- Oman: Sultan Qaboos died, he ruled for almost 50 years. His cousin succeeds him
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January 11, 2020 Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was sworn in as the new Sultan of Oman after the death, at the age of 79, of his cousin Qaboos bin Said al-Said, who had led the country since 1970.The local media al-Watan and al-Roya made it known, explaining that during the night the Royal House had met to identify a successor.
Qaboos had no children and, as the protocol provides, he had not publicly appointed a successor. Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was already Omani culture minister.
According to the Omani statute, the sultan must be "Muslim, mature, rational and legitimate child of Omani Muslim parents". Tariq is part of the al-Said royal family. He was also undersecretary of foreign affairs and secretary general of the ministry of foreign affairs.
The new sultan has assured that the country will maintain the "non-meddling" policy pursued by its predecessor Qaboos, who has carved out to the nation a role of regional mediator respected by the international community.
"We will follow the path of the late sultan," Haitham said in his first public speech after being sworn in as the new Omani ruler. The sultan praised "our country's foreign policy of peaceful living between nations and peoples and not to interfere in the internal affairs of others, respecting the sovereignty of nations and international cooperation".