# List of rulers of Oman

The sultan of the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلطان سلطنة عمان) is the monarchical head of state and head of government of Oman. It is the most powerful position in the country. The sultans of Oman are members of the Busaid dynasty, which has been the ruling family of Oman since the mid-18th century.
Haitham bin Tariq is the current sultan, reigning since 11 January 2020.

## List of imams (751–1406)

| Imams | Imams | Tribe | Residence | Began to reign | Reference |
| Transliteration of the Arab names | Names in Arab script | Tribe | Residence | Began to reign | Reference |
| Al-Julanda ibn Mas'ud | الجلندى بن مسعود | Azd | Sohar | 751 | |
| Muhammad ibn Abi Affan | محمد بن أبي عفان | Azd | Nizwa | ? | |
| Al-Warith ibn Ka'b | الوارث بن كعب | Yahmad | Nizwa | 801 | |
| Ghassan ibn Abd Allah | غسان بن عبد الله | Yahmad | Nizwa | 807 | |
| Abd al-Malik ibn Humayd | عبد المالك بن حميد | Azd | ? | 824 | |
| Al-Muhanna ibn Jayfar | المهنا بن جيفر | Yahmad | Nizwa | 840 | |
| Al-Salt ibn Malik | الصلت بن مالك | Azd | ? | 851 | |
| Rashid ibn al-Nazar | راشد بن النظر | ? | ? | 886 | |
| Azzan ibn Tamim | عزان بن تميم | ? | Nizwa | 890 | |
| Muhammad ibn al-Hasan | محمد بن الحسن | Azd | ? | 897 | |
| Azzan ibn al-Hazbar | عزان بن الهزبر | Yahmad | ? | 898 | |
| Abd Allah ibn Muhammad | عبد الله بن محمد | ? | ? | 899 | |
| Al-Salt ibn al-Qasim | الصلت بن القاسم | ? | ? | 900 | |
| Al-Husn ibn Sa'id | الحسن بن سعيد | ? | ? | 900 | |
| Al-Hawari ibn Matraf | الحواري بن مطرف | ? | ? | 904 | |
| Umar ibn Muhammad | عمر بن محمد | ? | ? | 912 | |
| Muhammad ibn Yazid | محمد بن يزيد | Kinda | ? | ? | |
| Al-Hakm ibn al-Mila al-Bahri | الحكم بن الملا البحري | Bahri | Nizwa | ? | |
| Sa'id ibn Abd Allah | سعيد بن عبد الله | ? | ? | 939 | |
| Rashid ibn al-Walid | راشد بن الوليد | ? | Nizwa | ? | |
| Al-Khalil ibn Shadhan | الخليل بن شاذان | Kharusi | ? | 1002 | |
| Rashid ibn Sa'id | راشد بن سعيد | Yahmad | ? | 1032 | |
| Hafs ibn Rashid | حفص بن راشد | ? | ? | 1068 | |
| Rashid ibn Ali | راشد بن علي | ? | ? | 1054 | |
| Musa ibn Jabir | ابن جابر موسى | ? | Nizwa | 1154 | |
| Malik ibn Ali | مالك بن علي | ? | ? | 1406 | |

## List of imams (1406–1749)
### Nabhani dynasty (1406–1624)

| Name | Reign start | Reign end | Notes |
| Muhammed al-Fallah | 1406 | 1435 | |
| Abul Hassan of Oman | 1435 | 1451 | |
| Omar bin al Khattab | 1451 | 1490 | |
| Omar al Sharif | 1490 | 1500 | |
| Muhammad bin Ismail | 1500 | 1529 | Portuguese protectorate imposed on 15 April 1515. |
| Barakat bin Muhammad | 1529 | 1560 | |
| Abdulla bin Muhammad | 1560 | 1624 | |

### Yarubi dynasty (1624–1749)

| Name | Reign start | Reign end | Notes |
| Nasir bin Murshid | 1624 | 1649 | |
| Sultan bin Saif | 1649 | 1679 | Portuguese protectorate ended with their expulsion on 28 January 1650. |
| Bil'arab bin Sultan | 1679 | 1692 | |
| Saif bin Sultan | 1692 | 1711 | |
| Sultan bin Saif II | 1711 | 1718 | |
| Saif bin Sultan II | 1718 | 1719 | |
| Muhanna bin Sultan | 1719 | 1720 | |
| Saif bin Sultan II | 1720 | 1722 | Second reign |
| Ya'arab bin Bel'arab | 1722 | 1722 | |
| Saif bin Sultan II | 1722 | 1724 | Third reign |
| Muhammad bin Nasir | 1724 | 1728 | Not a member of the dynasty |
| Saif bin Sultan II | 1728 | 1742 | Fourth reign; at first in the coastal area only |
| Bal'arab bin Himyar | 1728 | 1737 | First reign; in the interior |
| Sultan bin Murshid | 1742 | 1743 | |
| Bal'arab bin Himyar | 1743 | 1749 | Second reign; in the interior |

