List of rulers of Oman

The Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman is the monarch and head of state of Oman. It is the most powerful position in the country. The sultans of Oman are members of the Al Busaidi dynasty, which is 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 Al Said since 11 January 2020
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	Dhi Yazan bin Haitham
First monarch	Al-Julanda bin Masud (imamate) Ahmad bin Said (as Sultan)
Formation	751 (imamate) 1744 (Al Busaid Dynasty)
Residence	Al Alam Palace
Website	www.oman.om

Since 11 January 2020, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said has been the current sultan.[1]

List of Imams (751–1959)

Imams		Tribe	Residence	Began to reign	Reference
Transliteration of the Arab names	Names in Arab script
Al-Julanda bin Masud	الجلندى بن مسعود	Azd	?	751	[2]
Mohammed bin Abi Affan	محمد بن أبي عفان	Azd	Nizwa	?	[3]
Al-Warith bin Ka'ab	الوارث بن كعب	Yahmad	Nizwa	801	[4]
Ghassan bin Abdullah	غسان بن عبد الله	Yahmad	Nizwa	807	[5]
Abdulmalik bin Humaid	عبد المالك بن حميد	Azd	?	824	[6]
Al-Muhanna bin Jayfar	المهنا بن جيفر	Yahmad	Nizwa	840	[7]
Al-Salt bin Malik	الصلت بن مالك	Azd	?	851	[8]
Rashid bin Al-Nadhar	راشد بن النظر	?	?	886	[9]
Azzan bin Tamim	عزان بن تميم	?	Nizwa	890	[10]
Mohammed bin Al-Hassan	محمد بن الحسن	Azd	?	897	[11]
Azzan bin Al-Hazbar	عزان بن الهزبر	Yahmad	?	898	[12]
Abdullah bin Mohammed	عبد الله بن محمد	?	?	899	[13]
Al-Salt bin Al-Qasim	الصلت بن القاسم	?	?	900	[14]
Al-Husn bin Said	الحسن بن سعيد	?	?	900	[15]
Al-Hawari bin Matraf	الحواري بن مطرف	?	?	904	[16]
Omar bin Mohammed	عمر بن محمد	?	?	912	[17]
Mohammed bin Yazid	محمد بن يزيد	Kinda	?	?	[18]
Al-Hakm bin Al-Milaa Al-Bahri	الحكم بن الملا البحري	?	Nizwa	?	[19]
Said bin Abdullah	سعيد بن عبد الله	?	?	939	[20]
Rashid bin Waleed	راشد بن الوليد	?	Nizwa	?	[21]
Al-Khalil bin Shadhan	الخليل بن شاذان	?	?	1002	[22]
Rashid bin Said	راشد بن سعيد	?	?	1032	[23]
Hafs bin Rashid	حفص بن راشد	?	?	1068	[24]
Rashid bin Ali	راشد بن علي	?	?	1054	[25]
Musa bin Jabir	ابن جابر موسى	?	Nizwa	1154	[26]
Malik bin Aly	مالك بن علي	?	?	1406	[27]
Salim bin Rashid Al Kharusi		Azdi, Yamani, Qahtani	?	1913 - 1919
Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al Khalili			?	1919 - 1954
Ghalib Alhinai			?	1954 - 1959

List of Imams (1406–1749)

Nabhani dynasty (1406–1624)

Name	Portrait	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
Makhzum bin 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 1 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

Al Busaidi dynasty (1749–present)

Name	Portrait	Reign start	Reign end	Notes
Ahmad bin Said		10 June 1749	15 December 1783	From 1744 in the coastal region
Said bin Ahmad		15 December 1783	1784	Last direct male descendant of Al Bu Said to hold the office of Imam. He abdicated secular power to his son Hamad and retired to Rustaq where he died in 1803.[28]
Hamad bin Said		1784	13 March 1792
Sultan bin Ahmad		13 March 1792	20 November 1804
Salim bin Sultan		20 November 1804	14 September 1806	Co-Rulers
Said bin Sultan
		14 September 1806	19 October 1856	Sole Ruler
Thuwaini bin Said		19 October 1856	11 February 1866	Killed
Salim bin Thuwaini		11 February 1866	3 October 1868	Deposed
Azzan bin Qais		3 October 1868	30 January 1871	Killed
Turki bin Said		30 January 1871	4 June 1888
Faisal bin Turki		4 June 1888	9 October 1913	British protectorate imposed on 20 March 1891.[29][30]
Taimur bin Feisal		9 October 1913	10 February 1932	Abdicated. Died in exile in India on 28 January 1965.
Said bin Taimur		10 February 1932	23 July 1970	Deposed in the 1970 Omani coup d'état. Died in exile in the United Kingdom on 19 October 1972.
Qaboos bin Said		23 July 1970	10 January 2020	British protectorate ended on 2 December 1971.
Haitham bin Tariq		11 January 2020	Incumbent

