<span style="color: #222222;">Haitham bin Tariq al-Said today took over as Sultan of the Oman after the death of long-time ruler Qaboos. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The new ruler is the cousin of late Sultan Qaboos. Sultan Qaboos died last evening at the age of 79 following a prolonged illness. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Qaboos had ruled Oman since 1970 and was the eighth sultan of the House of Al Said. He was the longest-serving monarch among the recent Arab rulers.</span><br />'' <br />''