Sultan of Oman
سلطان عمان
Standard of the Sultan of Oman
Incumbent
Haitham bin Tariq since 11 January 2020
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	Theyazin bin Haitham
First monarch	Al-Julanda bin Masud (imamate) Ahmad bin Said (as Sultan)
Formation	751 (751) (imamate) 1744 (1744) (Al Busaid Dynasty)
Residence	Al Alam Palace Seeb Palace
Website	www.oman.om (in Arabic)

Politics of Oman
Member State of the Arab League
Basic Statute Human rights
Monarchy Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham
Cabinet
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Elections Recent elections General: 2015 2019 2023
Administrative divisions Governorates (محافظات) Provinces (ولايات)
Foreign relations Foreign Ministry Minister: Sayyid Badr Albusaidi Diplomatic missions of / in Oman Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
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The Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلطان سلطنة عمان) is the monarchical head of state and head of government of Oman. It is the most powerful position in the country. The sultans of Oman are members of the Busaid dynasty, which has been the ruling family of Oman since the mid-18th century.

Haitham bin Tariq is the current sultan, reigning since 11 January 2020.^[1]

List of imams (751–1406)

List of imams (1406–1749)

Nabhani dynasty (1406–1624)

Name	Portrait	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
Muhammed al-Fallah		1406	1435
Abul Hassan of Oman		1435	1451
Omar bin al Khattab		1451	1490
Omar al Sharif		1490	1500
Muhammad bin Ismail		1500	1529	Portuguese protectorate imposed on 15 April 1515.
Barakat bin Muhammad		1529	1560
Abdulla bin Muhammad		1560	1624

Yaruba dynasty (1624–1749)

Name	Portrait	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
Nasir bin Murshid		1624	1649
Sultan bin Saif		1649	1679	Portuguese protectorate ended with their expulsion on 28 January 1650.
Bil'arab bin Sultan		1679	1692
Saif bin Sultan		1692	1711
Sultan bin Saif II		1711	1718
Saif bin Sultan II		1718	1719
Muhanna bin Sultan		1719	1720
Saif bin Sultan II		1720	1722	Second reign
Ya'arab bin Bel'arab		1722	1722
Saif bin Sultan II		1722	1724	Third reign
Muhammad bin Nasir		1724	1728	Not a member of the dynasty
Saif bin Sultan II		1728	1742	Fourth reign; at first in the coastal area only
Bal'arab bin Himyar		1728	1737	First reign; in the interior
Sultan bin Murshid		1742	1743
Bal'arab bin Himyar		1743	1749	Second reign; in the interior

List of sultans (1749–present)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Ahmad bin Said أحمد بن سعيد	1694 – 15 December 1783(1783-12-15) (aged 89)	10 June 1749	15 December 1783	From 1744 in the coastal region	Busaid
Said bin Ahmad سعيد بن أحمد	1741 – 1811 (aged 70)	15 December 1783	1786	Son of Ahmad bin Said	Busaid
Hamad bin Said حمد بن سعيد	? – 13 March 1792	1786	13 March 1792	Son of Said bin Ahmad	Busaid
Sultan bin Ahmad سلطان بن أحمد	1755 – 17 November 1804 (aged 48–49)	18 March 1792	17 November 1804	Son of Ahmad bin Said	Busaid
Salim bin Sultan سالم بن سلطان	(1790-09-11)11 September 1790 – 4 April 1821(1821-04-04) (aged 30)	18 November 1804	14 September 1806	Son of Sultan bin Ahmad	Busaid
Said bin Sultan سعيد بن سلطان	(1791-06-05)5 June 1791 – 19 October 1856(1856-10-19) (aged 65)	20 November 1804	19 October 1856	Son of Sultan bin Ahmad	Busaid
Thuwaini bin Said ثويني بن سعيد	1821 – 11 February 1866(1866-02-11) (aged 45)	19 October 1856	11 February 1866	Son of Said bin Sultan	Busaid
Salim bin Thuwaini سالم بن ثويني	1839 – 7 December 1876(1876-12-07) (aged 37)	11 February 1866	3 October 1868 (deposed)	Son of Thuwaini bin Said	Busaid
Azzan bin Qais عزان بن قيس	? – 30 January 1871	3 October 1868	30 January 1871	Great-great-grandson of Ahmad bin Said	Busaid
Turki bin Said تركي بن سعيد	1832 – 4 June 1888(1888-06-04) (aged 56)	30 January 1871	4 June 1888	Son of Said bin Sultan	Busaid
Faisal bin Turki فيصل بن تركي	(1864-06-08)8 June 1864 – 5 October 1913(1913-10-05) (aged 49)	4 June 1888	5 October 1913	Son of Turki bin Said	Busaid
Taimur bin Faisal تيمور بن فيصل	1886 – 28 January 1965(1965-01-28) (aged 79)	5 October 1913	10 February 1932 (abdicated)	Son of Faisal bin Turki	Busaid
Said bin Taimur سعيد بن تيمور‎	(1910-08-13)13 August 1910 – 19 October 1972(1972-10-19) (aged 62)	10 February 1932	23 July 1970 (deposed)	Son of Taimur bin Faisal	Al Said
Qaboos bin Said قابوس بن سعيد	(1940-11-18)18 November 1940 – 10 January 2020(2020-01-10) (aged 79)	23 July 1970	10 January 2020	Son of Said bin Taimur	Al Said
Haitham bin Tariq هيثم بن طارق	(1955-10-11) 11 October 1955	11 January 2020	Incumbent	Grandson of Taimur bin Faisal	Al Said

