NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Qaboos of Oman

Sayyed Qaboos bin Sa’id Al ‘Bu Sa’id GCB GCMG GCVO (Arabic: قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد born November 18, 1940 in Salalah) is the current Sultan of Oman. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Sa’id ibn Taimur, in 1970. He is the 14th descendant of the Al Bu Sa'id Dynasty.^[1] is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Salalah from space, November 2004 Classification City Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said Area ?,???kmÂ² [1] Population - Total (2005) - Density - Oman calculated rank 178,447[2] ???.??/kmÂ² 2nd Timezone: (UTC) +4 Latitude Longitude 17. ... The Dhofar (Arabic ظفار Ẓufār) region lies in Oman, east of Yemen. ... Said Bin Taimur (1910-1972) was the sultan of Muscat and Oman (the country later renamed to Oman) from 1932 to 1970. ... Said Bin Taimur (1910-1972) was the sultan of Muscat and Oman (the country later renamed to Oman) from 1932 to 1970. ... Sayyid (Arabic: Ø³ÙŠØ¯ also rendered as syed, seyyed, sayyed, saiyed, or sayed) is an honorific title often given to claimed descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Husayn and Hasan, the sons of his daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib (who was Muhammads... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Victoria founded the Royal Victorian Order. ... Arabic redirects here. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Salalah from space, November 2004 Classification City Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said Area ?,???kmÂ² [1] Population - Total (2005) - Density - Oman calculated rank 178,447[2] ???.??/kmÂ² 2nd Timezone: (UTC) +4 Latitude Longitude 17. ... For other uses, see Sultan (disambiguation). ... Said Bin Taimur (1910-1972) was the sultan of Muscat and Oman (the country later renamed to Oman) from 1932 to 1970. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Early life

Sultan Qaboos bin Said was born in Salalah in Dhofar on 18 November 1940. He is the only son of Sultan Said bin Taimur and is of the 8th generation of the Al Busaidi dynasty. He received his primary and secondary education in Salalah and at Pune, in India, and was sent to a private educational establishment in England at age sixteen. At the age of 20, he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After passing out of Sandhurst, he joined a British Infantry regiment, The Cameronians, and was posted to the 1st Battalion in Germany for one year and also held a staff appointment with the British Army. Salalah from space, November 2004 Classification City Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said Area ?,???kmÂ² [1] Population - Total (2005) - Density - Oman calculated rank 178,447[2] ???.??/kmÂ² 2nd Timezone: (UTC) +4 Latitude Longitude 17. ... The Dhofar (Arabic ظفار Ẓufār) region lies in Oman, east of Yemen. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst New Colours are presented to RMAS, June 2005. ... The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. ...

After his military service, Sultan Qaboos studied local government subjects in England and, after a world tour, returned home to Salalah where he studied Islam and the history of his country.

Rise to power

For six years prior to Sa’id ibn Taimur's overthrow, Qaboos was under virtual house arrest in the royal palace of Salalah. In July of 1970, soldiers supporting Qaboos clashed with forces loyal to Sa'id ibn Taimur, and deposed him.[3] Qaboos maintains that his father abdicated the throne.^[2] The British government helped to consolidate Qaboos' power. Qaboos acceded to the throne on 23 July 1970, moving to Muscat. There he declared that the country would no longer be known as Muscat and Oman, but would change its name to "the Sultanate of Oman" in order to better reflect its political unity. is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Muscat and Oman (Arabic:Ù…Ø³Ù‚Ø· ÙˆØ¹Ù…Ø§Ù†) was a country that encompassed the present day Sultanate of Oman and parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ...

The first pressing problem that Qaboos faced as Sultan was an armed Communist insurgency from South Yemen, the Dhofar War (1965-1975). The Sultanate eventually defeated the incursion with help from British special forces and the Royal Air Force. This article is about the form of society and political movement. ... Capital Aden Language(s) Arabic Government Socialist republic President Sam Hazlewood al-Attas Prime Minister Yasin Said Numan Historical era Cold War - Independence November 30, 1967 - UN membership December 14, 1967 - Constitution October 31, 1978 - Reunification May 22, 1990 Area - 1990 332,970 kmÂ² Population - 1990 est. ... Dhofar War - In 1964, a leftist separatist rebellion began in the Omani province of Dhofar; it was aided by South Yemen and to a lesser extent other Marxist states. ... RAF redirects here. ...

Reign as Sultan

The political system which Qaboos established is that of an absolute monarchy. Unlike the situation in neighboring Saudi Arabia, Qaboos' decisions are not subject to modification by other members of Oman's sultanic family. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941), is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government where the monarch has the power to rule his or her land or country and its citizens freely, with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition in force. ... This article is about the monarchy-related concept. ...

Government decisions are said to be made through a process of decision-making by "consensus" with federal, provincial, local and tribal representatives. Critics allege that Qaboos exercises de facto control of this process. Qaboos also regularly engages in tours of his realm, in which any citizen with a grievance or request is (at least in theory) allowed to appeal to the sultan in person. Critics claim these meetings to be scripted as well. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without...

More recently Qaboos has allowed parliamentary elections (in which women have voted and stood as candidates), and pledged greater openness and participation in government. As yet, however, this parliament lacks substantial political power. Oman has a bicameral parliament. ...

