Qaboos bin Said al Said

Qaboos bin Said Al Said
Sultan of Oman
Reign 23 July 1970 – present
Predecessor Said bin Taimur
Spouse Sayyidah Nawwal bint Tariq
House Al Said
Father Said bin Taimur
Mother Mazwon bint Ahmad
Born 18 November 1940 (1940-11-18) (age 71)
Salalah, Oman
Religion Ibadi Islam

Qaboos bin Said Al Said (Arabic: قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيدQābūs bin Saʿīd ʾĀl Saʿīd; born 18 November 1940[1]) is the Sultan of Oman and its Dependencies. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Said bin Taimur, in a palace coup in 1970. He is the 14th-generation descendant of the founder of the Al Bu Sa'idi dynasty.[2]

Contents

Early life

Sultan Qaboos Bin Sa‘id was born in Salalah in Dhofar on 18 November 1940. He is the only son of Sultan Said bin Taimur and princess Mazoon al-Mashani. He received his primary and secondary education at Salalah and Pune [Maharashtra, India] and was sent to a private educational establishment in England at age sixteen[3]. At 20 he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After graduating from Sandhurst, he joined the British Army and was posted to the 1st Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), serving in Germany for one year. He also held a staff appointment with the British Army.

After his military service, Sultan Qaboos studied local government subjects in England and, after a world tour, returned home to Salalah where he studied Islam and the history of his country. Sultan Qaboos ibn Sa‘id is a Muslim of the Ibadi school of jurisprudence, which has traditionally ruled Oman.[4] A religious liberal, he has 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.

In 1976 Qaboos ibn Sa‘id married his cousin, Kamila, née Sayyidah Nawwal bint Tariq (born 1951), daughter of HH Sayyid Tariq ibn Taymur.[5] However, the marriage soon ended in divorce and he has never remarried or had any children.[6]

Qaboos bin Sa‘id is an avid fan and promoter of classical music. His 120-member orchestra has a high reputation in the Middle East. The 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 travel abroad with the sultan.[7] Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin was commissioned to compose a work entitled Symphonic Impressions of Oman[8] and the Sultan is particularly enthusiastic about the pipe organ.[9]

The Sultan's birthday, 18 November, is celebrated as Oman's national holiday. The first day of his reign, 23 July, is celebrated as Renaissance Day.

Rise to power

For six years prior to Said bin-Taymur's overthrow, Qaboos experienced virtual house-arrest in the Royal Palace of Salalah. In July 1970, soldiers supporting Qaboos clashed with forces loyal to Said bin-Taymur and deposed him. Qaboos maintains that his father abdicated the throne.[7] The British government helped to consolidate Qaboos' power.

Qaboos acceded to the throne on 23 July 1970 after deposing his father in a palace coup with the aim of ending the country's isolation and using its oil revenue for modernization and development,[10] moving to Muscat. There 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.

The first pressing problem that Qaboos bin Said faced as Sultan was an armed communist insurgency from South Yemen, the Dhofar Rebellion (1965–1975). The Sultanate eventually defeated the incursion with help from the Shah of Iran, Jordanian troops sent from his friend King Hussein of Jordan, British Special Forces, and the Royal Air Force.

Reign as Sultan

The political system which Qaboos established is that of an absolute monarchy. Unlike the situation in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Qaboos' decisions are not subject to modification by other members of Oman's royal family. Government decisions are said to be made through a process of decision-making by "consensus" with provincial, local and tribal representatives, though critics allege that Qaboos exercises de facto control of this process. Qaboos also regularly engages in tours of his realm, in which any citizen with a grievance or request is allowed to appeal to the Sultan in person.[11]

More recently, Qaboos has allowed parliamentary elections (in which women have voted and stood as candidates) and pledged greater openness and participation in government. The parliament enjoys legislative and oversight powers.[12] In 1979 Oman was the only Arab state to recognize Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's peace agreement with Israel.[13]

Qaboos' supporters point to his relative success in governing the country. By Gulf standards, Oman boasts good public order,[14] middling prosperity,[15] and a relatively permissive society.[16] Since he acceded to the throne, Oman has broadened international relations, allowed newspapers, established high schools, built highways, opened hotels and shopping malls and spends a substantial portion of its dwindling oil revenues on health care and education.[7]

In September 1995, he was involved in a car accident in Salalah just out side his palace, which claimed the life of one of his most prominent and influential ministers and his right hand man, Qais Bin Abdul Munaim Al Zawawi.

