List of rulers of Oman

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.

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 ibn Mas'ud (imamate) Ahmad bin Said (as sultan)
Formation	751; 1273 years ago (751) (imamate) 1744; 280 years ago (1744) (Busaid dynasty)
Residence	Al Alam Palace Al Baraka Palace
Website	www.oman.om (in Arabic)

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

List of imams (751–1406)

Imams		Tribe	Residence	Began to reign	Reference
Transliteration of the Arab names	Names in Arab script
Al-Julanda ibn Mas'ud	الجلندى بن مسعود	Azd	Sohar	751	[2]
Muhammad ibn Abi Affan	محمد بن أبي عفان	Azd	Nizwa	?	[3]
Al-Warith ibn Ka'b	الوارث بن كعب	Yahmad	Nizwa	801	[4]
Ghassan ibn Abd Allah	غسان بن عبد الله	Yahmad	Nizwa	807	[5]
Abd al-Malik ibn Humayd	عبد المالك بن حميد	Azd	?	824	[6]
Al-Muhanna ibn Jayfar	المهنا بن جيفر	Yahmad	Nizwa	840	[7]
Al-Salt ibn Malik	الصلت بن مالك	Azd	?	851	[8]
Rashid ibn al-Nazar	راشد بن النظر	?	?	886	[9]
Azzan ibn Tamim	عزان بن تميم	?	Nizwa	890	[10]
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan	محمد بن الحسن	Azd	?	897	[11]
Azzan ibn al-Hazbar	عزان بن الهزبر	Yahmad	?	898	[12]
Abd Allah ibn Muhammad	عبد الله بن محمد	?	?	899	[13]
Al-Salt ibn al-Qasim	الصلت بن القاسم	?	?	900	[14]
Al-Husn ibn Sa'id	الحسن بن سعيد	?	?	900	[15]
Al-Hawari ibn Matraf	الحواري بن مطرف	?	?	904	[16]
Umar ibn Muhammad	عمر بن محمد	?	?	912	[17]
Muhammad ibn Yazid	محمد بن يزيد	Kinda	?	?	[18]
Al-Hakm ibn al-Mila al-Bahri	الحكم بن الملا البحري	Bahri	Nizwa	?	[19]
Sa'id ibn Abd Allah	سعيد بن عبد الله	?	?	939	[20]
Rashid ibn al-Walid	راشد بن الوليد	?	Nizwa	?	[21]
Al-Khalil ibn Shadhan	الخليل بن شاذان	Kharusi	?	1002	[22]
Rashid ibn Sa'id	راشد بن سعيد	Yahmad	?	1032	[23]
Hafs ibn Rashid	حفص بن راشد	?	?	1068	[24]
Rashid ibn Ali	راشد بن علي	?	?	1054	[25]
Musa ibn Jabir	ابن جابر موسى	?	Nizwa	1154	[26]
Malik ibn Ali	مالك بن علي	?	?	1406	[27]

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

Yarubi 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 (age 69)	11 January 2020	Incumbent	Grandson of Taimur bin Faisal	Al Said

Succession

The will of Sultan Qaboos, in which he named his cousin Haitham bin Tariq his heir

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 (who predeceased him in 2002), 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 the 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]

2021 changes

On 11 January 2021, the new Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq changed the Basic law of the state and charted out the procedures for succession in the future.

As per the new rules, the power shall be transferred from the Sultan to his eldest son. In case the eldest son of the sultan is no more, the power will be transferred to the eldest son of the Heir Apparent.

If the Heir Apparent has no sons, then the power should be transferred to the eldest of his brothers. In Case the heir apparent has no brothers, then the powers shall transfer to the son of the eldest of his brothers and so on as per the sequence of the ages of the brothers.

In case there exists no brothers or sons of brothers to the Heir Apparent, then the rule shall transfer to the uncles (only from the fathers' side) and their sons as per the order set by the paragraph (2) of the Basic Law of the State. It is also stated the Heir apparent must be a Muslim and legitimate son of Omani Muslim parents.

Article (3) of the Law states that if the transfer of power is made to a person aged under 21, then the power of the Sultan shall be undertaken by a trusteeship council appointed by a Royal Will and in case of non-appointment of such a council before his death, the Royal Family Council will appoint a trusteeship council comprising one of the brothers of the Sultan and two sons of his uncles.

The system of the trusteeship council shall be issued by a Royal Decree.  Article (7) states that a Royal Order shall be issued on the appointment of the Heir Apparent to assume power and the prerogatives and duties to be assigned to him.   

The Heir Apparent shall be sworn in before the Sultan before exercising his prerogatives and duties.

Article (8) says that in case it is not temporarily possible for the Sultan to exercise his powers, then the Heir Apparent shall assume such powers.

See also

• Oman portal

• 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

1. "Oman's new ruler Haitham bin Tariq takes oath: newspapers". Reuters. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
2. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 7
3. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 9
4. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 10
5. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 12
6. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 15
7. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 16
8. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 19
9. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 19
10. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 20
11. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 25
12. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 25
13. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 26
14. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 26
15. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 26
16. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 26
17. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 27
18. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 28
19. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 29
20. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 29
21. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 30
22. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 35
23. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 35
24. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 35
25. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 35
26. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 36
27. Salil-Ibn Razik 1871, p. 36
28. Dokoupil, Martin (24 May 2012). "Succession Question Fuels Uncertainty in Oman". Reuters. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
29. "In Oman, a train-of-succession mystery: Who follows Qaboos?". Christian Science Monitor. 17 April 2017.
30. "Here is why Social Development Ministry honoured 32 private firms". Times of Oman. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
31. "Sultan Qaboos of Oman dies aged 79". 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
32. "Oman names culture minister as successor to Sultan Qaboos". AP NEWS. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
33. "Oman's new ruler chosen to provide continuity". Reuters. 11 January 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
34. "Who is the new Sultan of Oman?". Tehran Times. 13 January 2020.
35. "Sultan's eldest son will become Oman's crown prince, new decree says". Arab News. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.

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.