Sultan of Oman dies and is succeeded by cousin
Reports say Haitham bin Tariq al-Said will replace Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who had no children and, under protocol, no publicly named successor
Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said died on Friday evening, state media has announced. Reports early on Saturday said his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, was being sworn in as the new sultan.
Western-backed Qaboos, 79, had ruled the Gulf Arab state since he took over in a bloodless coup in 1970 with the help of Oman’s former colonial power Britain.