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Haitham bin Tariq

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Haitham bin Tariq, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025
Haitham bin Tariq Al Said
Born
Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said

(1955-10-11) October 11, 1955 (age 71)
Muscat, Oman
Occupation(s)Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman
Years active2020–present (as Sultan)
Known forSultan and Prime Minister of Oman since 2020

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (; born 11 October 1955) currently serves as the Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman. He assumed the throne in January 2020 after being designated as successor by his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Before his accession, Haitham dedicated several decades to government service under Sultan Qaboos, most prominently as Minister of Heritage and Culture within the Cabinet of Oman.

Early life

Haitham is the offspring of Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur and Sayyida Shawana bint Hamud Al Busaidi, and a grandson of Sultan Taimur bin Feisal. Among his siblings are six brothers and two sisters, including Sayyida Nawwal bint Tariq, who was married to Sultan Qaboos bin Said from 1976 until 1979. Notably, his brothers Asa'ad bin Tariq and Shihab bin Tariq occupy influential government positions as Deputy Prime Ministers responsible for Relations and International Cooperation Affairs, and Defense Affairs, respectively. The remaining four brothers focus on business ventures outside the political sphere.

Haitham began his education at Saidiya School in Muscat before attending Brummana High School in Lebanon. He completed his studies at Pembroke College, Oxford, graduating from the Foreign Service Programme in 1979.

Marriage and children

Haitham is wed to Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah bin Hamad Al Busaidi, with whom he has four children:

  • Crown Prince Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham (born 21 August 1990), who became Oman's inaugural crown prince; he married Sayyida Meyyan bint Shihab Al Said in November 2021 (divorced early 2022), followed by a marriage to Sayyida Alia bint Mohammed Al Busaidi in April 2025.
  • Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham (born 10 January 1995), who entered into marriage in June 2021 and has children.
  • Sayyida Thuraya bint Haitham
  • Sayyida Omaima bint Haitham

Political career

An avid sports follower, Haitham was the founding chairman of the Oman Football Association during the early 1980s. His governmental roles included Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1986 and 1994, followed by Secretary General of the same ministry from 1994 until 2002. In 2002, he was appointed Minister of Heritage and Culture and led the national census committee in 2003. Throughout his career, he has represented Oman internationally on numerous occasions; notably, in 2016 he hosted the visit of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Haitham presides over the committee responsible for shaping the "Oman 2040" future vision strategy and holds the honorary presidency of the Oman Association for the Disabled. He is believed to have garnered support from prominent merchant families within Oman through established connections.

Sultan of Oman

Upon Sultan Qaboos's passing on 10 January 2020, Haitham was selected as Sultan by both the royal family and Qaboos's will. He took an oath before an emergency session of the Council of Oman held in Al-Bustan. Initially, he consolidated several vital government roles including prime ministership, supreme commander of armed forces, as well as ministerial duties for defense, finance, foreign affairs, alongside chairmanship of the Central Bank of Oman. On 18 August 2020, these ministerial responsibilities were delegated to appointed officials: Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi assumed foreign minister duties; Sultan bin Salem bin Saeed al-Habsi became finance minister; and Taimur bin Asa'ad Al Said was named Central Bank chairman.

In his inaugural public speech, Haitham committed to upholding Qaboos's diplomatic approach centered on peace while promoting economic progress within Oman. Contrary to his predecessor’s bachelor status, he is married with four offspring. Early in his tenure, he endorsed Oman’s accession to key international human rights agreements such as the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

In October 2020, Oman distinguished itself as the first Gulf nation to restore its ambassadorial presence in Syria since diplomatic ties were downgraded in 2012. On 11 January 2021, Haitham created the office of Crown Prince—appointing his eldest son Sayyid Theyazin as Oman's first crown prince—thereby formalizing succession protocols. Additionally, he amended the Basic Law to broaden freedoms related to expression and religious practice while curbing state surveillance powers.

Oman introduced a value added tax system in April 2021; although later than some Gulf counterparts, it preceded others in adoption. Mid-2021 witnessed economic protests focusing on unemployment and corruption; some participants were briefly detained before release. Haitham’s diplomatic engagements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Kingdom reinforced strategic partnerships. His visit to Saudi Arabia marked a royal visit not seen for over ten years; during his UK trip he met Queen Elizabeth II and received a GCMG honor. Following Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022, Haitham extended condolences to King Charles III.

In May 2023, Sultan Haitham traveled to Tehran for discussions on regional diplomacy shortly after Oman facilitated a prisoner exchange between Iran and Belgium. The government approved a $5.2 billion Oman Future Fund aimed at economic diversification and announced plans for developing Sultan Haitham City. A new Tourism Law was enacted within that year.

The Medium Term Fiscal Plan (2020–2024) focuses on ensuring fiscal sustainability. Between 2015 and 2020, Oman’s fiscal deficit averaged approximately 12.8% of GDP but improved markedly to around 3.6% in 2021 before achieving a budget surplus near 5% in 2022—the first surplus since 2013. In 2024, Oman's sovereign credit rating was upgraded from junk status to BB+, followed by Moody’s elevating it to investment grade "Baa3" in 2025 due to improved debt metrics and resilience against oil price volatility.

During the conflict known as the 2025 Iran-Israel War, Sultan Haitham advocated for de-escalation measures and renewed dialogue efforts. In May that year, Oman played a mediating role facilitating a ceasefire between US forces and Houthi rebels.

In a regional first for Gulf countries during 2025, Oman implemented a personal income tax: a rate of five percent applies to individuals earning over 42,000 Omani rials ($109,091) annually starting from 2028. This tax affects roughly one percent of residents with objectives including fostering fairness and decreasing reliance on oil and gas revenues which accounted for about seventy percent of state income in the previous year.

Titles and styles

  • 11 October 1955 – 10 January 2020: His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said
  • 11 January 2020 – present: His Majesty The Sultan of Oman

National honours

International honours

References

Related profiles

QQaboos bin SaidYYasser AbbasAAbdullah II of Jordan
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