US President Donald Trump while expressing his condolences over the death of Sultan Qaboos of Oman, he said, “As the longest-serving leader in the Middle East, Sultan Qaboos brought peace and prosperity to his country and was a friend to all."
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Trump's words, unlike most other times, made sense this time around, as most world leaders seemed to be in sync when they expressed how they felt about the Sultan of Oman who passed away on January 10.
"His unprecedented efforts to engage in dialogue and achieve peace in the region showed us the importance of listening to all viewpoints. Sultan Qaboos was a true partner and friend to the United States, working with nine different American presidents," Trump said.
"I will always cherish the warmth and affection I received from him. May his soul rest in peace," Indian PM Narendra Modi said.
“He was a visionary and transformed Oman into a vibrant, modern state. Oman has lost a beloved leader and Pakistan a close, trusted friend. May his soul rest in eternal peace.” said Pakistan's, PM Imran Khan.
Even the Queen of England, Elizabeth II remembered the Sultan as "He was a good friend of my family and the United Kingdom, and we are thankful for all he did to further strengthen the bond of friendship between our countries.”
She added that he ruled Oman with "wise leadership" and "commitment to peace and understanding between nations and between faiths".
Surely, a leader that elicits tributes of such measure is a beloved one. And without doubt, he was— the private Sultan who received military training from Sandhurst Royal Military Academy was called 'the renaissance' for investing the nation's income from oil in infrastructure.
Qaboos is known to have reformed Oman's image from being a poverty-stricken country torn by dissent into a prosperous nation.
The Arab world's longest-reigning ruler took over his father post a palace coup in 1970.
Qaboos maintained good ties with regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. Not only did this make his capital a must-stop for Western and Arab diplomats and military chiefs, but it also benefited Oman largely, which is strategically located on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow seaway through which much of the world's oil supply passes. The strait also lies between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The sultan's first foreign trip was to Iran, whose shah and the British helped him quell the Marxist insurgency he inherited from his father in the restive Dhofar region. Those ties endured through Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that ushered in a Shiite theocracy. Oman also served as a mediator for talks between the US and Iran, that led to the landmark nuclear deal in 2015.
Qaboos towards preserving ties with Saudi Arabia and the rest of the wealthy six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to which Oman belongs, while sticking to his principle of non-interference. In 2015, Oman was the only GCC country not to join a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. In October 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held surprise talks with Qaboos in Muscat — This raised Palestinian fears of a normalisation of ties. Qaboos, in his first years as ruler, worked to cultivate the respect of his countrymen, from the mountainous interior to the coast.
