President Rodrigo Duterte has condoled with Oman over the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who has ruled the Gulf State since 1970.
“On behalf of the Filipino nation, President Rodrigo Duterte expresses his sincere condolences and offers his fervent prayers to the government and people of the Sultanate of Oman as they mourn their beloved leader,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said on Saturday.
“Sultan Qaboos was a man of vision and foresight who transformed his country into a modern and stable nation it is known today. We thank His Majesty for graciously hosting thousands of Filipinos who work and consider Oman their second home,” he added.
Qaboos, 79, died Friday night, state media Oman News Agency confirmed as it declared a three-day period of national mourning.
The longest-serving Arab leader, Qaboos deposed his father in a palace coup in 1970.
Oman had been an isolated state during the reign of Qaboos’ father, but he transformed into a new era when he ruled the Gulf nation.
Qaboos was unmarried and had no children or a direct heir at the time of his death.
Haitham bin Tariq, Oman’s culture minister and the 65-year-old cousin of the late sultan, has been sworn in as the new royal ruler.
“Haitham bin Tariq was sworn in as the new sultan of the country…after a meeting of the family which decided to appoint the one who was chosen by the sultan,” the Omani government said in a tweet.
Most experts had expected the throne to go to Asad bin Tariq, another cousin, who was appointed deputy prime minister for international relations and cooperation affairs in 2017 in what was seen as a clear message of support.
Haitham, a sports enthusiast, held the position of undersecretary of the ministry of foreign affairs for political affairs before becoming the minister of heritage and culture in the mid-1990s.