It hasn't been mentioned on this board, so I will post this now. On 10 January this year HM Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id bin Taimur al-Mu'azzam, born 1940, died. He became Sultan in 1970 (after overthrowing his own father), so he reigned for almost 50 years.

He had no children, so he had appointed his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, born 1954, his heir. The day after Qaboos's death, the Royal Council confirmed tat Haitham was the new Sultan.