Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the ruler of Oman and the longest-serving leader of the Arab world, died at 79.
Said overthrew his father in a bloodless 1970 coup and since then worked to tighten ties with Western countries. He pushed to allow further involvement of women in government, politics, and sports after he permitted them to work in the 1990s.
The government has called for three days of national mourning, and just hours after announcing the death, it declared 65-year-old Haitham bin Tariq al Said as the new ruler.
The U.S. Embassy in Oman issued a statement calling Qaboos a “visionary.”
“We have lost one of the world’s great leaders — a visionary responsible for Oman’s prosperity and progress for the last half century,” the embassy said in a tweet. “His steadfast leadership embodied his sincerity, his generosity, his tolerance, and his deep love for his country.
“His Majesty Sultan Qaboos will be missed not only by the people of Oman, but also by his friends and admirers the world over, including in the United States,” he added.
We offer deepest condolences and sympathy to His Majesty’s family and to the people of the Sultanate of Oman
— U.S. Embassy Muscat (@USEmbMuscat) January 11, 2020
Former President George W. Bush pointed out that under Qaboos’s rule, Oman was a country of peace in a turbulent region.
“His Majesty had a vision for a modern, prosperous, and peaceful Oman, and he willed that vision into reality,” Bush said. “Laura and I are fortunate to have visited him in Muscat last fall. We enjoyed his grand hospitality, and we saw how his able leadership improved education, healthcare, and the arts throughout the beautiful country of Oman.”