## List of sultans (1749–present)

| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family |
| Ahmad bin Saidأحمد بن سعيد | 1694 – 15 December 1783(1783-12-15) (aged 89) | 10 June 1749 | 15 December 1783 | From 1744 in the coastal region | Busaid |
| Said bin Ahmadسعيد بن أحمد | 1741 – 1811 (aged 70) | 15 December 1783 | 1786 | Son of Ahmad bin Said | Busaid |
| Hamad bin Saidحمد بن سعيد | ? – 13 March 1792 | 1786 | 13 March 1792 | Son of Said bin Ahmad | Busaid |
| Sultan bin Ahmadسلطان بن أحمد | 1755 – 17 November 1804 (aged 48–49) | 18 March 1792 | 17 November 1804 | Son of Ahmad bin Said | Busaid |
| Salim bin Sultanسالم بن سلطان | (1790-09-11)11 September 1790 – 4 April 1821(1821-04-04) (aged 30) | 18 November 1804 | 14 September 1806 | Son of Sultan bin Ahmad | Busaid |
| Said bin Sultanسعيد بن سلطان | (1791-06-05)5 June 1791 – 19 October 1856(1856-10-19) (aged 65) | 20 November 1804 | 19 October 1856 | Son of Sultan bin Ahmad | Busaid |
| Thuwaini bin Saidثويني بن سعيد | 1821 – 11 February 1866(1866-02-11) (aged 45) | 19 October 1856 | 11 February 1866 | Son of Said bin Sultan | Busaid |
| Salim bin Thuwainiسالم بن ثويني | 1839 – 7 December 1876(1876-12-07) (aged 37) | 11 February 1866 | 3 October 1868 (deposed) | Son of Thuwaini bin Said | Busaid |
| Azzan bin Qaisعزان بن قيس | ? – 30 January 1871 | 3 October 1868 | 30 January 1871 | Great-great-grandson of Ahmad bin Said | Busaid |
| Turki bin Saidتركي بن سعيد | 1832 – 4 June 1888(1888-06-04) (aged 56) | 30 January 1871 | 4 June 1888 | Son of Said bin Sultan | Busaid |
| Faisal bin Turkiفيصل بن تركي | (1864-06-08)8 June 1864 – 5 October 1913(1913-10-05) (aged 49) | 4 June 1888 | 5 October 1913 | Son of Turki bin Said | Busaid |
| Taimur bin Faisalتيمور بن فيصل | 1886 – 28 January 1965(1965-01-28) (aged 79) | 5 October 1913 | 10 February 1932 (abdicated) | Son of Faisal bin Turki | Busaid |
| Said bin Taimurسعيد بن تيمور‎ | (1910-08-13)13 August 1910 – 19 October 1972(1972-10-19) (aged 62) | 10 February 1932 | 23 July 1970 (deposed) | Son of Taimur bin Faisal | Al Said |
| Qaboos bin Saidقابوس بن سعيد | (1940-11-18)18 November 1940 – 10 January 2020(2020-01-10) (aged 79) | 23 July 1970 | 10 January 2020 | Son of Said bin Taimur | Al Said |
| Haitham bin Tariqهيثم بن طارق | (1955-10-11) 11 October 1955 (age 69) | 11 January 2020 | Incumbent | Grandson of Taimur bin Faisal | Al Said |

## Succession

Unlike the heads of other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Qaboos did not publicly name an heir. Article 6 of the constitution says the Royal Family Council has three days to choose a new sultan from the date the position falls vacant. If the Royal Family Council fails to agree, a letter containing a name penned by Sultan Qaboos should be opened in the presence of the Defence Council of military and security officials, supreme court chiefs, and heads of the upper and lower houses of the consultative assemblies. Analysts saw the rules as an elaborate means of Qaboos securing his choice for successor without causing controversy by making it public during his lifetime, since it was considered unlikely that the royal family would be able to agree on a successor on its own.
Qaboos had no children, and only one sister, Sayyida Umaima (who predeceased him in 2002), but no male siblings; there are other male members of the Omani royal family including paternal uncles and their families. Using same-generation primogeniture, the successor to Qaboos would appear to be the children of his late uncle Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur, Oman's first prime minister and the Sultan's former father-in-law. Oman watchers believed the top contenders to succeed Qaboos were three of Tariq's sons: Asa'ad bin Tariq, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation and the Sultan's special representative; Shihab bin Tariq, a retired commander of the Royal Navy of Oman; and Haitham bin Tariq, Minister of Heritage and National Culture.
On 11 January 2020, Oman state TV said the Royal Family Council, in a letter to the Defense Council, had decided to defer to the choice that Qaboos named in his will, and thus had opened the letter by Qaboos naming his successor, announcing shortly that Haitham bin Tariq is the country's ruling sultan. Haitham has two sons and two daughters.
On 12 January 2021, the current Sultan, Haitham bin Tariq officially changed the Basic Law of the State, stipulating the creation of the post for the Crown Prince of Oman and appointed his first son, Theyazin bin Haitham as the apparent successor, making him the first Crown Prince of the Sultanate.