MUSCAT: Oman's sultan has issued a new law on the appointment of a crown prince for the first time in the country's history, aimed at creating a more "specific and stable" transfer of power, according to a royal decree. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq issued two royal decrees on Monday, one for parliament and one for a new succession mechanism, state television reported.

"The most significant (element)... is establishing a specific and stable mechanism for transfer of the governing authority and a mechanism to appoint a crown prince," said a royal decree read on state TV.