On January 10, 2020 Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman passed away, leaving no heir. The official Omani legal statute would have provided the extended royal family 3 days to decide on the successor, in the absence of which they would need to open an envelope that the Sultan had farsightedly sealed three years ago. This never happened, of course. As soon as the Sultan passed away, being brought back from Belgium in terminal condition, the envelope was opened and Qaboos’ cousin, Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was announced as the new ruler of Oman.…
