Haitham bin Tariq

In this Arabic name, the surname is Al Said.
Sultan Haitham
  • السلطان هيثم
A photo of Haitham aged 68
Haitham in 2024
Sultan of Oman
Reign11 January 2020
PredecessorQaboos bin Said
Heir apparentTheyazin bin Haitham
Prime Minister and
Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 January 2020
DeputyFahd bin Mahmoud al Said
Asa'ad bin Tariq
Shihab bin Tariq
Preceded byQaboos bin Said
Minister of Heritage and Culture
In office
March 2002 – 1 March 2020
Prime MinisterQaboos bin Said
Preceded byFaisal bin Ali Al Said
Succeeded bySalem bin Mohammed Al Mahrouqi
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
11 January 2020 – 18 August 2020
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byQaboos bin Said
Succeeded byBadr bin Hamad Al Busaidi
Minister of Finance
In office
11 January 2020 – 18 August 2020
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byQaboos bin Said
Succeeded bySultan bin Salem bin Saeed al-Habsi
Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office
1994–2002
Prime MinisterQaboos bin Said
Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs
In office
1986–1994
Prime MinisterQaboos bin Said
Born (1955-10-11) 11 October 1955 (age 69)
Muscat, Muscat and Oman
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1989)​
Issue
Names
Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimur bin Faisal bin Turki bin Said Al Said
HouseAl Said
FatherTariq bin Taimur
MotherShawana bint Hamud bin Ahmad Al Busaidiyah
ReligionIbadi Islam

Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (Arabic: هَيْثَم بْن طَارِق آل سَعِيد, romanized: Hayṯam bin Ṭāriq ʾĀl Saʿīd; born 11 October 1955)[1][2] is Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman.

Haitham was born in Muscat and is a grandson of Sultan Taimur bin Feisal. Sultan Qaboos bin Said was a cousin of Haitham, and Haitham served for multiple decades in Qaboos's cabinet. He was Minister of Heritage and Culture from 2002 to 2020.[3][4] Sultan Qaboos named him as his successor in his will. Haitham was proclaimed sultan on 11 January 2020, hours after Qaboos's death.[5]

Early life

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Haitham is a son of Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur, son of Sultan Taimur bin Feisal, and Shawana bint Hamud bin Ahmad Al Busaidiyah.[6][7] He has six brothers and two sisters: Talal, Qais, Asa'ad, Shihab, Adham, Faris, Amal, and Nawwal.[6] Sayyida Nawwal bint Tariq (also called Kamila) was married to Sultan Qaboos bin Said from 1976 to 1979.[6] His brother Sayyid Asa'ad bin Tariq is the Deputy Prime Minister for Relations and International Cooperation Affairs and his brother Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq is the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs. His other four brothers are all businessmen and are not involved in politics.[8]

He completed his primary education at Saidiya School in Muscat and attended Brummana High School in Lebanon.[9] He graduated from the Foreign Service Programme (FSP) at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, in 1979.[10]

Marriage and children

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Haitham is married to Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah bin Hamad Al Busaidiyah and together they have four children.[11]

Sultan Haitham is saluted by his son, Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham (right), following the latter's graduation from Sandhurst in July 2022.

Political career

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A sports enthusiast, Haitham served as the first head of the Oman Football Association in the early 1980s.[16] He served as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs from 1986 to 1994, and was later appointed as the Secretary General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1994–2002).[17][18] He was later appointed as Minister of Heritage and Culture in March 2002 and later chaired the national census committee in 2003.[19] He usually represented Oman abroad in a diplomatic capacity;[20] in 2016, he personally welcomed the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (later King Charles III and Queen Camilla) on a visit to Oman.[21]

Haitham is also chairman of the committee for the future vision of "Oman 2040" along with being honorary president of the Oman Association for the Disabled.[22]

He was said to be the favoured candidate of Oman's merchant families with whom he is said to have links.[23]

Sultan of Oman

[edit]
Haitham bin Tariq (right) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Muscat, February 2020.

