Sultan Qaboos of Oman, who ruled country for 50 years, dies aged 79

The Sultan was seen as a modernising figure
REUTERS
Tim Baker11 January 2020

The Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, has died aged 79 after suffering with cancer.

The ruler of the Middle Eastern State has been in power since 1970, and the reins have now been passed over to culture minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid tribute to the ruler, saying: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Majesty."

He added: “He was an exceptionally wise and respected leader who will be missed enormously.

“He will be remembered for his devotion to the development of Oman inta a stable and prosperous nation, and as the father of the nation who sought to improve the lives of the Omani people.”

Sultan Qaboos took the throne after overthrowing his father, Said bin Taimur, in a British-assisted coup.

Where his father ruled with an isolationist attitude, Sultan Qaboos was determined to modernise the Middle Eastern country.

One of his first steps as a ruler was to abolish slavery, before setting about using Oman's oil revenues to bring the country into the 20th century.

Roads, schools, hospitals and airports were built and a telecommunications network and electric grid were quickly established.

Sultan Qaboos also introduced the Omani rial as the country's national currency, replacing the Indian rupee and Maria Theresa thaler.

The Sultan was an avid classical music fan who regularly took his personal 120-member orchestra with him on his travels.

Sultan Qaboos married his first cousin, Kamila, in 1976; however, their marriage ended in divorce just three years later.

He had been suffering from colon cancer since 2017.

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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