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Qaboos left behind a strong country, robust institutions

Oman accomplished a rare feat of functioning without a hitch during the absence of a ruler who had governed for nearly half a century.

The hardest challenge monarchies face is having their fate linked to a single ruler for years. On the one hand, the ruler consolidates the foundations of the state and ensures its stability and security. And on the other, it is hard for a country to act independently in the absence of this guiding figure. Several countries are shaken when such rulers pass away.
Attention had, therefore, been drawn to Oman in recent months due to its Sultan's health setbacks before he died on Friday. Some had speculated that the sultanate would be headed towards an uncertain path in the post-Qaboos era.
Skeptics often focus on unlikely possibilities, overlooking facts. The Omanis, however, snuffed out the speculation and proved that the legacy of their late sultan was not limited to state-building or preserving its stability in a tumultuous region. A detailed roadmap for maintaining this stability was in place.
Even with the sultan gone, the sultanate would have preserved its calm, standing, and strength regardless of who is in power.
Sultan Qaboos suffered from poor health for years. Even though he received treatment abroad, no one in the Sultanate felt that the country was passing through a constitutional vacuum in his absence. This was made even more significant given that the sultan did not have successor. The secret to this feat is the strength of the state institutions that proved their ability to preserve stability in the absence of the sultan.
In my opinion that was an extremely difficult phase for Oman, but no one felt it - neither inside the country nor abroad. Oman accomplished a rare feat of functioning without a hitch in the sudden absence of a ruler who had governed its institutions for nearly half a century.
Perhaps the most difficult feat was the transition of power from Sultan Qaboos to his successor Haitham bin Tariq. Oman overcame this phase too with ease and in a matter of hours. Not only did the new sultan assume power, but he also earned the unanimous approval of the ruling family, which is a rarity.
I once asked Oman's Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah if there are any concerns over the post-Qaboos phase. He said, there were none, and explained, everyone in Oman has faith in what the sultan has built. There is confidence in people and authorities that the value system and established standards would be respected.
Today, the Onamis are struck with grief over the passing away of their leader, but they are proud of their political system. Qaboos bin Said has left behind robust institutions that will allow Oman to continue its journey of progress.
- Asharq Al Awsat
Salman Al Dossary is the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper