Brunei Darussalam

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM: A Kingdom Close to My Heart is more than a journey through a country. It is an exploration of a nation whose history, faith, monarchy, people, and identity have remained remarkably distinctive in a rapidly changing world. Drawing on historical research and the author's personal connection with Brunei, Dr. Abdelghafour Mansour traces the Sultanate's story from its early maritime roots and the arrival of Islam to the rise of its monarchy, the discovery of oil, independence, and the modern nation it is today. The book explores the reigns and legacies of Brunei's sultans, Melayu Islam Beraja, the Royal Family, Kampong Ayer, mosques and royal institutions, education, healthcare, culture, the economy, the environment, national development, and Brunei's ambitions for the future. But this is not simply a book of history and facts. It is also the story of how a small nation on the island of Borneo became deeply meaningful to a visitor from another land. Written with the curiosity of a researcher and the affection of someone who came to love the country, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM offers international readers an accessible and thoughtful portrait of the Abode of Peace—its past, its character, and the questions that will shape its future.