Royalty arrives in Dubrovnik Croatian TimesCroatia is struggling a bit financially. You can see why they'd love some business from the State Investment Fund. I'm sure His Majesty will be well looked after.
The Sultan of Oman, said to be worth more than the Queen, arrived in the Dalmatian tourist city of Dubrovnik yesterday (Sun), reported Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji list. After landing at Cilipi airport in his private plane, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, 71, was transported by helicopter to his awaiting 156 metre super luxury yacht "Al Said", which has been anchored in the Dubrovnik port of Gruz for the last 3 weeks, together with its accompanying boat for logistics "Fulk Al Salamah".
The Sultan was met on his arrival in Dubrovnik by Mayor Andro Vlahusic, who wished the Sultan a pleasant stay before he boarded his super yacht, which is currently one of the top five biggest yachts in the world.
It is unknown when the Sultan will depart, however, his two yachts are due to leave Dubrovnik on 5 May. There has been talk that the Sultan of Oman is in Croatia to look at possible investment possibilities.
I wonder where his flotilla will set sail for next?
Star-struck?
ReplyDeleteUD,
ReplyDeleteYes I join you in wishing MAWLANA the Sultan a happy holiday. He deserves it as he was working continuously without a break for the last couple of years.
To debunk a myth that, he is worth this much or richer than so and so I wish to say people always get it wrong. Whatever he has it is always pumped back to the state treasury to up lift the Omani living standard or welfare of his subjects.
As for the investment talk I doubt we will invest anything outside right now while the state is working hard to attract foreign investors to come and invest here in Oman.
Finally, I once more say, happy break to MAWLANA!
Mti
Miti
ReplyDeleteHe's rich. That's OK.
But admit it, he's loaded, albeit all earned.
He has a 155m yacht. A private 747. Houses all over the world. Palaces all over Oman. Polo ponies. An orchestra. Get real.
As for investment, attracting foreign investment into Oman is always great Government policy. But you also want to invest overseas to ensure a blanced return for the fund so Oman can draw on it when the oil and gas runs out - that's why it's a State Reserves fund.
HM has been great at that, leveraging $100mln here and $60mln there on little bilateral JV investment vehicles with other countries.
Plus it means they come to all these meetings, and attend important international conferences, while flying into and out of Muscat airport and staying in the most expensive hotels in the world (that happen to be almost all be owned by the Government).
He's smart.
Strange to see nothing of his arrival in the Omani Media?
Smart, he is, no doubt. It runs in his blue blood anyway.
ReplyDeleteMti
Mti,
DeleteLooking at the rest of the blood-line I'm not so sure that's where it comes from. I think you're just very lucky.
I don't understand why you would want to go and stay in an industrial port for your summer holidays. OK, the yacht is a bit big for most places, but surely you can find somewhere with a nicer view? (or maybe the yacht's fitted with special windows that display different views at the flick of a switch...)
ReplyDeleteAnon
I sailed into Dubrovnik's port on a cruise ship many years ago (before the war), and it was lovely. Dubrovnik was a beautiful place to visit. Fortunately, the "mini-great-wall of Dubrovnik" was spared in the war.
DeleteTo anon,
ReplyDeleteIts not an industrial port, I dont understand why you wrote that false statement.
Whatever the view from Dubrovrik harbour, HM instead spent a week in a luxury hotel in Cyprus.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cyprus-mail.com/sultan-oman/sultan-left-3000-tip-hotel-staff/20120426
THE SULTAN of Oman, Qaboos bin Said al Said, who was holidaying at a Limassol hotel the last few days left Cyprus happy, according to one report, leaving a €3,000 tip for the staff and gold watches for the hotel’s managers.
According to yesterday’s Alithia, the Oman leader stayed almost a week at the luxury Le Meridien Hotel in Limassol.
The Sultan reportedly arrived last Thursday with a 200-strong delegation in two private Boeing 747s. Members of his entourage arrived earlier in a Lear Jet to prepare the grounds for his visit, overseeing the refurbishment of the fourth and fifth floors of the luxury hotel. A military C-130 transport plane also arrived from Oman bringing his two limousines, said the paper.
On leaving the hotel, he left tips of €3,000 to the staff, and gold watches worth €5,000 each to the managers of the hotel. Members of his delegation remained behind while the Sultan is due to return to the hotel in June after further trips to Europe, starting with Croatia.
The Sultan reportedly refused invites for meetings from prominent political and economic figures in Cyprus, stressing that his visit was purely for leisure.
According to an article in Politis last week, the Sultan stayed in the €3,000-a-night presidential suite, bringing with him a delegation including 30 personal chefs, decorators, advisors but no women, and six containers full of equipment and personal belongings.
Le Meridien yesterday refused to comment on the report, citing the need to protect the privacy of its guests.
I was in Dubrovnik over the weekend and not only saw two yachts in the harbor but also saw two matching 747s at the airport upon my departure at Cilipi on Monday. Impressive display to be sure.