In October 1998, Qaboos bin Said was presented with the International Peace Award by the National Council on US-Arab Relations.[17] He also forges and maintains good relations with other Arab states and partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).[18]

Foreign policy

Qaboos officially keeps Oman neutral, having contacts and normal relations with Iran while being an ally of western states like Britain and America. In talks with American officials released by wikileaks, Qaboos dodged requests by the Americans for Oman to invest in Iraq and Afghanistan, switching to other topics. Qaboos was against Americans withdrawing quickly from Iraq.

Oman has more normal relations with Iran than the other Gulf Arab states, careful to appear neutral and maintain a balance between the West and Iran.[19]

Views on Ideology

Qaboos criticized the Arab Nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser in private discussions with American officials which were released by Wikileaks. He claimed Nasser deliberately used inflamatory speeches and rhetoric to make his people stupid, and accused Nasser of having "set the region back", holding a position of "anti-everything". Qaboos concluded that the Muslim Brotherhood obtained support from the uneducated people.[20]

Palaces

Name City Area Coordinates Features
Al Alam Palace Muscat 1.4kmX1.4 km Contains two Helipads, Super Yacht Berth and several ultra Luxurious residences.
Bait Barka Barka 3kmX4km Sultan's Retreat contains six Helipads, Super Yacht Berth and ultra Luxurious residences, massive garage and splendid infinity pools in lush landscape gardens.
Hisn Al Shomoukh Manah 4kmX4km Recently built Royal Camp with 4 Helipads. Currently most of the royal delegates are routed to here. Satellite images assures heavy construction for further expansion.
Royal Court Seeb 2kmX3km The most heavily guarded zone in Oman, this splendid palace contains its own private Landing strip or airport. There's a large stable containing the royal equestrian facilities.
Hisn Salalah Salalah 2kmX1.8 km Sultan's birth place. This waterfront palace has 4 Helipads. It contains two mosques and many villas.
Sohar Palace Sohar 2kmX3km Sultan's farm in Sohar. Going through extensive renovation and expansion. Contains camel, cow, goat and horse farms. Several green houses for vegetable production.
Qasr Mamoora Salalah 2kmX2km By far the most private palace with its own double runway landing strip, three Helipads as well as two private flyovers connected to his private Razat farm.
Razat Farm Salalah 3kmX3km Private farm that supplies him with fresh dairy products, fruits and vegetables. Contains one Helipad

Super yachts

Name Length (m) Shipyard Year Description
Al Said 155[21] Lürssen 2007 Contains a Helipad, an orchestra and swimming pool. Berthed most of the time in Mutrah port.
Fulk al Salamah[22] 136 Lürssen 1987 It has participated in Ship for World Youth.[23]
Loaloat Al Behar 103.85 Picchiotti Italy 1982 Largest yacht built in Italy in the 1980s
Zinat al Bihaar 61 Oman Royal Yacht Squadron[24] 1988 Luxury sailing yacht with worlds largest sail built in Oman with imported engine from Siemens.
Al-Noores 33.5[25] K. Damen Netherlands 1982 Specialized tug boat for the other royal yachts.

Succession

Unlike the heads of other Gulf Arab states, Qaboos bin Sa‘id has not publicly named an heir. Article 6 of the constitution actually provides that the Ruling Family Council chooses the successor after the throne becomes vacant, and that the Sultan's preference, to be expressed in an official letter (which Qaboos says has already been sealed and delivered to the defence minister), is only resorted to in the event of lack of familial consensus.

