Egypt declares 3-day mourning over Qaboos death
Al Sissi praises the late Omani sultan as a ‘great Arab leader’
Cairo: Egypt Saturday declared a three-day period of mourning over the death of Oman’s Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed.
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi praised the deceased sultan as a “great Arab leader”, saying Egyptians will not forget his supportive stances.
“The Arab nation has lost a leader and one of the greatest men,” Al Sissi said in a presidential statement.
“He was a wise leader who devoted his life to his homeland and Arab nation. History will register that he has been a symbol of the strength and unity of the Sultanate of Oman over half a century,” he said.
“Egypt and its people will not forget his fraternal and strong stances.”
Under Qaboos, Oman was one of very few Arab countries that did not sever diplomatic ties with Egypt after Egypt’s then president Anwar Sadat signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
In a sign of mourning over Qaboos’ departure, Egypt’s state television is displaying a black ribbon on screens of different affiliated channels.