ReplyDeleteUD,
ReplyDeleteIt is true not all in the dynasty are as smart as MAWLANA. Yes we do have our share of dumbs. We also do have myopic morons. Fortunately they are not that many. That includes some highly materialistic super greedy individuals who worship money. Yet again they are few. It had been so since 1744 when we took over from the Al Yaruby dynasty. Majority members of the ruling family (tribe) are simple down to earth, straight forward individuals who have their day jobs and the little stipend from the state, to live on, and life goes on.
You are right; we are very luck to have MAWLANA as our torch bearer.
Mti
That's why it's so very important Oman updates it's standards of Governance and civil society.
DeleteOne day, I'm afraid, Oman will have it's 'Apple' moment.
You need a system of transparent government with a seperation between the Cvili servants and the elected officials, an independent legal system, and a truly free press acting with a civil society to monitor them.
Your current system with a different leader would be a total disaster.
All you traditionalists are impeeding the changes needed to make Oman sustainable.
Thanks for the advice, UD!
ReplyDeletePeople seeking a holiday in Croatia should be grateful that HM Sultan Qaboos will be staying on his yacht. If the sultan would have booked reservations at a hotel, he would have most likely booked a whole floor!
ReplyDeleteCroatia is a quiet and beautiful North Mediterian country. Very rich BTW.
ReplyDeleteHMSQ style is very impressive. Full respect.
ReplyDeleteIt is a hard to impress the Croats, but this is a really something to admire.
I am sure that he left with strong impression as well.
This is a very interesting blog. Compliments to the author.
ReplyDeleteDo not worry about Cro, we are just acting autism in front of EU :)
Ah yes, Croatia. Now there's a dark little country. Before anyone seeks to make judgement or opinion on it I would suggest that they read a little bit of history.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usta%C5%A1e
Autism? More like denial and benign forgetting if you ask me. The spin-doctors from Rome are ever active. Nothing but time ever changes.
Willie Dryer
Dark little country? HaHahaHa shekspeare.
DeleteIs the Omani Sultan a darker also?
Do not mix war confusion into centuries of peacefull culture.
Try to figure out who is the Founder of Non-Alingments and why !?
btw. find out how we stoped third largest army force in europe in 1991-1995.
In that time when we needed help you act autistic, now it is our turn.
Read more if you want to know WHY IS CRO INDEPENDENT STATE TODAY like it was before imperialisam and hegemony.
Our amblem is a chess table, we know how to play.
And we are here for 15 centuries. Armless. Waiting for our guests. Fogless.
Barmy. Barmy, barmy, barmy. Just barmy.
DeleteFascism obviously lurks just below the surface - besides much else. For your added information I have visited all of the countries in this particular region... variously going back to 1972, and so I can speak with the comfort of some objective and impartial authority. I have also studied as much history as time and resources allow. Not all is bad, but denial and xenophobia is clearly a cherished keep-sake.
Willie Dryer
Ah, yes. Rome. We rented them some teritories, do not warry it is only a concession. They are just being thankfull for our long-term gold deposit.
DeleteGOD is GOD, Rome is Rome.
You are just partly studing and visiting, I am just living whole life here.
ReplyDeleteDid we invent the fascism? komunism? any hegemony? any totalitarism? Imperializam? Enemys? NO NO NO NO NO NO
War is heavy confusion. You do not know what is war. You are just presuming.
Do not be shallow. There is a history before secWW.
Be aware of false teachers. And student disease.
HM Sultan is Light of Oman , Icon of Peace.. results are seen everywhere in Oman.. whatever you say.. even
ReplyDeleteUS spend $200 mn a day on Obama's Mumbai visit in 2010..even Pratibha Patil creates new record; spends 205 crore on foreign trip ..HM Sultan Qaboos oman people is his children.His Majesty is great leader..and omani are happy. He is generous..True leader..HM we are proud of you.Allah bless you www.facebook.com/sultanqaboosbinsaid
Next stop appears to be Alicante, Spain
ReplyDeleteAnon
UD - 'Strange to see nothing of his arrival in the Omani Media'...
ReplyDeleteIt's discouraged.
Arrived on 4th. Any press photos?
ReplyDeleteAnon
Anon,
ReplyDeleteEver heard of the term "Private Holiday"?
What good will it do if we are shown press photos of the "Arrival"?
Mti
yes, he deserves it. People! get a grip! Fuck this man! Big Time!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTravelling with two ships, two jumbo jets, 1000 staff, doesn't strike me as being very private.
ReplyDeleteMore like an insult if the Spanish press have ignored HM in favour of some minor celebrity like Brad and Angelina, etc
Fred
Fred, Maybe you dont know what it means to be SULTAN....You can NOT compared him with anyone.. He has been given this position NOT by VOTE...
DeleteHi's the SULTAN by nature if you like it or not.
I hope Amor Toqi is enjoying too,
ReplyDeleteBeing in Croatia with His Majest Qaboos its a Honour for any Omani. We wish His Majest Qaboos all the best and a nice Holiday....He deserve it.
Good and nice time for his HM Sultan Qaboos
ReplyDelete