It is with great sadness that the Sultan's Armed Forces Association mourns the death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. His wise guidance over many years has supported his people in enabling the whole country to develop steadily and prosper greatly – earning a recognition and respect that reaches widely into other nations.
The memories of the Association’s members stretch back to the early and more challenging times after His Majesty’s accession and the start of Renaissance. It is with great pride that we have shared parts of that journey and been able to witness Oman’s many subsequent achievements. We have been particularly grateful for the interest that His Majesty had continued to show in the Association, and the warmth of the enduring friendships.
Sultan Qaboos graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1962. He then served in the Cameronians from where he retained a passion for pipe bands. He succeeded his father on 23 July 1970 and over the next fifty years implemented significant socio-economic reforms to bring Oman into the 21st century creating a stable country in an unstable region.
Returning to Sandhurst in 1983, Sultan Qaboos took the salute at the Sovereign’s Parade. Recalling his own military training, he declared, "The values I absorbed have remained with me for ever afterwards. … I learnt that discipline is not just something one imposes on others, it is something that one has to, above all, apply to oneself, if one is to be a worthy leader of men. I also learnt the true meaning of service, that is, to give and not to expect to receive, and that it is the team, and not oneself, that matters. I learnt that with responsibility comes obligation."
Click here to read the obituary published in The Times 13 January 2020
Click here to read the obituary published in the Daily Telegraph 11 January 2020