His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik bin Taimur al Said succeeded to the throne on 11th January on the death of his cousin His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur Al Said.
The 65-year old ruler served as a special envoy to the late Sultan on different occasions and held various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs from 1986 to 1994 and was later appointed as the Secretary General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1994–2002).
This extensive experience in foreign relations and policies formed the focus of his first speech as Sultan, in which he expressed the intent to continue the policies of the late Sultan, saying: “In terms of foreign policy, we will follow the path he followed: embracing principles based on the peaceful coexistence among nations and people.”
HM Sultan Haitham bin Tarik was the Sultanate’s Minister of Heritage and Culture and the driving force behind the restoration of many historical monuments in Oman. He is the Chairman of the Committee for the future vision of "Oman 2040″, a roadmap for social and economic reform for the country. In 1979 he was a graduate of the Foreign Service Programme from Pembroke College, Oxford University.
He is the honorary president of the Oman Association for the Disabled and the honorary president of the "Omani-Japanese Friendship Association." He was also the first head of the Oman Football Association in the early 1980s and is known as a sports enthusiast.
The Association looks forward to supporting the Sultan in the continuing pursuit of peace and prosperity in the Sultanate.