A very interesting and highly intelligent person - showed it was possible to run a total autocracy and still do well for his people - who all seemed to be genuinely behind him.
Tho I guess after his old man anyone would look like a significant improvement - I remember reading a book about Oman and it said "Sultan Said had taken a very close look at the 20th Century and decided he was having none of it in HIS country...". The days when the whole 6km of tarmac road in t Oman were all in the Shell Camp and you had to pass a a security barrier to leave to go into town..................