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Sultan Kabus dies at 79 and leaves a special letter

Sultan Kabus transformed Oman almost from scratch into a modern state. Now the beloved and absolute ruler died. He leaves no offspring. But a legendary envelope.

When an absolute ruler dies and his subjects cry, it makes you initially skeptical. Brainwashing, coercion, acting? in the Oman the grief, on the other hand, is real. Because the people loved their “father”. And that despite the fact that the Omanis were denied real participation. Sultan Kabus died after a serious illness and for almost 50 years as ruler of the Arab state.

When he took power on July 23, 1970 and banished his father to the old part, the country had only ten kilometers of paved road. “There were no gardens, no streets, no (electric) lights,” said a taxi driver as his fully air-conditioned car slid over one of the perfectly paved lanes in the capital city of Muscat.

The streets are just one example of the achievements of the Kabus era. Medical care was free of charge and even reached western levels in the cities. Schools are also free of charge. Pensions for the elderly, widows and orphans and a minimum wage were also introduced. Oil has made Oman and its people wealthy, but not as megalomaniacal as other Gulf States.

Undisputed sole ruler

Stability and prosperity made Kabus the undisputed sole ruler. And this despite the fact that he denied his people freedom rights, for which uprisings broke out in other countries. The media in the Sultanate are controlled, there is only limited political participation – even if the ruler was very sensitive to responding to the needs of different parts of society.

Human rights organizations criticize the limited freedom of expression and assembly. Human Rights Watch reported prison terms for Facebook and Twitter users who allegedly offended God or the Sultan. But in Oman it remained comparatively calm even during the wildfire of the Arab uprisings in 2011. The ruler enacted minor reforms. The year of the overturn passed him unscathed.

Kabus also developed the country into a leading mediator in international diplomacy. Many international conflicts were negotiated in and with Oman. The basis for the nuclear deal with Iran was also created in the Sultanate. The prerequisite for this was that Oman had made a name for itself as “Switzerland of the Middle East” and was considered neutral.

“The Sultanate has a good relationship with all countries. This is one of the cornerstones of Oman’s relationship with all countries,” said Foreign Minister Jusuf Bin Alawi. A phrase-like quote. Still an accurate one.

“Switzerland of the Middle East”

Kabus has hardly appeared in public in recent years and mostly sent its ministers. In the magnificent snow-white opera Maskats, which opened in 2011, one chair has remained empty for years: the Sultan’s opera throne covered with red velvet. At times, Kabus had to be treated in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Kabus liked to travel to the Bavarian city, where he owned a house – and always came back until shortly before his death. The man with the accurately trimmed white beard suffered from cancer, according to media reports.

The childless cabin had also provided for the day of the day with a letter legendary in the Sultanate. In it, he specified who should be his successor. The sealed envelope was opened on Saturday in the country’s Defense Council and then the deceased’s last will was read: the new ruler is his 65-year-old cousin Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, previously Minister of Culture. He took his oath on Saturday.

The new sultan faces major challenges. Similar to Saudi Arabia, his household is largely made up of oil money that will one day run out. The region also remains conflict-ridden. Oman is experiencing the Iran crisis and the civil war in neighboring Yemen up close. Like his predecessor, Sultan Haitham wants to act as an intermediary and maintain good relationships with everyone. A lot of work is waiting for him. And a people whose love he must first earn.

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