As the longest-serving ruler in the Middle East, Sultan Qaboos deserves enormous credit for the contribution he made in his efforts to maintain the security and stability in the region as well as his own country.
By far his most notable achievement was in bringing political stability to Oman, a country that underwent a radical transformation during his reign, which started in 1970 when he succeeded his father and began the transformation of Oman in to a modern state.
At the time of his accession, Oman is reported to have possessed only 12 hospital beds, six miles of surfaced roads and three primary schools – all of them for boys. Radios were banned and civilians were not allowed to drive. The gates of Muscat were closed every evening, and residents of the city were required to carry lanterns if they went out after dark.
A week after succeeding his father, at the age of 29, Qaboos visited the capital, Muscat, and committed himself to modernising the country. “It was”, he said later, “a new dawn”.
His reform programme was helped immensely by the fact that in the mid-1970s Oman’s oil industry was developing fast, thereby allowing Qaboos to invest the revenue in the development of his country. He ensured that those resources were committed to improving Oman on every front.
But in order to stabilise the country, Qaboos needed to quell the guerrilla insurgency in Dhofar province, where his enemies were armed and supplied by the Marxist leadership in neighbouring South Yemen.
The origins of the rebellion dated back to the early 1960s, but its high-water mark of military success was reached in 1970 when the insurgents, 96 members of the South Yemeni-supported Popular Front for the Liberation of the Arab Gulf controlled all of Dhofar except for the RAF base at Salalah.
A committed Anglophile, Qaboos had been educated by British tutors and at the Sandhurst Military Academy, he relied on Britain’s elite SAS to support Omanis working to defeat the rebels. By 1975, after some bitter fighting, the last rebel town, Rakhyut, was recaptured, and on December 11, he declared the war was officially over.
After the successful resolution of the conflict, Qaboos continued to maintain his close relationship with the British. When he decided to create an air force in 1974, he entrusted the task to Air Marshal Sir Erik Bennett, an RAF officer who was then serving as air adviser to King Hussein of Jordan. Their personal bond grew stronger when the two men narrowly survived a car accident in Oman 1995.
Qaboos also proved adept in the statesmanlike role he performed beyond Omani shores, where he won respect for the skill he displayed in steering Oman along a middle path through the tricky landscape of Middle Eastern diplomacy.
He insisted on maintaining ties with all sides and set his role as a mediator. When the Arab world cut off Egypt in 1977 for establishing ties with Israel, Muscat maintained its links with Cairo.
The Sultan had ties with various countries and sides, adopting a neutral stance wherever possible. While having strong relations with the United Kingdom and the United States, he was among the first to foster ties with China and Russia.
He was always wary of adopting extreme positions, and, while remaining a close ally of the West, also managed to maintain good links with Iran, to the extent that, when US President Barack Obama sought to open a backchannel to Tehran for secret talks over the nuclear programme, it was natural for the Americans to turn to Oman.
Qaboos helped to arrange a series of covert meetings between US and Iranian officials in 2013. When an interim agreement was reached in Geneva in November of that year imposing constraints on Iran’s nuclear programme, all the groundwork had been laid via the “Oman channel” – as diplomats called his discreet efforts.
But Qaboos also remained well aware of the potential threat Iran posed to Gulf security. Following the revolution in Iran in 1979, and the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war the following year, he opted for Oman to join the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.
Oman’s geographical location close to the Strait of Hormuz meant that the country’s vulnerability was always uppermost in his mind, leading him to sign a military access agreement with the United States, which resulted in joint manoeuvres being carried out to test the readiness of the US Rapid Deployment Force.
More recently, one of his last acts was to sign a military cooperation pact with Britain that resulted in the opening of a new British base in Oman.
He was also known for his love of culture and music, in addition to being an avid reader.
In 1985, he established one of the most well-known symphony orchestras in the Arab world. All the musicians were to be Omani and it helped foster a unique musical standing for Muscat in the region. All training was also conducted in Oman and on July 1, 1987, the Royal Omani Symphony Orchestra performed its first concert. In 1988, women were admitted to the orchestra, a bold move at the time.
In 2001, he announced plans to build an opera house in Muscat. The Royal Opera House opened ten years later, in 2011, with a production of Turandot, and continues to host a busy and vibrant cultural programme.
Sultan Qaboos will be remembered for the development his country achieved under his watch and the unique role he carved out for it regionally and internationally.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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