I had the pleasure of meeting His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and was struck by his commitment to peace and understanding between nations and between faiths.
He leaves a profound legacy, not only in Oman but across the region too. A former British protectorate in the Arabian Peninsula, Oman had been ruled by Qaboos since a bloodless coup against his father in , enacted with the help of Britain. He travelled abroad for treatment for what was believed to be colon cancer at least twice since and had just returned to Muscat from hospital in Belgium.
Qaboos had no children and, following protocol, had not publicly appointed a successor. Read Next View. Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara. Muscat Royal Villa.
Nizwa Hotel Apartments. Zaki Hotel Apartment. Sama Sohar Hotel Apartment. Atana Khasab Hotel. Hamasa Plaza Hotel and Apartments.
Seasons Hotel Barka. Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman. Star Emirates Garden Villas. He instituted cabinet reshuffles in March and August last year and gave up some of the positions held by his predecessor, such as foreign minister and finance minister.
This week he has also set out plans to institute new rules for the parliament and to establish a committee to evaluate the performance of ministers and other senior officials. This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here. Many Omanis consider that the late sultan, who had been increasingly isolated and reclusive and who had refused to lay the foundations for governance of a post-Qaboos Oman by appointing a prime minister or by nurturing a successor, had become more of a problem than a solution.
Like his counterparts in the Gulf Co-operation Council GCC , he had made clear after the "Omani Spring" in - when thousands of people took to the streets to demand more jobs, better wages and an end to corruption - that the centre of political power, combining both executive and legislative powers, should remain his personal prerogative, closed off from any debate.
The regime perpetuated what a United Nations special rapporteur called in a "pervasive culture of silence and fear affecting anyone who wants to speak and work for reforms in Oman". Investments in the security sector were a priority, consolidating Oman's top position in the world for defence and security spending as a proportion of its gross domestic product GDP.
Thus, tremendous challenges await the new sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, as a result of the stasis that characterised the last two decades of Qaboos' rule. Born in , the son of Qaboos' paternal uncle, Haitham served as undersecretary, then secretary-general, in the ministry of foreign affairs, before becoming minister of national heritage and culture in He enjoys support among Oman's intelligence services and the most influential governmental body, the Palace Office.
He also benefits from proximity with local merchant elite, through personal and business connections he has established with a number of them. Haitham was among the first Omani royals to set himself as a businessman.
In the s, he became shareholder of Sun Farms agricultural company, a major land owner and top vegetables producer in Oman.
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