Sultan Qaboos ushered in Oman renaissance, quiet diplomacy

[rooster59]

Sultan Qaboos ushered in Oman renaissance, quiet diplomacy

By Lisa Barrington and Davide Barbuscia

 

FILE PHOTO: Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said al-Said at the Beit Al Baraka Royal Palace in Muscat, Oman January 14, 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS

 

MUSCAT (Reuters) - Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died late on Friday, transformed Oman during his 49-year reign from a poverty-stricken country torn by dissent into a prosperous state and an internationally trusted mediator for some of the region's thorniest issues.

 

He became sultan in 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 modernisation and development.

 

Oman state news agency ONA said Qaboos died after "a wise and triumphant march rich with generosity that embraced Oman and extended to the Arab, Muslim and entire world and achieved a balanced policy that the whole world respected".

 

It did not disclose the cause of death. Qaboos, 79, had been ailing for years and was in Belgium in December for treatment.

 

His death leaves Oman, a key Western ally, without a clear successor because he never publicly named one. The sultan, who has dominated decision making in the Gulf state for decades, has secretly recorded his choice in a sealed letter should the royal family disagree on the succession line.

 

"The appointment and blessing of a successor by the sultan while alive would have been a huge service to Oman," said one diplomat in the region.

 

Analysts worry about royal family discord, and a resurgence of tribal rivalries and political instability, now a new ruler has to be chosen at a time when young hawks have assumed power in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

 

Qaboos healed old rifts in a country long divided between a conservative tribal interior and seafaring coastal region. He became known to his countrymen as "the renaissance", investing billions of dollars of oil revenues in infrastructure and building one of the best-trained armed forces in the region.

 

While brooking no dissent at home, he charted an independent foreign policy, not taking sides in a power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, or in a Gulf dispute with Qatar.

 

Muscat kept ties with both Tehran and Baghdad during the 1980–88 Iran–Iraq War, and with Iran and the United States after their diplomatic falling out in 1979.

 

Oman helped to mediate secret U.S.-Iran talks in 2013 that led to an historic international nuclear pact two years later.

 

The white-bearded Qaboos made his last public appearance in October 2018 when he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a rare visit to Oman. While other Gulf states have made overtures to Israel, none of their leaders have openly met with Netanyahu.

 

COUP

 

Qaboos, the eighth ruler of the al-Said dynasty that governed Oman since 1744, was born on Nov. 18, 1940 in Dhofar.

 

In 1958, he headed to England to complete his education, strengthening historic ties between Britain and the Omani royal family. He studied for two years at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst and served six months in the British army in West Germany, returning to England in 1962 to study local government.

 

From 1964-70, Qaboos was confined to the royal palace in Salalah and denied any role in running Oman.

 

He became disenchanted with his father's methods and sceptical of the army's ability to defeat Dhofari rebels.

 

When oil exports began in 1967, Sultan Said, accustomed to tight financial constraints, was reluctant to use the revenue for development.

 

Britain, with considerable clout then over Gulf rulers, helped Qaboos overthrow his father in a palace coup on July 23, 1970. Sultan Said was forced to abdicate after some resistance and spent the last two years of his life in exile in England.

 

The new sultan, then only 30 years old, inherited a country with little infrastructure, few skilled administrators and none of the basic institutions of government.

 

Qaboos gradually asserted his authority by taking over the role of prime minister and the ministries of finance, defence and foreign affairs, which he retained.

 

He fought Dhofar rebels with help from Britain, Jordan and Iran. Through military advances and by offering rebel leaders state jobs, Qaboos ended the revolt within six years of taking office.

 

Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution directed Qaboos' attention to the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost a fifth of global oil passes. He pledged to keep the strait open and in 1980 signed a deal to let U.S. forces use Omani facilities for emergencies.

 

In 1981, Qaboos began widening political participation and free elections for an advisory council were held in 2003.

 

NO HEIR APPARENT

 

There has been wide speculation over who will succeed Qaboos as domestic challenges loom large. Unemployment, which sparked limited demonstrations in 2011, remains high and the state has increasingly relied on external borrowing as oil prices fell, pushing its credit rating to junk status.

 

A 1996 statute says the ruling family will choose a successor within three days of the throne becoming vacant.

