• Sayyid Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said lived in this semi-detached Victorian home in Southsea, Portsmouth. Stephen Lock for The National
    Sayyid Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said lived in this semi-detached Victorian home in Southsea, Portsmouth. Stephen Lock for The National
  • Sayyid Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said with his wife and children at the St James' Hotel, London, in January 1964. Getty Images
    Sayyid Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Said with his wife and children at the St James' Hotel, London, in January 1964. Getty Images
  • A portrait of the former Sultan from 1964. Getty Images
    A portrait of the former Sultan from 1964. Getty Images
  • Al Said spent more than 50 years living in Southsea. Stephen Lock for The National
    Al Said spent more than 50 years living in Southsea. Stephen Lock for The National
  • Neighbours Chris and Ellie Creed described the former sultan as “a very lovely" if somewhat reticent gentleman who often spoke about the weather. Stephen Lock for The National
    Neighbours Chris and Ellie Creed described the former sultan as “a very lovely" if somewhat reticent gentleman who often spoke about the weather. Stephen Lock for The National
  • Local ward councillor Hugh Mason said Al Said was a quiet and friendly man who kept to himself. Stephen Lock for The National
    Local ward councillor Hugh Mason said Al Said was a quiet and friendly man who kept to himself. Stephen Lock for The National
  • Mason says there was a sizeable Arab Zanzibarian community in Al Said’s early years in Southsea. Stephen Lock for The National
    Mason says there was a sizeable Arab Zanzibarian community in Al Said’s early years in Southsea. Stephen Lock for The National
  • A view of Southsea pier. Stephen Lock for The National
    A view of Southsea pier. Stephen Lock for The National
  • Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. Stephen Lock for The National
    Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. Stephen Lock for The National

Sultan of Zanzibar was our neighbour: English life with a reserved royal resident


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

In the resort of Southsea on the English southern coast, neighbours remember the last Sultan of Zanzibar as a quiet man with few trappings of royalty except for a beautiful red Mercedes that was washed every week or two.

Sayyid Jamshid Al Said fled his home on the east coast of Zanzibar in 1964 amid a violent coup only a month after the idyllic island gained independence from Britain and six months into his own reign. Denied long-term refuge in Oman, to where many from Zanzibar trace their lineage, the British government instead stepped in.

Now 91, he spent more than 50 years living in Southsea, Portsmouth, on a quiet street not far from where some of the British Navy’s most powerful assets are stationed.

Jamshid bin Abdullah, the last Sultan of Zanzibar, in exile with his wife Sheikha Anisa bint Salim Al Said and children at the St James' Hotel, London, after the Zanzibar Revolution, 21st January 1964. (Photo by Robertson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Jamshid bin Abdullah, the last Sultan of Zanzibar, in exile with his wife Sheikha Anisa bint Salim Al Said and children at the St James' Hotel, London, after the Zanzibar Revolution, 21st January 1964. (Photo by Robertson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, he left his long-time home – with no fanfare, according to residents who knew him – after finally being granted his wish to live in Oman by the new ruler in Muscat and his distant relative, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

Local ward councillor Hugh Mason says there was a sizeable Arab community from Zanzibar in Mr Al Said’s early years in Southsea, although it has since declined.

Mr Mason – who has been a councillor for 16 years and has lived locally for four decades – describes Mr Al Said as a quiet and friendly man who kept to himself.

“It’s the type of place where the Sultan of Zanzibar would not have looked out of place in the street,” Mr Mason said.

“If he didn’t draw attention to himself by any means – which he didn’t – you would not notice him. There were probably quite a number of people in Albert Grove who did not know he lived there,” he says, referring to a road adjoining Victoria Grove where Mr Al Said lived.

While Mr Mason’s dealings with the last Sultan of Zanzibar were limited to the two men bumping into each other on the street, an image comes across of a quiet but respectful man.

“He was not flamboyant in any way,” says Mr Mason, who adds that he was typically neatly dressed in western clothes and courteous in the street, but played no part in local affairs.

“His neighbours spoke of his collection of Zanzibari items and he was always showing people his stamp collection. He had all the stamps from Zanzibar from the 1860s right the way through to the 1960s. He was rather proud of that.” Whether his face adorned any of the stamps in the collection is not known, but some were printed by him.

