State media say Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said has died

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Oman’s ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, as died at the age of 79, state media reported Saturday.

The sultan has ruled Oman since overthrowing his father in a bloodless 1970 coup. He has no known successor for his throne in Oman, a country on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that’s home to some 4.6 million people.

The state-run Oman News Agency announced his death on its official Twitter account, saying he died late Friday.

The sultan was believed to have been in poor health in recent months, and travelled to Belgium for a medical checkup last month.

The royal court declared three days of mourning.

The Associated Press