Until *just now* the way Oman determined the next Sultan was: the current Sultan writes a name in secret. When he dies, the family try to agree who comes next. If they can't agree, they open the secret envelope and whoever is written there becomes Sultanhttps://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-01-13/oman-preempts-succession-drama-by-naming-its-first-crown-prince?utm_content=view&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-view&utm_medium=social …
Honestly the plot Succession would have been simpler and more boring if they just did this