Qaboos bin Sa‘id has no children and has three sisters; there are other male members of the Omani Royal Family including several paternal uncles and their families. Using primogeniture the successor to Qaboos would appear to be the children of his late uncle, His Royal Highness Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur Al Said, the former, first and only Prime Minister in Oman's history.[26].

Military ranks

Qaboos holds the following ranks:[27]

Foreign honours

See also

References

  1. ^ Al Sa'id, Qaboos (1940–) – Personal history, Biographical highlights, Personal chronology, Influences and contributions, The world’s perspective, Legacy. Encyclopedia.jrank.org. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Qaboos bin Said". Webster's Concise Encyclopedia. 1. New York: Gramercy Books. 1998. pp. 520. 
  3. ^ http://www.omanet.om/english/government/hmspage/tribute.asp
  4. ^ Though Ibadhis are the majority in Oman, with Sunnis a minority, exact percentages are unavailable; 55% for the Ibadhis is often cited, while the Sunnis, followed by a small amount of local Shiites and foreign Hindus, Christians, and others make up the remaining 25%. ADDITION: WHAT? DOESN@T ADD UP.
  5. ^ Buyers, Christopher. "Oman: The Al-Busaid Dynasty Genealogy". Royal Ark. http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Oman/oman4.htm. Retrieved 10 January 2007. 
  6. ^ Katz, Mark, "Assessing the Political Stability of Oman", Middle East Review of International Affairs, Volume 8, No. 3 – September 2004.
  7. ^ a b c Trofimov, Yaroslavth (14 December 2001). "Oman has oil, but it had no orchestra". Wall Street Journal: A6. 
  8. ^ [1]
  9. ^ Carlo Curly & Mathis Music
  10. ^ PROFILE-Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Forexyard.com (2011-03-25). Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  11. ^ Qaboos on 'Meet the People' tour. Khaleej Times. 20 January 2003
  12. ^ "Oman's Sultan Granting Lawmaking Powers to Councils | Middle East | English". Voanews.com. 13 March 2011. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Omans-Sultan-Shifts-Lawmaking-Powers-Amid-Unrest--117895309.html. Retrieved 28 October 2011. 
  13. ^ Oman's Renaissance Man. Foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  14. ^ NationMaster.com. NationMaster.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  15. ^ NationMaster.com. NationMaster.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  16. ^ "Freedom in the World 2009 – Oman". Freedom House. 16 July 2009. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,,OMN,4562d8cf2,4a6452939,0.html. Retrieved 10 November 2009. 
  17. ^ Council Chronicle. (PDF) . National Council on the US-Arab Relations. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  18. ^ The Final Communiqué of the 29th Session of the Supreme Council of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council. 29–30 December 2008
  19. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/16/world/middleeast/16oman.html
  20. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/143790
  21. ^ Top 100. Yachtspotter.com (2010-07-27). Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  22. ^ Access Perpetual Wellbeing in Excess: Sultan Qaboos's extravaganza. Inequalityreduced.blogspot.com (2009-01-01). Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  23. ^ Central and South Asia. Saudi Aramco World. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  24. ^ Sailing Yacht – Zinat al Bihaar – Oman Royal Yacht Squadron – Completed Superyachts on Superyacht Times .com. Superyachttimes.info. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  25. ^ Motor Yacht – Al-Noores – K. Damen – Completed Superyachts on Superyacht Times .com. Superyachttimes.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  26. ^ HH Prince Sayyid Tarik bin Taimur al-SAID. Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  27. ^ oman8. Royalark.net. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac oman9. Royalark.net. Retrieved on 14 July 2011.
  29. ^ HM deserves much more than awards and medals. Times of Oman (2007-01-28). Retrieved on 14 July 2011.

External links

Qaboos bin Said al Said
House of Al Said
Born: 18 November 1940
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Said Bin Taimur
Sultan of Oman
1970–present
Incumbent