Few visited Mr Al Said’s residence and those that did appeared to be family members or those with connections to Zanzibar.

  • An Omani family by the waterfront in the Mutrah area of the capital Muscat. AFP
    An Omani family by the waterfront in the Mutrah area of the capital Muscat. AFP
  • A man stands at a souvenir shop in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP
    A man stands at a souvenir shop in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP
  • Visitors walk through Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP
    Visitors walk through Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the Omani capital Muscat. AFP
  • The Nizwa mosque is seen from the Nizwa fort. AFP
    The Nizwa mosque is seen from the Nizwa fort. AFP
  • A view from the walls of the Nizwa Fort, a 17th-century fortification in the city of the same name, about 160 kilometres southwest of the capital Muscat. AFP
    A view from the walls of the Nizwa Fort, a 17th-century fortification in the city of the same name, about 160 kilometres southwest of the capital Muscat. AFP
  • Tourists swim at Wadi Shab in the Sharqiyah region. AFP
    Tourists swim at Wadi Shab in the Sharqiyah region. AFP
  • A general view shows Al Maghseel beach in Salalah, Dhofar province, Oman. Reuters
    A general view shows Al Maghseel beach in Salalah, Dhofar province, Oman. Reuters
  • Tourists visit a cave at Ain Razat, a water spring in Salalah, Dhofar province, Oman. Reuters
    Tourists visit a cave at Ain Razat, a water spring in Salalah, Dhofar province, Oman. Reuters
  • The Wahiba Sands (Ramlat al-Wahiba) in Oman. Getty Images
    The Wahiba Sands (Ramlat al-Wahiba) in Oman. Getty Images
  • A green turtle, Ras Al Jinz, Oman. Getty Images
    A green turtle, Ras Al Jinz, Oman. Getty Images
  • An old village with terraces to grow roses, Jebel Akhdar, Sayq, Oman. Getty Images
    An old village with terraces to grow roses, Jebel Akhdar, Sayq, Oman. Getty Images

Mr Mason says that 30 or 40 years ago it was common knowledge that the former Sultan was a local resident, but that appeared to be less and less the case as the years rolled by.

“He didn’t socialise with anybody in this neighbourhood. This end of the street, we’re all friends and there are always lots of things going on,” says Ellie Creed, who lives on Victoria Grove.

Her husband Chris was one of the few who did briefly go inside Mr Al Said’s home, around 15 years ago. He describes the former sultan as “a very lovely gentleman” who would often talk about the weather.

“There was no sense of him being important,” he added.

Mr Creed says there were no outlandish trappings of royalty. If anything, it was quite a dark place and certainly did not seem particularly grand, although Mr Al Said clearly cared for his Mercedes saloon, which was washed by a local man every week or two.

“He had a lovely car. It was a beautiful red Mercedes. It got more and more beautiful because it must have been about 30 years old.”

Mr Al Said had always wanted to spend his last years in Oman, a country with historic links to Zanzibar and where his family lived, but had been denied on security grounds. Earlier this month, it emerged he had finally been granted his wish.

At the semi-detached Victorian home on Victoria Grove, the curtains are shut and knocks on the door went unanswered – as they also did at a next-door property believed to have housed some of Mr Al Said’s family members.

“He just slid away,” said Mr Mason, who added he was sad to see him go. “The place needs local characters and I’m sorry that he’s gone.”

Mr Creed believes a blue plaque should be placed outside the former Sultan’s property, to commemorate its links to a person of such importance.

“I had realised recently that I hadn’t seen him for a while. Over the last months that we’ve had the lockdown, I don’t actually know when I last saw him.”

As neighbours go, the former Sultan was ideal, Mr Creed says. “I would have liked the chance to have said good luck and goodbye and ‘I hope it works out for you’.

“He added to our area, he’s missed and we wish him luck.”

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

The specs

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About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
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David Haye record

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Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

The bio

Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions

School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira

Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

Dream City: San Francisco

Hometown: Dubai

City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara

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Racecard

6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m

7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m

7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m

8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m

8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

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GOLF’S RAHMBO

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Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5