 

If they fail, a council of military and security officials, supreme court chiefs and heads of the two assemblies will put in power the person appointed by the sultan in his letter.

 

Oman observers say the sultan's three cousins - Assad, Shihab and Haitham bin Tariq al-Said - stand the best chance.

 

"I have already written down two names, in descending order, and put them in sealed envelopes in two different regions," Qaboos said in a 1997 interview when asked about the succession.

 

(Reporting by Davide Barbuscia, Sylvia Westall and Sami Aboudi; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-11

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[RuamRudy]

Very sad news although it has been expected for some time. It is no exaggeration to say that the Omanis' love and respect for their Sultan was as strong and loyal as the love the Thais had for their late king. 

[vogie]

Did two postings to Salalah in the 1970s, nobody ever had a bad word to say about Qaboos, he was very pro western, hope his position is taken up by someone similar.

 

This is a photo of the Salalah airport in the 70s, we called them Skyvans

 

 

[RuamRudy]

15 minutes ago, vogie said:

Did two postings to Salalah in the 1970s, nobody ever had a bad word to say about Qaboos, he was very pro western, hope his position is taken up by someone similar.

 

This is a photo of the Salalah airport in the 70s, we called them Skyvans

 

 

Have you been back to Oman since then, Vogie? Muscat is growing massively, but they have thankfully resisted the need to ape their regional neighbours; there are virtually no high rises or ostentatious  towers of glass - everything is still very compact. I was in Nizwa earlier this week and it still feels like you expect an old style Arab town to feel.

 

But besides the architecture and heritage that has been retained, Omani people are without a doubt the most friendly, welcoming and generous people I have ever met. I have lived and worked here off and on for the past 5 years, and even now I continue to be struck by just how friendly and unassuming they are. If only every country in the region had followed the path that Oman took... 

[vogie]

2 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Have you been back to Oman since then, Vogie? Muscat is growing massively, but they have thankfully resisted the need to ape their regional neighbours; there are virtually no high rises or ostentatious  towers of glass - everything is still very compact. I was in Nizwa earlier this week and it still feels like you expect an old style Arab town to feel.

 

But besides the architecture and heritage that has been retained, Omani people are without a doubt the most friendly, welcoming and generous people I have ever met. I have lived and worked here off and on for the past 5 years, and even now I continue to be struck by just how friendly and unassuming they are. If only every country in the region had followed the path that Oman took... 

No never been back, but have chatted to some on various military websites that have told me how much the infrastructure in the Oman has changed. I believe it was Denis Healeys secret war, no one was to know we had military out there to protect our 'interests.' The SAS had a very big role to play out there, the press were told they were there as instructors, and some were I suppose.

An interesting tidbit is that Sir Ranulph Fiennes joined The Royal Scots Greys and a couple of years later passed the SAS acceptence course, he was thrown out and fined very heavily for trying to blow up a dam that had been built for the film Dr Dolittle. After that incident he actually went and joined the Sultan of Omans army. While we were out there our bible was a book written by Ran called 'Where Soldiers Fear to Tread' about his times and his adventures out there, I still have that book to this day, it must be about 45 years old now.

We were stationed just outside Salalah, nearly opposite the Sultans Palace and would journey up to Thumrait before the roads were built, always took a Omani bren gunner with us, have been told it's a two lane highway now.

Couple of pics of the then highway.

 

 

[Enoon]

30 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Have you been back to Oman since then, Vogie? Muscat is growing massively, but they have thankfully resisted the need to ape their regional neighbours; there are virtually no high rises or ostentatious  towers of glass - everything is still very compact. I was in Nizwa earlier this week and it still feels like you expect an old style Arab town to feel.

 

But besides the architecture and heritage that has been retained, Omani people are without a doubt the most friendly, welcoming and generous people I have ever met. I have lived and worked here off and on for the past 5 years, and even now I continue to be struck by just how friendly and unassuming they are. If only every country in the region had followed the path that Oman took... 

 

It's the only Gulf State I would like to visit.

 

 

[3MagicBeers]

31 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Have you been back to Oman since then, Vogie? Muscat is growing massively, but they have thankfully resisted the need to ape their regional neighbours; there are virtually no high rises or ostentatious  towers of glass - everything is still very compact. I was in Nizwa earlier this week and it still feels like you expect an old style Arab town to feel.

