Following the January 2020 death of Sultan Qaboos — the man who had ruled Oman for 50 years — his cousin Haitham bin Tariq Al Said became Sultan of Oman. The Muscat-born son of a former crown prince, who served as Oman's Minister of Heritage and Culture for two decades before his accession on 11 January 2020, is leading Oman through its first generational transition in five decades.

The Family's Roots: The Al Bu Said Dynasty

Oman's Al Bu Said dynasty was founded in 1744 by Imam Ahmad bin Said and has ruled Oman continuously for nearly three centuries. Haitham was born in Muscat on 13 October 1955.

His Father: Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur

Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur (1921 – 27 December 1980) was the son of Sultan Taimur and brother of Sultan Said bin Taimur, making him uncle to Sultan Qaboos. He served as Prime Minister of Oman from 1970 to 1971 — making him the only PM Oman has had before Sultan Qaboos took up the role personally.

His Mother

Sayyida Shawana bint Hamoud Al Busaidi.

His Wife and Children

Sultan Haitham is married to Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah Al Busaidi and has four children:

  • Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham (b. 21 August 1990) — designated Crown Prince in 2021 (the first formally named Crown Prince in Omani history); Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth.
  • Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham
  • Sayyida Theyazin bint Haitham
  • Sayyida Umayma bint Haitham

The Al Said Family Tree at a Glance

Dynasty

  • Al Bu Said (Al Said), founded 1744 by Imam Ahmad bin Said

Parents

  • Father: Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur (1921 – 1980) — only Prime Minister of modern Oman (1970–71)
  • Mother: Sayyida Shawana bint Hamoud Al Busaidi

Sultan Haitham

  • Born 13 October 1955, Muscat
  • Pembroke College, Oxford (Foreign Service)
  • Various diplomatic posts; Foreign Ministry undersecretary
  • Minister of Heritage and Culture (2002 – 2020)
  • Sultan of Oman from 11 January 2020

Wife: Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah Al Busaidi

Children

  • Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham (b. 21 August 1990) — Crown Prince of Oman
  • Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham
  • Sayyida Theyazin bint Haitham
  • Sayyida Umayma bint Haitham

What the Omani Family Story Teaches Us

A cousin succession that quietly replaced 50 years of one ruler's reign. A father who was Oman's only modern Prime Minister. A son who designated, for the first time in Omani history, a formal Crown Prince. The Al Said family tree is one of the world's most stable.

For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Omani royal story carries the same lesson. Sometimes the most important succession is between cousins, not parents and children. Cousins matter on the tree, too.

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