Sultan Qaboos bin Said death: Modernising and long-serving Omani leader dies aged 79

The Middle East’s longest-ruling leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, has died, state media has reported. Sultan Qaboos, who had been unwell in recent years and often travelled outside Oman for treatment, seized power in a palace coup from his father in 1970. The widely respected although authoritarian monarch then ruled the small Gulf nation for almost 50 years, leading his country into modernity and developing a reputation for nimble independence among the heavyweight powers in the region. Download the new Independent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines Download now Aged 79, Sultan Qaboos had no children and did not publicly name a successor, but state TV reported...