Forty days have passed since the death of Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, marking the end of one era and the dawn of another. With the official period of mourning having come to a close on Wednesday and national flags across the sultanate flying full mast once again, it is important to remember the legacy of Oman's departed leader – but also to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the country and its new head of state, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.
The longest-serving ruler in the Middle East, Sultan Qaboos was a father figure to Oman’s more than 4 million residents for almost half a century, a period during which he transformed what was once a sleepy and closed-off nation into a stable, progressive and relatively well-off one.
Indeed, after he succeeded his father in 1970 at the age of 29, Sultan Qaboos ushered in a period of development in Oman, which reportedly had only 12 hospital beds, 10 kilometres of surfaced roads and three primary schools – all of them for boys. He invested revenue from the oil industry into building critical infrastructure, while uniting the country and championing a tolerant society.
And while Sultan Qaboos will be remembered as the great moderniser of Oman, it is just as important to recognise him as a foreign policy pragmatist who played the role of a mediator between the region's awkward neighbours. A founding member of the Gulf Co-operation Council in 1981 – in the midst of the Iran-Iraq War – he also maintained dialogue with the regime in Tehran.
Unsurprisingly, Sultan Qaboos' agenda both at home and abroad were intrinsically linked to each other. In his tribute for The National, the former British prime minister Tony Blair wrote that a great source of the sultan's anxiety was the adverse impact regional instability could have on Oman's path to development. "He would take me outside the room we were in, point across the sea towards Iran and say: 'You see this short distance, that is why we cannot afford conflict'," Mr Blair recalled.
It is this pragmatic approach that last month ensured a smooth transition of power. Despite concerns that no successor had been announced for years, a new ruler was named within hours of his death when a sealed envelope was opened on January 10.
Read More on Sultan Qaboos
The ascension of Sultan Haitham should no doubt signal a continuity of his predecessor's policies. While facing a daunting task trying to follow in the footsteps of Sultan Qaboos, it is worth pointing out that he is well qualified for the top job. Formerly the culture minister, his 18-year stint in the foreign ministry will prove useful as Oman continues to play the balancing role in the Middle East at a time of great strife in parts of the region.
He has also taken over the reins at a difficult time for the global economy, reflecting on his country’s financial state. Real GDP growth, which turned negative in 2017, remained low last year. The Omani population is also one of the youngest in the world – 46 per cent of its citizens are under 19 – which is always a blessing and a responsibility for policymakers.
However, as chairman of the committee that two years ago unveiled Oman's Vision 2040 – the government's strategy to diversify the economy away from oil while targeting a growth rate of five per cent per year in 20 years' time – Sultan Haitham already has a set of goals to achieve, as well as a blueprint on how to go about achieving them.
He deserves all the support he can get from the region and the wider world as Oman begins a new chapter in its history.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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.
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Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
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Rating: 4/5
