After his cousin, Sultan Qaboos, died on 10 January 2020, Haitham bin Tariq became Sultan of Oman. Oman state TV said that the Council of Oman opened a letter by Sultan Qaboos bin Said that he wrote before he died. The letter said who he wanted to rule Oman after he died. After that, they made Haitham bin Tariq the Sultan of Oman.