 

But besides the architecture and heritage that has been retained, Omani people are without a doubt the most friendly, welcoming and generous people I have ever met. I have lived and worked here off and on for the past 5 years, and even now I continue to be struck by just how friendly and unassuming they are. If only every country in the region had followed the path that Oman took... 

Totally agree with you - the Omanis are a welcoming, friendly and open people. As a 6 year old, I moved with my German parents to Muscat as my Dad was offered an expat placement working for PDO. In Oman was where I learnt English from scratch attended the Shell/PDO English schools. Back in 1980-84, we used to take long weekend roadtrips with hefty old Landrovers into the interior....Niswa, Bahla, the wadis of Jebel-Akbar....mud forts & watch towers, date plantations, ancient water irrigation channels, men with 19th century muskets! It was pure untouched country back then. 39 years later I can still remember the taste of freshly BBQ sardines with chili sauce offered to us on the beach by Omani fishermen tending their nets. Amazing place.

[RuamRudy]

Looks like the fear of a power struggle has, thankfully, come to naught.

 

 

[sammieuk1]

All I know of Oman was the airport transfer for an unforgettable worlds worst by a country mile never again no matter how cheap experience ????

[RuamRudy]

14 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

All I know of Oman was the airport transfer for an unforgettable worlds worst by a country mile never again no matter how cheap experience ????

The new airport opened around 18 months ago and, although it has had some teething issues, is pretty good albeit trying hard to replicate Doha or Dubai in terms of shops and fancy restaurants. 

 

The old airport was fine enough, but certainly dated and not the sort of place you would want to spend too long in. I use the e-gates at immigration, but I had seen queues at immigration that would make Swampy look efficient. 

 

But you just reminded me of the story of my arriving in Oman for the first time - before I came to work here, I arrived around 2006 for a company course. A visa on arrival was waiting for me at the airport before immigration, but I had flown in from Russia, where I was based at the time, and had only roubles in my wallet (in hindsight, very foolish of me).

 

I went to the Travelex counter to change them to USD to pay for the visa, but they could not exchange the roubles. I asked the lady behind the counter if there was an ATM machine available and she told me that the only ATM was after immigration. In a bit of a bind, she told me that she would lend me the $50 needed for the visa, and that I should hand it over to her colleague at the Travelex counter after immigration in the main concourse. So that is what I did - but it struck me instantly as being something you would probably never experience anywhere else in the world. Generosity seems to be a trait most Omanis possess in bountiful quantities.

[samran]

One of the things that struck me about the country (as opposed to the other gulf states) was that the locals there actually worked. 
 

As a country they haven’t become as addicted to O&G revenues as some of their neighbors which will stand them in good stead when there are inevitable shocks to these markets. 

[Estrada]

3 hours ago, 3MagicBeers said:

Totally agree with you - the Omanis are a welcoming, friendly and open people. As a 6 year old, I moved with my German parents to Muscat as my Dad was offered an expat placement working for PDO. In Oman was where I learnt English from scratch attended the Shell/PDO English schools. Back in 1980-84, we used to take long weekend roadtrips with hefty old Landrovers into the interior....Niswa, Bahla, the wadis of Jebel-Akbar....mud forts & watch towers, date plantations, ancient water irrigation channels, men with 19th century muskets! It was pure untouched country back then. 39 years later I can still remember the taste of freshly BBQ sardines with chili sauce offered to us on the beach by Omani fishermen tending their nets. Amazing place.

I was there many times from late '70s until 1992 working with J&P, Assarain, Omar Zawawi and Omzest Worked on the MAM depot, Royal Hospital, Bustan Palace Hotel, the Omzest textile mill and the University. I have met Sultan Qaboos several times at parties and the first Omani/Britain exhibition. The Omanis are nice people and the most of the ones I knew spent the hottest months in the U.K. We used to have great concerts at the Al Falaj which was owned by Dr Zawawi. Great times, I hope to go back and see what we achieved. Haitham is also a nice man and I believe he built the opera house.

 

[gamini]

lets have more of these interesting posts instead of the tedious uneducted Thai bashing posters

[samran]

23 minutes ago, gamini said:

lets have more of these interesting posts instead of the tedious uneducted Thai bashing posters

Fortunately there are plenty of similar stories that have, and still happen here in Thailand. You just won’t see them posted here...