![FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2019 file photo, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman sits during a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Beit Al Baraka Royal Palace in Muscat, Oman. Oman's 79-year-old ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said is in "stable condition" and is following a doctor-prescribed medical treatment, the nation's royal court announced Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, amid days of worried speculation about his health. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP, File)](https://images.cnbctv18.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AP19365521588489.jpg?impolicy=website&width=550&height=300 "FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2019 file photo, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman sits during a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Beit Al Baraka Royal Palace in Muscat, Oman. Oman's 79-year-old ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said is in "stable condition" and is following a doctor-prescribed medical treatment, the nation's royal court announced Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, amid days of worried speculation about his health. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP, File)")
1 / 9Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, one of the Middle East's longest-serving rulers who maintained the country's neutrality in a turbulent region, died on Friday and his cousin Haitham bin Tariq al-Said was named as his successor in a smooth transition. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP, File)
2 / 9Oman named Haitham bin Tariq Al Said as the country's new sultan on Saturday. Qaboos' choice of successor was a closely guarded secret believed to have been known only to the sultan, who did not have any children. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
3 / 9This image made from video shows the motorcade carrying the coffin of Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, in Muscat. The sultan haD ruled Oman since overthrowing his father in a bloodless 1970 coup. (Oman TV via AP)
4 / 9Oman's new sultan, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, centre right, is seen next to Britain's Prince Charles while welcoming him and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at Bait Al Noor church in Muscat. Oman's new ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, vowed Saturday to uphold his predecessor Sultan Qaboos bin Said's foreign policy approach, which steered the Arab country through choppy Persian Gulf waters by balancing close relations with both the United States and Iran. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
5 / 9This image made from video shows Oman's new sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, centre between two men with daggers, attends the prayer ceremony over Sultan Qaboos coffin at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. (Oman TV via AP)
6 / 9People carry the coffin of Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. Sultan Qaboos shaped Oman's policy of diplomatic balancing. Under his leadership, Oman was a facilitator of talks between adversaries Iran and the United States. Oman is a close ally of Washington and viewed as a valuable regional player. (Oman News Agency via AP)
7 / 9Oman's new sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, right, carries the Sultan Qaboos' coffin at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. (Oman News Agency via AP)
8 / 9Omani officials pray over the grave of Sultan Qaboos after his burial in Muscat. (Oman News Agency via AP)
9 / 9Oman's new sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, swears in at the Royal Family Council in Muscat. (Oman News Agency via AP)
