Said bin Taimur

Sabin bin Taimur is definitely one of the most important historical figures in Oman. Said bin Taimur (August 1910 – 19 October 1972) was the 13th Sultan of Muscat and Oman from 10 February 1932 until his son Qaboos bin Said deposed him on 23 July 1970. He was a member of the House of Al Said and succeeded his father Taimur bin Feisal, who had abdicated for financial reasons, as Sultan of Muscat and Oman in 1932. Said, 21, took over an administration that was in debt. With the assistance of the British SAS, he cemented power and reclaimed control of the tribal heartland, bringing Muscat and Oman together. Said moved from Muscat to a beach town in Dhofar when the country was reunited. Muscat and Oman gained complete sovereignty and independence from him in 1951.

After completing his year-long studies in Baghdad, Said returned home and served in the Omani government. In August 1929, he was elected President of the Council of Ministers. Sultan Taimur's incapacity to control Oman's state affairs left an opening for a new leader. The British adored Said, and in February 1932, at the age of 21, he was crowned Sultan of Oman. Sultan Said inherited a country severely in debt to the United Kingdom and British India. His country needs to regain economic independence in order to break away from Britain and sustain sovereignty. As a result, beginning in 1933, he controlled the state budget until his overthrow in 1970.