Oman’s Heir Apparent 'Haisam bin Tariq' Appointed as Minister of Culture

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Oman’s next ruler will be Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, according to Oman’s state broadcaster on the 11th (local time).

Oman’s state broadcaster reported, "The authorities opened the envelope containing the name of the successor left by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said."

Sultan Qaboos, who came to power through a bloodless coup in 1970 and ruled Oman for 50 years, passed away on the night of the 10th. Sultan Qaboos had visited Belgium at the end of last month to treat recurring colon cancer but returned earlier than planned.

The Supreme Military Council of Oman convened a royal family meeting on the same day to select the new Sultan following Sultan Qaboos’s death. According to Article 6 of Oman’s Basic Law of the Sultanate, the royal family must select a new Sultan within three days of the Sultan’s vacancy.

If the royal family fails to reach an agreement, the Defense Council, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the heads of the two consultative bodies gather to open the envelope containing the name of the successor written by the Sultan and appoint that nominee as the new monarch.

King Qaboos, who had no children, did not officially designate a successor. However, it is known that in a 1997 interview, he sealed an envelope containing the name of his successor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.