Oman’s sultan orders high-ranking appointments

Cairo: Oman’s Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq has named a new minister of agriculture and fisheries as part of a series of appointments he ordered, the Omani news agency ONA has reported.

The sultan has appointed Saud Bin Hamoud Al-Habsi as minister of agriculture and fisheries.

According to another royal decree, Yaqoub Bin Khalfan has been appointed undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; and Ebrahim Bin Saeed Al-Kharousi as undersecretary at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture for Heritage Affairs.

The sultan, moreover, decreed the appointment of Dr Fahd Bin Al-Julanda as president of Sultan Qaboos University.

The decrees took effect on the date of their issuance with publication in the Official Gazette, according to ONA.

Haitham took power in Oman in January after the death of Sultan Qaboos who had ruled the country for nearly five decades.