List of the Head of government

Chief ministers (Wazir)

1832 - 1856 Sulayman bin Hamad al-Busa`idi (b. c.1785 - d. 1873)

1868 - 1870 Sa`id bin Khalfan al-Khalili (b. 1811 - d. 1870)

1871 - 13 Aug 1873 Thuwayni bin Muhammad al-Busa`idi (b. 1838 - d. 1873)

1873 - 1888 Sa`id bin Muhammad al-Busa`idi (1st time) (b. 1840 - d. 1901)

1888 - 1895 Muhammad bin `Azzan al-Busa`idi

1896 - 1901 Sa`id bin Muhammad al-Busa`idi (2nd time) (s.a.)

1900 - 1920 Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Ghasham (b. 18.. - d. 1929)

1920 Daniel Vincent McCollum (b. 1886 - d. 1967)

Chairmen of the Council of Deputies

Apr 1920 - 1926 Nadir bin Faysal al-Busa`idi (b. 1888 - d. 1971)

1926 - 1928 Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Ghasham (s.a.)

Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (Prime ministers)

1929 - 1970 Sa`id bin Taimur (s.a.)

28 Jul 1970 - 14 Aug 1970 Barayq bin Hamad (acting)

14 Aug 1970 - 2 Jan 1972 Tariq bin Taimur (b. 1921 - d. 1980) Non-party

2 Jan 1972 - the Sultans

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 should choose a new sultan within three days of the position falling 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 a defence council of military and security officials, supreme court chiefs, and heads of the two quasi-parliamentary advisory assemblies.[31] Analysts saw the rules as an elaborate means of Sultan 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.[31]

Qaboos had no children nor 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 Al Said, Oman's first prime minister before the sultan took over the position himself (and his former father-in-law). Oman watchers believed the top contenders to succeed Qaboos were three of Tariq's sons: Assad bin Tariq Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister[32] for International Relations and Cooperation[33] and the Sultan's special representative; Shihab bin Tariq, a retired Royal Navy of Oman commander; and Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, the Minister of Heritage and National Culture.[31][34]

On 11 January 2020, Oman state TV said authorities had opened the letter by Sultan Qaboos bin Said naming his successor, announcing shortly that Haitham bin Tariq is the country's ruling sultan.[35] Haitham bin Tariq has two sons and two daughters.[36][37]

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, Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham as the apparent successor, making him the first Crown Prince of the Sultanate.

Changes to the rules of succession

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 and then to the eldest son of the Heir Apparent. In case the eldest son of the sultan is no more, then 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.

Standard of the Sultan

• 
  Standard of the Sultan of Oman.

See also

• History of Oman
• Muscat and Oman
• Oman proper
• 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 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
• "Oman's Rulers Through History (13th Century AD – 18th Century AD)". Ministry of Information of the Sultanate of Oman. Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
• "The Al Bu Said Dynasty". Ministry of Information of the Sultanate of Oman. Archived from the original on 2010-05-12. Retrieved 2010-07-19.

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. Rentz, George (1997) Oman and the south-eastern shore of Arabia Ithaca Press, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom : pages 204-205, ISBN 0-86372-199-0
29. See Persian Gulf Residency
30. Oman
31. Dokoupil, Martin (24 May 2012). "Succession Question Fuels Uncertainty in Oman". Reuters. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
32. "In Oman, a train-of-succession mystery: Who follows Qaboos?". 17 April 2017 – via Christian Science Monitor.
33. "Here is why Social Development Ministry honoured 32 private firms". Times of Oman. Retrieved 2018-12-01.
34. "Sultan Qaboos of Oman dies aged 79". 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
35. "Oman names culture minister as successor to Sultan Qaboos". AP NEWS. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
36. "Oman's new ruler chosen to provide continuity". 11 January 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
37. "Who is the new Sultan of Oman?". Tehran Times. 13 January 2020.

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.

External links