A highly anticipated state visit by the Sultan of Oman to Spain has been postponed following the death of a close family member in the Omani royal household.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were set to welcome His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said for a formal visit to Madrid from Tuesday to Thursday, but plans were put on hold after the Sultan’s mother-in-law passed away, as confirmed by the Omani royal family on Monday.
In an official statement shared online, the palace expressed their condolences: “The mother of Lady Al-Jalila has passed away. We ask God to shower her with His mercy and dwell her in His spacious gardens.”
Spain’s Royal Court (Casa Real) followed with an announcement confirming the postponement of the visit until further notice out of respect for the mourning period.
One of the visit’s highlights was to have been a white-tie gala dinner at the Royal Palace in Madrid on Wednesday evening. The event would have seen Queen Letizia don one of her elegant tiaras—something royal watchers have not seen since the Spanish royals’ state visit to the Netherlands in April 2024.
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, who succeeded his cousin Sultan Qaboos bin Said in January 2020, is married to Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah. The couple shares four children and have been key figures in maintaining diplomatic relations across the Middle East and beyond.
While a new date for the visit has not yet been announced, it is expected that both royal households will work together to reschedule the engagement at an appropriate time.
