Sultan Qaboos
Sultan Qaboos
Sultan Qaboos ibn Said al Said ruled from July 23, 1970, until his death on January 10, 2020, in Oman. His successor is his cousin Haitham ibn Tariq. As an absolute ruler, the Sultan is the chairman of a cabinet, holding the most important positions himself in this cabinet and appointing other ministers according to his will. There are no free elections for the people, no parliament with political or personnel powers, or other democratic institutions in Oman. The Sultan unites the executive, judicial, and legislative branches in himself. Qaboos held absolute power in his sultanate, which is comparable in size to Germany and possesses a significant share of the world's oil reserves. Qaboos ibn Said al Said ruled for a total of five decades and transformed Oman into a very progressive state in the Arab world.
Before his term
Born on November 18, 1940, Qaboos grew up in the south of Oman. At 16, he was sent to England to attend a private school, which later reflected in his modern thinking regarding Oman. It was there that he first came into contact with the Western world. He took as much information, knowledge, and experience as possible. By then, Qaboos was already anchored in the consciousness of the cultural and historical responsibility he bore as the eighth descendant of the Al-Bu-Said dynasty, founded in 1744 by Imam Ahmed ibn Said. His ancestor was the one who ended the long and bloody civil war that had prevailed in the country up to that point and united Oman. Qaboos served as a cadet of the military academy in the British Army at Sandhurst, studied administration, and took a three-month journey around the world. Even at that time, Qaboos was very open-minded and became Sultan of Oman in 1970.
Qaboos' goals
Even in his inaugural speech, the then 30-year-old Sultan promised his people to lead them economically, culturally, and in the field of education into a new era. He succeeded in this. A functioning education system , a moderate interpretation of Islam, and a functioning government under the absolute leadership of the Sultan, as well as a flourishing economy and a people blessed with a certain wealth who know how to preserve the traditions of their ancestors without falling into extremism, are today the results of his decades of work.
Discover Oman with experts who have called it their home
Your dream holiday, tailor-made by experts.
We don't just know Oman from books, we visit the country several times a year to experience the culture, landscape and people first-hand.
From your first enquiry to your return home, we are there for you personally - by phone, email or WhatsApp, whenever you need us. Our trips are as unique as you are: individually planned and provided with exclusive privileges and high-quality arrangements that will make your trip unforgettable.
Experts for your Oman trip
You might also like this
Vaccinations and Health Precautions for Oman
Standard and Special Vaccination Recommendations for Oman If you're planning a trip to Oman, it's important to consider recommended vaccinations and health precautions well in advance. While some vaccinations are part of general travel preparation, others may be advisable depending on the length of stay, planned activities, and personal risk factors. Standard Vaccinations Regardless of your travel itinerary, all travelers should ensure their routine vaccinations are up to date. These include: Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Whooping Cough) – A booster shot is recommended every ten years. P...
Sea turtles
Sea turtles and the coastal landscape of Oman have formed a symbiosis for thousands of years. These prehistoric reptiles are, however, threatened with extinction and are protected worldwide. For this reason, the government of Oman has established several nature reserves along the coast. The approximately 2000 km long coastline of the country serves as an important site for egg-laying and thus reproduction for sea turtles. It is the most important breeding ground for sea turtles in the Indian Ocean. Of the seven species of sea turtles that live worldwide, five nest on the beaches of Oman. This ...
Education System
When Sultan Qaboos Ibn Said seized power in 1970, the education system in the country was outdated and in no way future-oriented. There were only three boys' primary schools in the largest cities of the country, alongside the exclusively religiously motivated Quran school. At that time, only about 900 students were taught by 30 teachers. Given the population of approximately 700,000, the number of students at that time was very small. From the beginning of his reign, Sultan Qaboos had the plan to lead his people into an era of prosperity and progress. His success in this can be attributed, on...