Oman’s official television announces the inauguration of Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, Sultan of the country on Saturday.
Al-Watan and Al-Roya newspapers had reported earlier on their Twitter accounts that Tariq Al-Said took the oath of allegiance as sultan to succeed his cousin Qaboos bin Said who died on Friday.
Earlier reports said that the Council of Oman held an emergency session on Saturday morning at its headquarters in Al-Bustan.
Qaboos had no children and had not publicly appointed a successor.
Tariq Al-Said was serving as the Minister of National Heritage and Culture. He graduated from Oxford University in 1979 after studying the Foreign Service Programme.
Tariq Al-Said, often played an important diplomatic role, representing Oman abroad and welcoming Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, for example, upon their arrival to the country for a visit in 2016.
