KABUL (Pajhwok): Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who ruled Oman for nearly 50 years, has died at the age of 79, state media reported on Saturday morning.
The Omani news agency said: "With sadness the Omani Sultanate court mourns Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died on Friday evening."
Qaboos had been unwell for some time. He was reportedly suffering from colon cancer. The royal court declared three days of mourning.
Having ruled the Gulf state -- a key Western ally -- since deposing his father in a bloodless coup in 1970, he has no known successor.
Qaboos, who was born in 1940, went for education to Britain. He graduated from the elite Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in 1962.
Much to his credit, Qaboos transformed Oman from a poverty-hit country into a prosperous state. He was an internationally trusted diplomat.
Under his rule, beginning in 1970, Oman stayed neutral in regional conflicts, including the war in Yemen, the Middle East and the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
PAN Monitor/mud
