Brunei sultan marks 40 years on throne

There will be a ceremony at Hassanal's 1,700-room palace and a special sermon at a grand mosque in the city, the official told AFP.

Religious celebrations began earlier with a recital of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, from cover to cover, he added.

The sultan, 61, is prime minister, defence minister, finance minister and head of Islam in the Malay Muslim absolute monarchy, which dates back to the 14th century.

He ascended the throne on October 5, 1967, and was formally crowned on August 1, 1968.