Qaboos's supporters point to his relative success in governing the country. By Gulf standards, Oman boasts good public order (it is basically a safe country, even for foreigners), middling prosperity (given its level of oil revenues) and a relatively permissive society. Since Qaboos acceded to the throne, Oman has broadened international relations, allowed newspapers, established high schools, built highways, opened hotels and shopping malls, and spends a substantial portion of its dwindling oil revenues on health care and education.^[2] Full democracy, they say, might threaten these accomplishments. Prosperity is best achieved when one creates wealth with wealth, be it ones own wealth (equity) or the wealth of another (debt). ... High school, or secondary school, is the last segment of compulsory education in Hong Kong, United States, Australia, Canada, China, Korea and Japan. ... For the traditional meaning of the word mall, see pedestrian street or promenade. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ...

Unlike the heads of other Gulf states, Qaboos has not publicly named an heir. Article 6 of the constitution actually provides that the Ruling Family Council chooses the successor after the throne becomes vacant, and that the sultan's preference, to be expressed in an official letter (which Qaboos maintains has already been sealed and delivered to the defense minister), is only resorted to in the event of lack of familial consensus. Critics fear, however, that the resulting uncertainty could inspire a power struggle among members of the dynasty and/or the military. A power vacuum could thus coincide with the expected depletion of Oman's oil supplies, threatening the nation's continued peace and prosperity. It has been suggested that Arab states of the Persian Gulf be merged into this article or section. ... Contrasting with heir presumptive, an heir apparent is one who cannot be prevented from inheriting by the birth of any other person. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. ... Coup redirects here. ... A power vacuum is an expression for a political situation that can occur when a government has no identifiable central authority. ...

In 1998, Qaboos was presented with the International Peace Award by the National Council on US-Arab relations. He also forges and maintains good relations with other Arab States and partners in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC).

Personal

Sultan Qaboos is a Muslim of the Ibadhi sect, with Yemeni roots, which has traditionally ruled Oman. (Though Ibadhis are the majority in Oman, with Sunnis a minority, exact percentages are unavailable; 75% for the Ibadhis is often cited, while the Sunnis, followed by local Shiites and foreign Hindus, Christians, and others make up the remaining 25%.) A religious liberal, he has financed the construction or maintenance of a number of mosques, as well as the holy places of other religions. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Al-Ibadhiyah is a form of Islam distinct from the Shiite and Sunni sects. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ...

Qaboos was married in 1976 to his cousin, Kamila, née Sayyida Nawwal bint Tariq (born 1951), daughter of HH Sayyed Tariq bin Taimur al-Said,^[3] but the marriage soon ended in divorce. He has no children. Within Oman, the rumor that Qaboos has lived a homosexual lifestyle may, to an unknown degree, have diminished respect for him, both as an observant Muslim, and as a monarch perceived as not taking adequate measures to groom a dynastic successor.^[4] This article is about the honorific. ... Highness, often used with a personal possessive pronoun (His/Her/Your Highness, the first two abbreviated HH) is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty (such as Royal Highness, Imperial Highness) in an address. ... Look up rumour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue. ... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ...

He is an avid listener to and promoter of classical music. His 120 member orchestra has a high reputation in the Middle East. Although initially trained by British professionals (who were paid much more than Omanis, but no more than was standard for London, whence most were recruited), the orchestra consists entirely of young Omanis who, since 1986, audition as children and grow up as members of the symphonic ensemble. They play locally and travel abroad with the sultan (although not to Salafi Saudi Arabia, because the orchestra mixes male and female musicians).^[2] Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin was commissioned to compose a work entitled Symphonic Impressions of Oman^[5] and is particularly enthusiastic about the pipe organ.^[6] Such cultural innovations by the sultan have, however, been criticised as "just wasted money" because, as an Omani professional observed in 2001, "music diverts us from being serious about religion."^[2] This article is about Western art music from 1000 AD to the 2000s . ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist. ... A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music. ... This article is on an Islamic movement. ... Lalo Schifrin Lalo Schifrin (born on June 21, 1932) is an Argentine Jewish pianist and composer, most famous for composing the burning-fuse theme tune from the Mission:Impossible television series. ... The baroque organ in Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by forcing pressurized air (referred to as wind) through a series of pipes. ...

Succession

The line of succession is unclear in Oman where possession of the throne represents 'nine tenths of the law'. Sultan Qaboos deposed his own father. His father had replaced his grandfather after what may have been a forced abdication. Sultan Qaboos has no children and has three sisters. There are other male membes of the Omani royal family such as several brothers of his father who are still alive and their families. Using primogeniture the successor to Qaboos would appear to be the children of his elderly uncle Prince Sayyid Majid bin Taimur al-Sa'id, the Wali of Birka (born 1919). [4]. Nevertheless, because no successor has been named the transfer of royal power following the end of Qaboos's reign is likely to be fractious. Primogeniture is the common law right of the first born son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings. ...

Honours

Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... Admiral of the Fleet is a supreme naval position that has existed in historical navies and still exists in several modern-day navies. ... Marshal of the Air Force is both a generic term for the most senior rank in an air force, equivalent to Field Marshal or Fleet Admiral and, in some air forces, a rank title. ... UK insignia for a full General General is a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. ...

Contents

Early life

Rise to power

Reign as Sultan

Personal

Succession

Honours

See also

References

External links