After the death of Sultan Qaboos, Haitham's first cousin, on 10 January 2020, Haitham was named by the royal family and Qaboos's will as Sultan of Oman the next day and took an oath before an emergency session of the Council of Oman in Al-Bustan.[24] Oman state TV said the former sultan's letter was opened by the Defence Council and his identity was announced shortly thereafter.[25] As sultan, he also held the positions of prime minister, supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of defence, minister of finance, minister of foreign affairs and chairman of the Central Bank of Oman until 18 August 2020 when he appointed Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi as foreign minister, Sultan bin Salem bin Saeed al-Habsi as minister of finance,[26][27] and Taimur bin Asa'ad al Said as chairman of the Central Bank of Oman.[28]

In his first public speech, he promised to uphold his predecessor's peace-making foreign policy and to further develop Oman's economy.[21][29] Haitham bin Tariq is married and, unlike his predecessor, also has children, two sons and two daughters.[30][31]

Early in his reign he signed Oman to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.[32]

On 12 January 2021, the Sultan issued a royal decree creating a Crown Prince role, stating that Oman’s crown prince will be the eldest son of the serving sultan. This made his eldest son, Sayyid Theyazin, the country's first crown prince,[33] and officially formalised the method of succession. He also changed the Basic Law of Oman to grant citizens and residents freedom of expression and opinion, removed a law that allowed the state to monitor private phone conversations, social media or postal correspondence, and granted the freedom to practice religious rites according to recognised customs provided it does not violate the public order or contradict morals.[34]

In April 2021 Oman introduced its value added tax, later than the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain but before Qatar and Kuwait.[35]

In May and June 2021, there were many protests against the Omani government over economic concerns such as unemployment and corruption.[36] Some protesters were arrested and then released.[37][36]

Haitham's visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Kingdom have been seen as a move to maintain peaceful and cordial relations with Oman's important partners. His visit to Saudi Arabia was the first political visit by an Omani royal to the kingdom in over a decade.[38] During his visit to the United Kingdom, he met Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and was honoured with a GCMG.[39] On 19 September 2022, Haitham attended the state funeral of Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London.[40]

He visited Tehran in May 2023 where he discussed regional diplomatic and security issues, two days after Muscat mediated a prisoner swap between Iran and Belgium.[41]

In 2023 the government approved a $5.2 billion investment fund, the Oman Future Fund, to support diversified economic growth and announced a new development project, Sultan Haitham City outside Muscat for workers.[42] In 2023 a Tourism Law was promulgated.[43]

The Medium Term Fiscal Plan for 2020-24 proposed greater fiscal sustainability. Oman’s overall fiscal deficit averaged 12.8% of gross domestic product from 2015-20, while the budget deficit reached approximately 3.6% in 2021. Oman enjoyed a budget surplus of approximately 5% of GDP in 2022 – the country’s first surplus since 2013.[44]

Titles, styles, and honors

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Styles of
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq
Reference styleHis Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

Titles and styles

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  • 11 October 1955 – 10 January 2020: His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said
  • 11 January 2020 – present: His Majesty The Sultan of Oman

