The new Sultan of Oman was chosen today by the family council, following the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said yesterday at the age of 79 after almost five decades on the throne, according to Al Jazeera TV. The new Sultan is his cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The new 65-year-old Sultan is a graduate of the Oxford University Foreign Service Programme. He has reportedly already taken the oath of allegiance as sultan to succeed his cousin.
Sultan Qaboos had no children and had not publically appointed a successor. The Royal Family Council consists of approximately 50 male members of the family and had three days to choose a successor to the throne. It appears they were all in agreement, as a new successor was chosen within a day. If they had not been able to reach an agreement, a sealed envelope with a name left by the late Sultan would have been opened and his choice would have been the successor.
[getty src=”1186268748″ width=”594″ height=”396″]Sultan Haitham is one of the sons of the late Sultan’s uncle Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur Al Said and he was previously the Minister of Heritage and National Culture. It was in this capacity that he met The Duke of Cambridge during his tour of Kuwait and Oman. The Duke of Cambridge was greeted by His Highness upon arrival at Muscat international airport.
