THE 500 MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS - CESD

6HIS MAJESTY SULTAN QABOOS BIN SA’ID AL SA’IDSultan of OmanSultan Qaboos bin Sa’id al Sa’id, the 14th descendantof the Al Bu Sa’idi dynasty, is a socially and politicallyactive monarch, celebrating his 40th year as Sultan in2010. Sultan Qaboos has revolutionized and modernizedOman, transforming it from a poor, isolationistnation into a land closely linked with the African continentand devoted to economic development, regionalstability, and religious tolerance.Leader of Omani SultanateSultan Qaboos al Sa’id reigns over a country strategicallysituated in the Gulf region. Oman has a stake inCountry: OmanDate of Birth: 18 November1940Source of Influence: Lineage,Political, DevelopmentInfluence: Leader of 3.5 millioncitizens and residents of OmanSchool of Thought: TraditionalIbadiRank: 2010:6 · 2009:6the crude oil market due to the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Gulf of Oman to thePersian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, producing over 757,000 barrels of crude oil per day in 2008,according to the US Energy Information Administration.Historically, Oman is significant as one of the only countries with a large population of IbadiMuslims and as the most authoritative state in the Ibadi movement—one that is recognizedas one of the oldest schools of Islamic thought.Beacon of IslamSultan Qaboos has helped build or restore thousands of mosques at his personal expense,the grandest being the Sultan Qaboos Mosque, which can accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers.The Sultan is a discreet but strong supporter of moderate Islam and has created aunique Islamic culture in Oman that has carefully combined the best of traditional Islamwith the benefits of the modern world. Sultan Qaboos has promoted culturally-specific Islamicdress, art, architecture and education, and is a keen advocate of environmentalism. Thisquiet, measured rise has made Oman a hidden pearl of the Islamic world.Personal LeadershipThe Sultan has raised the Omani standard of living by building up Oman’s school and healthcare systems, infrastructure, and economy. He cites political participation as one of his majorlong-term goals. Within the last two decades, he has introduced political reforms includinga bicameral representative body, a basic law, universal suffrage, and a Supreme Court. Moreover,despite Oman’s relative lack of oil and gas compared to other Gulf States, the Sultan hasinvested his country’s wealth so wisely that all citizens are guaranteed free education up to thedoctoral level (should they qualify); free health care; free land; soft loans for building homes;jobs and social security for the disabled, orphans and widows. Furthermore, unlike neighboringcountries, Oman has resolved all its border demarcation issues with all its neighbors, hasno foreign debt and has a sovereign wealth reserve fund of over 30 billion Riyals (about $100billion). Oman is thus arguably the best administrated country in the Islamic world, if not inthe whole world.International LeaderSultan Qaboos has been recognized by organizations such as the United Nations and theNational Council of US-Arab Relations for his leadership in the Persian Gulf region. In 2008,38