National honors

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Foreign honors

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Index Ha". www.rulers.org.
  2. ^ Valeri, Marc (21 January 2020). "Oman's new sultan faces mammoth challenges". BBC. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Cabinet of Ministers". Oman News Agency. Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  4. ^ Appointing a Minister of Heritage and Culture, Royal Decree No11/2002, issued on 14 February 2002, published in issue 713 of the Official Gazette
  5. ^ "Oman's new ruler Haitham bin Tariq takes oath: newspapers". Reuters. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed. (1980). Burke's Royal Families of the World Volume II Africa & the Middle East. p. 107. ISBN 0850110297.
  7. ^ "Mansour bin Zayed offers condolences on death of Shawanna Al -Busaidiyah". Emirates News Agency. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  8. ^ Peterson, John E. (2024). Oman's Transformation After 1970. Brill. p. 113. ISBN 978-9-004-69701-0.
  9. ^ "Biography: Education of His Majesty the Sultan". Ministry of Information. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Haitham bin Tariq appointed new ruler of Oman". Arab News. 11 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Oman's Sultan Haitham: A role model of public service". Arab News. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Sultan's eldest son will become Oman's crown prince, new decree says". Arab News. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Oldest son of Oman's sultan becomes country's first crown prince". Al Jazeera. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Theyazin Bin Haitham: Oman crown prince marries Meyyan Bint Shihab". 16 November 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  15. ^ Elgebaly, Sondos (13 December 2023). "Mr. Belarab bin Haitham, son of the Sultan of Oman, gives birth to his first child". Harpers Bazaar Arabia (in Arabic). Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  16. ^ "New Oman ruler chosen by agreement, or secret letter". France 24. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  17. ^ Oman, Ministry of Legal Affairs (1986). Royal Decree No. 2/86. Official Gazette.
  18. ^ Oman, Ministry of Legal Affairs (1994). Royal Decree No. 110/94. Official Gazette.
  19. ^ Valeri, Marc (2009). Oman: Politics and Society in the Qaboos State. C. Hurst. pp. 97, 124. ISBN 978-1-85065-933-4. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Haitham bin Tariq appointed new ruler of Oman". Arab News. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Oman's new ruler Haitham bin Tariq promises good ties with all nations". Arab News. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  22. ^ "The New Sultan of Oman: Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said". gulfnews.com. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  23. ^ Oman After Qaboos:A National and Regional Void
  24. ^ "Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said succeeds Sultan Qaboos of Oman". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  25. ^ "Oman names culture minister as successor to Sultan Qaboos". AP NEWS. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  26. ^ "Oman transfers powers from Sultan's remit in government revamp". Reuters. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020 – via uk.reuters.com.
  27. ^ "Haitham bin Tariq sworn in as Oman's new sultan". www.aljazeera.com.
  28. ^ "CBO welcomes His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Asa'ad bin Tariq Al Said". www.cbo.gov.om. Central Bank of Oman.
  29. ^ Hubbard, Ben (11 January 2020). "Oman's New Sultan Vows to Continue Country's Peacemaking Path". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  30. ^ "Oman's new ruler chosen to provide continuity". Reuters. 11 January 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
  31. ^ "Who is the new Sultan of Oman?". Tehran Times. 13 January 2020.
  32. ^ 100 Days In, Sultan Haitham Charts a New Course for Oman
  33. ^ "Sultan's eldest son will become Oman's crown prince, new decree says". Arab News. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Oman's Sultan Haitham guarantees freedom of expression". The National. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  35. ^ Oman Gets Economic Policymaking Right – For Now
  36. ^ a b "Oman's New Sultan Sees First Labor Protests".
  37. ^ "'Controlling the situation': Oman leader quickly quells protests".
  38. ^ a b "Sultan Haitham in Saudi Arabia in first visit by Omani leader in over a decade". gulfnews.com. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  39. ^ "Queen Elizabeth hosts Sultan of Oman at Windsor Castle". The National. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  40. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral: Arab Royals Pay Their Respects Ahead of The Ceremony". Harper's Bazaar. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  41. ^ Oman's Sultan in Iran for talks on diplomatic, security issues
  42. ^ Oman Gets Economic Policymaking Right – For Now
  43. ^ [1]
  44. ^ Oman Gets Economic Policymaking Right – For Now
  45. ^ a b c d "History: A renewed renaissance". Oman 2040 (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  46. ^ Oman Info
  47. ^ "Bahraini King holds talks with Sultan of Oman". Emirates News Agency. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  48. ^ "Jordan's King Abdullah in Oman, Exchange Medals With Sultan Haitham". Al Bawaba. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  49. ^ Oman News
  50. ^ "His Majesty, Emir of Qatar exchange honours". Times of Oman. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  51. ^ "UAE President, the Sultan of Oman exchange medals and gifts". wam. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  52. ^ AGENCY (ONA), OMAN NEWS (2020). "H-M-Sultan". Oman News Agency. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  53. ^ AGENCY (ONA), OMAN NEWS (16 December 2021). "Queen Elizabeth II confers on HM the Sultan honorary Knight Grand Cross". Oman Observer. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  54. ^ "His Majesty the Sultan, Egyptian President exchange decorations". Times of Oman. 21 May 2023.
  55. ^ "HM the Sultan and Emir of Kuwait exchange orders, mementos". Times of Oman. 6 February 2024.
Haitham bin Tariq
Born: 11 October 1955
Regnal titles
Preceded by Sultan of Oman
2020–present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Theyazin bin Haitham
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