Succession

Unlike the heads of other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Qaboos did not publicly name an heir. Article 6 of the constitution says the Royal Family Council has three days to choose a new sultan from the date the position falls vacant. If the Royal Family Council fails to agree, a letter containing a name penned by Sultan Qaboos should be opened in the presence of the Defence Council of military and security officials, supreme court chiefs, and heads of the upper and lower houses of the consultative assemblies.^[28] Analysts saw the rules as an elaborate means of Qaboos securing his choice for successor without causing controversy by making it public during his lifetime, since it was considered unlikely that the royal family would be able to agree on a successor on its own.^[28]

Qaboos had no children, and only one sister, Sayyida Umaima, but no male siblings; there are other male members of the Omani royal family including paternal uncles and their families. Using same-generation primogeniture, the successor to Qaboos would appear to be the children of his late uncle Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur, Oman's first prime minister and the Sultan's former father-in-law. Oman watchers believed the top contenders to succeed Qaboos were three of Tariq's sons: Asa'ad bin Tariq, Deputy Prime Minister^[29] for International Relations and Cooperation^[30] and the Sultan's special representative; Shihab bin Tariq, a retired commander of the Royal Navy of Oman; and Haitham bin Tariq, Minister of Heritage and National Culture.^[28][31]

On 11 January 2020, Oman state TV said the Royal Family Council, in a letter to the Defense Council, had decided to defer to the choice that Qaboos named in his will, and thus had opened the letter by Qaboos naming his successor, announcing shortly that Haitham bin Tariq is the country's ruling sultan.^[32] Haitham has two sons and two daughters.^[33][34]

On 12 January 2021, the current Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq officially changed the Basic Law of State, stipulating the creation of the post for the Crown Prince of Oman and appointed his first son, Theyazin bin Haitham as the apparent successor, making him the first Crown Prince of the Sultanate.^[35]

See also

• History of Oman
• Imamate of Oman
• Omani Empire
• Muscat and Oman
• Sultanate of Zanzibar
  • List of sultans of Zanzibar

References

General

• "Oman's Rulers Through History (Pre-Islam – 12th Century AD)". Ministry of Information of the Sultanate of Oman. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
• "Oman's Rulers Through History (13th Century AD – 18th Century AD)". Ministry of Information of the Sultanate of Oman. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
• "The Al Bu Said Dynasty". Ministry of Information of the Sultanate of Oman. Archived from the original on 12 May 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.

Specific

Bibliography

• Salil-Ibn Razik (2004) [First published 1871]. الشعاع الشائع باللمعان في ذكر أئمة عمان [History of the Imams and Seyyids of Oman]. trans. Reverend George Percy Badger. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4179-4787-4.