Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, the former Omani minister of heritage and culture and the cousin of late Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, has been sworn in as Oman's new sultan, Omani state television announced on Saturday.
DOHA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2020) Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, the former Omani minister of heritage and culture and the cousin of late Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, has been sworn in as Oman's new sultan, Omani state television announced on Saturday.
Sultan Qaboos died after a long illness at the age of 79 late night on Friday. He had no direct heir, and under the Omani constitution, the successor were to be chosen by the royal family within three days.
Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, 66, was sworn in as new sultan on the morning of Saturday. During the ceremony, he pledged to "move forward along the noble path of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said in the development and progress of the sultanate," as quoted by Al Roya newspaper.
"Oman will continue Sultan Qaboos' foreign political course, pursuing to end confrontation and conflicts in the region. We will continue calling for peaceful resolution of conflicts. We will rely upon policy of good-neighborliness and non-interference in domestic affairs of other states," the sultan said in a broadcast on Omani state television.
He specifically pledged commitment to continue cooperating with the Persian Gulf countries and supporting the Arab League.
In terms of multilateral affairs, Sultan Haitham was quoted as saying that Oman "will uphold its effective role within the UN system for the sake of ensuring international security."
"We respect our charters and agreements with other countries and organizations," he was quoted as saying.
The new sultan from Oman's ruling royal house of Al-Said had previously served as minister of heritage and culture as well as held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Presently, he chairs the "Oman 2040" national economic development program.
