by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2014

Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman – photo: Wikipedia

Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman was born on November 18, 1940, in Salalah, Oman, the only son of Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman, and his second wife, Princess Mazoon bint Ahmed Ali al-Maashani.

Qaboos was educated initially in Oman, and from 1958-1960, attended a private boarding school in the United Kingdom. In 1960, he enrolled in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating two years later. He joined the British Army, serving with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) for a year in Germany. Following his military service, he returned to the United Kingdom for a year, studying local government systems and taking several courses in management. Following a world tour, he returned to Oman in 1964.

In 1970, Qaboos staged a coup that overthrew his father as Sultan. His father was exiled to the UNited Kingdom, where he lived at the Dorchester Hotel in London until his death in 1972. Sultan Qaboos immediately began efforts to modernize and develop the country, even changing the name to The Sultanate of Oman.

In March 1976, he married his first cousin, Nawwal bint Tariq Al-Said, daughter of his uncle Tariq Al-Said. The couple had no children, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1979.

The Sultan with Queen Elizabeth II  and Duke of Edinburgh on a state visit to Oman, 2010; Photo – Zimbio

Qaboos was a lover of classical music and established his own symphony orchestra in the mid-1980s. This orchestra performs locally in Oman and very often accompanied the Sultan when he traveled abroad. The Sultan’s other interests included horses, the arts, and shooting.

Qaboos had been under treatment for colon cancer since at least 2014 and had spent much time in Germany undergoing treatment. In December 2019, he traveled to Belgium for medical treatment.

Qaboos bin Said Al Said, Sultan of Oman died at the Al Alam Palace in Muscat, Oman on January 10, 2020, at the age of 79.  “With great sorrow and deep sadness… the royal court mourns His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who passed away on Friday,” said a statement from the royal court.  The funeral of the late Qaboos bin Said Al Said was held on January 11, 2020, the day after his death, at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and he was buried at the Royal Cemetery in Muscat.

Qaboos was succeeded by his first cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said who was named Sultan of Oman after a sealed letter from Qaboos was opened identifying whom he wished to take his place.

Embed from Getty Images 
Qaboos’ successor, the newly sworn-in Sultan Haitham, on the right, carries his coffin during the burial

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