• Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham attends the Sultan Qaboos Cup final between Dhofar and Al Orouba at the Rustaq Sports Complex, west of the Omani capital Muscat in November. AFP
    Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham attends the Sultan Qaboos Cup final between Dhofar and Al Orouba at the Rustaq Sports Complex, west of the Omani capital Muscat in November. AFP
  • Omani Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Dhi Yazan bin Haitham and President of Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Jaber attend the 39th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly Meeting. AFP
    Omani Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Dhi Yazan bin Haitham and President of Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Jaber attend the 39th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly Meeting. AFP
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham presents the trophy to Dhofar players after winning the Sultan Qaboos Cup final. AFP
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham presents the trophy to Dhofar players after winning the Sultan Qaboos Cup final. AFP
  • Omani Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham attends the 39th Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly Meeting. AFP
    Omani Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham attends the 39th Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly Meeting. AFP
  • Oman's ruler Sultan Haitham bin Tariq prepares for a meeting at Al Alam palace in the capital Muscat, Oman. AP
    Oman's ruler Sultan Haitham bin Tariq prepares for a meeting at Al Alam palace in the capital Muscat, Oman. AP
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham presents the Order of Royal Commendation, 3rd Class, to media personnel, granted by Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik. Oman News Agency
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham presents the Order of Royal Commendation, 3rd Class, to media personnel, granted by Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik. Oman News Agency
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham tours the exhibition titled “The Coast, Society and Protection," by Juana Mullet, at Bait al Baranda in Muttrah. Oman News Agency
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham tours the exhibition titled “The Coast, Society and Protection," by Juana Mullet, at Bait al Baranda in Muttrah. Oman News Agency
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, takes part via video-conferencing in the 24th session of GCC Ministers of Culture's Council. Oman News Agency
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, takes part via video-conferencing in the 24th session of GCC Ministers of Culture's Council. Oman News Agency
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham receives in his office today Leslie M. Tsou, US ambassador to Oman. Oman News Agency
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham receives in his office today Leslie M. Tsou, US ambassador to Oman. Oman News Agency
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham opens the training centre of Outward Bound Oman in Al Khoudh. Oman News Agency
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham opens the training centre of Outward Bound Oman in Al Khoudh. Oman News Agency
  • Dhi Yazan bin Haitham, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth. Oman News Agency
    Dhi Yazan bin Haitham, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth. Oman News Agency

Dhi Yazan bin Haitham set to become Oman's first Crown Prince


  • English
  • Arabic

Sultan Haitham's eldest son is set to become Oman's first Crown Prince, in accordance with legislation which establishes succession from ruler to the eldest son.

Oxford-educated Dhi Yazan bin Haitham was born in 1990 and will likely be a popular choice with Oman's young population.

He currently holds the post of minister of culture, sports and youth, named to the role when his father restructured the government in August 2020. Before his appointment he served in Oman's UK embassy from 2018, a continuation of a foreign ministry role he began in 2013.

On Monday, Sultan Haitham issued a new basic law outlining a revised succession plan and creating the role of Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince will act in the place of the Sultan in the event of a "temporary impediment" that prevents the monarch from exercising his duties.

The law stipulates the Crown Prince must be a male descendant of Sultan Turki bin Sultan and have Omani Muslim parents.

"Bringing him early on to a government post and settling a clearer succession procedure gives him an ample training ground and is good news for investors, neighbours, and Oman," said Bader Al Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University.

Sultan Haitham's second son is Bilarab bin Haitham, five years younger than Dhi Yazan bin Haitham. Currently, he holds no official position.

The Sultan also has two daughters.

"It will be obviously one of his two sons. For me, either of them are a perfect successor," said Ali Al Rawahi, 32, an electrical engineer. "I know the chosen one will be groomed well to take over the job. They both have pleasant personalities, are highly spoken of, well-mannered and very responsible young men."

Dr Salim Al Salmi, a retired Sultan Qaboos University researcher, said: "Sayyid Dhi Yazan is the most likely one to take over from his father. He is acquiring experience in the Cabinet and it looks like he is being groomed for the top job."

Oman after Qaboos: Sultan Haitham's first year of rule

Omanis quietly marked the first anniversary of Sultan Qaboos's death on Sunday.

No official ceremonies were held, but state-run Oman television broadcast a programme about his legacy.

Sultan Qaboos, who ruled Oman from 1970 to 2020, came to power at the age of 29. A moderniser with respect for Oman’s traditions, the graduate of Britain's Sandhurst military academy transformed the country into a respected international player.

He was succeeded by Sultan Haitham, his cousin, on January 11, 2020.

In his first year, Sultan Haitham revamped the government, streamlining it from 26 to 19 ministries.

He also approved a 2040 economic vision aimed at diversifying Oman's income away from oil revenue.

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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Company%20Profile
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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Schedule:

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

Company Profile

Name: JustClean

Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries

Launch year: 2016

Number of employees: 130

Sector: online laundry service

Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

The specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: nine-speed

Power: 542bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: Dh848,000

On sale: now

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets