Qantab

Bourdain meets with Sheikh Zayed bin Sulaiman al-Ghafri at his rooftop terrace in Qantab. Oman is not a democracy. But people seem to have genuine affection for what Bourdain calls its “much-admired, enigmatic absolute ruler and monarch” of 47 years. “Usually one-man shows are not a good thing,” Bourdain quipped to businessman Sheikh Zayed bin Sulamain al-Ghafri about the nation’s esteemed ruler. “People just felt like he’s the man that they were waiting for to enlighten life,” al-Ghafri said, “and to open doors for them.”