Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Mideast’s longest-ruling monarch who carefully balanced diplomatic ties between Iran and the U.S., died late Friday at 79.

The Al Said family has ruled Oman since the 18th century, and once ruled over Zanzibar too, off the coast of Tanzania. ... Sultan Qaboos shaped Oman’s policy of diplomatic balancing.

Meet Oman’s new sultan. ... Upon learning of his death, it took the ruling family council of Oman only a couple of hours to follow his guidance on how to select his successor.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the ruler of Oman and the longest-serving leader of the Arab world, died at 79. Said overthrew his father in a bloodless 1970 coup and since then worked to tighten ties ...

Oman’s new sultan, Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, at the Royal Family Council in Muscat, Oman, Jan. 11, 2020 (Oman News Agency photo via AP Images).

Oman’s former culture minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said has been named the country’s new sultan, a state-owned news agency reported Saturday, following the death of the previous ruler.

On January 10, 2020 Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman passed away, leaving no heir. The official Omani legal statute would have provided the extended royal family 3 days to decide on the ...

Sultan Haitham has helped lead efforts to diversify Oman’s economy, though with limited success. Experts see him continuing that effort. “Sultan Qaboos created a modern economy from scratch.

His Majesty the Sultan of Oman's trip to Spain to visit King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia has been cancelled. By Hanisha Sethi , Royal Reporter 17:27, Tue, May 20, 2025 | UPDATED: 17:28, Tue, May ...

Jan. 10 (UPI) --Qaboos bin Said al-Said, the sultan of Oman for nearly 50 years, ... The BBC reported the Royal Family Council must choose a new leader within three days of Qaboos' death.