Expert Expects No Major Shift in Oman Foreign Policy

Oman's deeply conservative culture, along with a fear of domestic unrest, will prompt the Arab country to retain its long-held values of peacemaking after the loss of its long-serving leader, a Middle East expert said. 
Mohammad Saleh Sadeqian also told Iranian Diplomacy that given the conservative culture of Omanis and their acknowledgement of Iran's powerful regional role, it appears that the Persian Gulf Arab state will preserve its neutral role in the troubled region. 
Following the death of Sultan Qaboos at 79 on Friday, his cousin and former culture minister, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, was named the successor to the towering figure, giving rise to speculations on the new sultan's foreign policy.