Qaboos bin Said Al Said
Sayyed Qaboos ibn Sa'id Al Sa'id is the current Sultan of Oman. He rose to power after overthrowing his father, Sa'id ibn Taimur, in 1970.
As Oman is a traditional Islamic sultanate, Qaboos holds absolute power. He holds the portfolios of the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Defense Minister and Finance Minister. Despite his wealth and power, he is generally regarded as a benevolent ruler who pursues moderate ideological goals. The Sultan is also credited with modernizing his country with modest oil profits.
The first immediate problem that Qaboos faced was an armed Communist insurgency from South Yemen. The Sultan quickly defeated the incursion with little external aid.
In the last few years, Oman has made great strides towards democracy. Free and fair parliamentary elections (in which women have voted and stood as candidates) have been held and the Sultan has pledged greater openness and participation in government.
Much of the country's decision-making is carried out by consensus with federal, provincial, local and tribal representatives.
Referenced By
Foreign relations of Oman | History of Oman | ISO 3166-1:OM | Oman | Oman/History | Oman/Transnational issues | Sultan of Oman
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