Oman's Sultan Qaboos dies; cousin sworn in as new ruler

PM Imran extends deepest condolences to the people of Oman, terms Sultan Qaboos as Pakistan’s trusted friend

DUBAI/CAIRO: Oman’s ailing Sultan Qaboos bin Said, one of the Middle East’s longest-serving rulers who maintained the country’s neutrality in regional struggles, died on Friday.

Three days of official mourning have been declared with flags flown at half-mast for 40 days, for the Western-backed Qaboos, 79, who had ruled since taking over in a bloodless coup in 1970 with the help of former colonial power Britain.

Haitham bin Tariq, Oman's culture minister and the 65-year-old cousin of late Sultan Qaboos, sworn in as the new royal ruler, the government confirmed on Saturday.

The former culture minister, 65, was sworn in before the ruling family council on Saturday, a day after Sultan Qaboos died. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

"Haitham bin Tariq was sworn in as the new sultan of the country... after a meeting of the family which decided to appoint the one who was chosen by the sultan," the government said in a tweet.

Most experts had expected the throne to go to Asad bin Tariq, another cousin, who was appointed deputy prime minister for international relations and cooperation affairs in 2017 in what was seen as a clear message of support.

Haitham, a sports enthusiast, held the position of undersecretary of the ministry of foreign affairs for political affairs before becoming the minister of heritage and culture in the mid-1990s.

He was also the first head of Oman's football federation in the early 80s.



State news agency ONA did not give a cause of death, but Qaboos had been unwell for years and spent a week in Belgium undergoing medical treatment in early December.

Qaboos had no children and had not publicly appointed a successor. A 1996 statute says the ruling family will choose a successor within three days of the throne becoming vacant.

Pakistan expresses grief 

Prime Minister Imran Khan extended the deepest condolence to the people of Oman on the passing of Sultan Qaboos, terming him as a visionary and a trusted friend of Pakistan.

I extend our deepest condolences to people of Oman on the passing of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. He was a visionary & transformed Oman into a vibrant, modern state.Oman has lost a beloved leader & Pakistan a close, trusted friend.May his soul rest in eternal peace

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 11, 2020

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of Sultan Qaboos. Condoling his death with the Omani people and government, the foreign minister said in his message that Sultan Qaboos was known as a just and noble-hearted ruler.

Diplomacy

Condolences started pouring in for the white-bearded Qaboos.

Former US President George W. Bush said in a statement that Qaboos had been a stable force in the Middle East. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum in a Twitter post described him as the sultan of honour, affection and wisdom.

Oman has long been to the Middle East what neutral Switzerland is to global diplomacy, balancing ties between two vast neighbours locked in a regional struggle, Saudi Arabia to the west and Iran to the north.

Oman maintains friendly ties with Washington and Tehran and helped mediate secret US-Iran talks in 2013 that led two years later to the international nuclear pact which Washington quit in 2018.



Muscat did not take sides in a Gulf dispute that saw Riyadh and its allies impose a boycott on Qatar in mid-2017 and did not join a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

Oman’s diplomatic centrality has been a factor of Qaboos’ personality, said Simon Henderson, director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“It is hard to see how Oman can involve itself in the Yemen, Iran and Qatar issues until a new leader has established himself - which means for the foreseeable future.”