A media discussion session on the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was held on Saturday evening as part of the cultural programme of Muscat International Book Fair. The session was attended by American journalist Judith Miller, Russian writer Sergey Plekhanov, who authored A Reformer on the Throne: Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, and Egyptian singer-actor Samir Sabri — three personalities who had got the chance to meet the late leader in different periods of time.
In the session mediated by Musa al Farei, Judith Miller spoke enthusiastically about the late Sultan saying that she met him in 1997 for the first time and the second time was at Hisn Al Shomoukh 15 years later.
Summing up her impressions about the late Sultan, Miller said he was a man who knew exactly what he wanted, a man who knew how to plan for success. Explaining how the late Sultan built the state during the past 50 years, Miller said that he had devoted his life to serving his nation and his people.

“In my first interview with Sultan Qaboos he explained to me his plan to lift up the state. He also spoke about his reasons for setting up a Shura council in Oman and the need for a constitution in the upcoming period in order to maintain the values of tolerance and keep on the path of peace with firm steps.”
Speaking about the status of women in the Sultanate and the high standing they have reached, Miller said: “What is happening now with women assuming senior positions is the realisation of the visions which the late Sultan always talked about.”