THE demise of Oman’s Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said sad
dened and aggrieved everybody, however, it was heartening to see a smooth and peaceful transition of power in the country. This orderly transition in fact is best tribute to legacy of late leader who will always be remembered for extraordinary work he undertook in his five decade rule not only to transform his country into a vibrant society but also for regional and world peace at large.
Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the former culture minister, sworn in as Oman’s new Sultan just hours after the announcement of death of Sultan Qaboos. The Royal family of Oman really deserves appreciation for the farsightedness it showed by appointing the one chosen by late Sultan, thus avoiding any controversy and disagreement on an important issue. Sultan Haitham is a career diplomat and as minister of national heritage and culture really projected the soft and positive image of Oman. Sultan Haitham has years of experience with the foreign ministry starting in 1986 and served previously as foreign ministry’s undersecretary for political affairs and its secretary general. Since he has closely worked with Sultan Qaboos and remained part of decision process at the top level, we are confident that he will take forward his country on path of progress and development but also play a leading role in defusing current tension in the Middle East. In the regional matters, the role of Oman has always remained very significant and is seen as a honest and genuine broker. In 2015, Oman played a very crucial role in secret negotiations leading to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.
As clouds of a conflict are hovering over the region ever since the assassination of top Iranian commander, the Omani leadership in cooperation with other regional countries including Pakistan need to play a pivotal role to ease the tension. The new Sultan has made a very positive start by promising, in his first televised address, to uphold Muscat’s policy of peaceful coexistence and friendly relations with all nations and continue to assist in resolving disputes peacefully. Apart from visiting Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States, our foreign minister must also immediately engage with new Omani leadership and find ways to avoid a flare-up in the region spiralling out of control, and both countries also look for ways and means to further expand their bilateral relations in diverse fields for mutual benefit of their peoples.
