/AB/AB_10542/imfname_251156.pdf | title = Reply to a parliamentary question about the Decoration of Honour | language = de | page=1441 | access-date = 28 November 2012}}
{{flag|Bahrain}}:
70px Member 1st Class of the Order of Al Khalifa
{{flag|Brunei}}:
70px Member of the Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (15 December 1984)
{{flag|Egypt}}:
70px Grand Collar of the Order of the Nile (1976)
{{flag|France}}:
70px Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (31 May 1989)
{{flag|Germany}}:
70px Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
{{flag|India}}:
Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (2004 – award yet to be presented)[http://www.timesofoman.com/view_point.asp?details=on&ratopic_nd=146 HM deserves much more than awards and medals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725232135/http://www.timesofoman.com/view_point.asp?details=on&ratopic_nd=146 |date=25 July 2011}}. Times of Oman (28 January 2007). Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
Gandhi Peace Prize (03/2021), Delhi{{Cite web|url=https://timesofoman.com/article/gandhi-peace-prize-conferred-on-late-his-majesty-sultan-qaboos|title=Gandhi Peace Prize conferred on late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos|website=Times of Oman}}
{{flag|Indonesia}}:
70px Recipient of the Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class or Adipurna
{{flagicon|Iran|1964}} Iran:
70px Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi (3 March 1974)
70px Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14 October 1971){{cite web|url=http://badraie.com/guests.htm|title=Grand State Banquet|access-date=12 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043732/http://badraie.com/guests.htm|archive-date=5 March 2016}}
{{flag|Italy}}:
70px Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (22 April 1974)Italian Presidency Website, [http://www.quirinale.it/elementi/DettaglioOnorificenze.aspx?decorato=35054 S.M. Qaboos bin Said Sultano dell'Oman – decorato di Gran Cordone]
{{flag|Japan}}:
70px Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
{{flag|Jordan}}:
70px Collar of the Order of al-Hussein bin Ali
{{flag|Kuwait}}:
70px Collar of the Order of Mubarak the Great (28 December 2009)
{{flag|Lebanon}}:
70px Extraordinary Grade of the Order of Merit
{{flag|Malaysia}}:
70px Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN) (1991){{Cite web|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/1991.pdf|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1991.}}
{{flag|Morocco}}:
70px Grand Cross of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite
70px Collar of the Order of the Throne
{{flag|Netherlands}}:
70px Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2012)
{{flag|Pakistan}}:
70px Recipient of the Nishan-e-Pakistan, 1st Class
{{flag|Qatar}}:
70px Collar of the Order of the Independence
{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}:
70px Collar of the Order of Abdulaziz al Saud (23 December 2006)
70px Decoration 1st Class of the Order of Abdulaziz al Saud (23 December 2006)
70px Recipient of the Badr Chain
{{flag|Singapore}}:
70px Member 1st Class of the Order of Temasek (12 March 2009)
{{flag|South Africa}}:
70px Grand Cross of the Order of Good Hope (1999){{Cite web|url=http://www.info.gov.za/aboutgovt/orders/recipients/1999.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012112553/http://www.info.gov.za/aboutgovt/orders/recipients/1999.htm|url-status=dead|title=1999 National Orders awards|archive-date=12 October 2012}}
{{flag|Spain}}:
70px Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (13 December 1985)
70px Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit
{{flag|Syria}}:
70px Collar of the Order of Umayyad
{{flag|Tunisia}}:
70px Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic
70px Collar of the Order of Independence
{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}:
70px Collar of the Order of the Federation
{{flag|United Kingdom}}:
70px Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) (18 March 1982)
70px Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) (8 July 1976)
70px Recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain (27 November 2010)
70px Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) (28 February 1979)
70px Associate Bailiff Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John (GCStJ) (19 March 1984)
70px Associate Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John (KStJ) (8 November 1976)

Ancestry

{{ahnentafel

|collapsed=yes

|align=center

|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;

|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;

|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;

|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;

|1= 1. Qaboos bin Said

|2= 2. Said bin Taimur

|3= 3. Mazoon bint Ahmad Al Mashani

|4= 4. Taimur bin Feisal

|5= 5. Fatima bint Ali Al Said

|6= 6. Ahmed bin Ali Al Mashani

|8= 8. Faisal bin Turki

|9= 9. Aliya bint Thuwaini Al Said

|10= 10. Ali bin Salim Al Said

|11= 11. Aliya bint Barghash Al Said

|12= 12. Ali Al Mashani

|13= 13. NN

}}

Legacy

In June 2022, his Service Medal of the Order of St John was ceremonially consecrated in London.[https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1121361/oman/memorial-tribute-paid-to-late-sultan-qaboos-in-london Memorial tribute paid to Late Sultan Qaboos in London]. Oman News Agency. Retrieved on 27, June 2022.

Palace

class="sortable wikitable"

style="background:#ececec;"

! Name

! City

! Area

! Coordinates

! Features

Al Alam Palace{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2U4AAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT78|title=The Rough Guide to Oman|last=Thomas|first=Gavin|date=17 October 2013|publisher=Rough Guides UK|isbn=978-1-4093-5065-1|language=en}}

Muscat

Contains two Helipads, Super Yacht Berth and several ultra Luxurious residences.|

Notes

References

External links

[https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/ga12240.doc.htm General Assembly Pays Tribute to Qaboos bin Said, Late Sultan of Oman]([https://web.archive.org/web/20210121040229/https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/ga12240.doc.htm Archived] version)
[https://www.bushcenter.org/about-the-center/newsroom/press-releases/statement-president-bush-sultan-of-oman.html Statement by President George W. Bush on the Sultan of Oman]([https://web.archive.org/web/20210124054732/https://www.bushcenter.org/about-the-center/newsroom/press-releases/statement-president-bush-sultan-of-oman.html Archived] version)
[https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/tony-blair-oman-s-sultan-qaboos-was-a-man-of-extraordinary-humanity-he-spurred-development-and-promoted-peace-1.964642 Tony Blair: Oman's Sultan Qaboos was a man of extraordinary humanity, he spurred development and promoted peace]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060118072515/http://www.omanet.om/english/government/hmspage/tribute.asp Official account of the Sultan's reign]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080616052653/http://www.omanet.om/english/history/sultan.asp Oman Net]
[http://www.oman-qaboos.net Oman-Qaboos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926063303/http://www.oman-qaboos.net/ |date=26 September 2018 }}