Oman Celebrates its 52nd National Day

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Oman Celebrates its 52nd National Day

His Majesty Haitham Bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

His Majesty Haitham Bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

 
The Sultanate of Oman marked the 52nd National Day anniversary Friday.
 
Under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who affirmed his constant quest to advance Oman’s modern cultural and economic status, Omanis forge toward the Renewed Renaissance as true partners in Oman’s comprehensive development.
 
His Majesty the Sultan accords decision-making mechanisms that are aimed at serving the country’s supreme interests.  The most prominent outcome was the restructuring of the Council of Ministers on Jun.16, 2022, the second decision after His Majesty the Sultan assumed the reins of power.  
 
The establishment of the Supreme Judicial Council, under His Majesty’s own chairmanship, was a step forward in founding a system capable of achieving the loftiest standards of justice, impartiality and transparency in line with the pillars of Oman Vision 2040. The step also combines all parties of litigation into a single judicial schema.
 
Royal Decree No. 38/2022 introduces amendments to the Municipal Councils Law, which aims to facilitate missions in different governorates. His Majesty the Sultan has affirmed that the time is ripe for the decentralization of decisions pertaining to local communities. This brought to the limelight the role of governors and the role of municipal councils.
 
Decentralization streamlines procedures for citizens, an objective underscored by His Majesty the Sultan upon his chairmanship of the Council of Ministers on Oct.11, 2022. In the meeting, His Majesty the Sultan stressed the importance of coordination among units of the States’ Administrative Apparatus and the governorates.  
 
The new administrative setup offers governors and governorates direct authority to run their internal affairs, including planning and implementation of missions. This makes governorates’ affairs more closely associated with the districts themselves, their governors and their municipal councils.
 
Ambassador H.E. Zakariya Al Saadi [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

Ambassador H.E. Zakariya Al Saadi [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

 

The status of “wilayat” was accorded to two administrative divisions,  Al Jabal Al Akhdar and Sinaw, raising the total number of wilayats in Oman to 63. The decision was aimed at attracting investments, developing resources and upgrading services and activities in the two wilayats.
 
Despite institutions like the Council of Oman — a legislative monitoring body — and municipal councils, which undertake developmental and service roles in their respective wilayats, His Majesty the Sultan’s constitutes a strong manifestation to get firsthand knowledge about citizens’ needs.  
 
Direct meetings with sheikhs and dignitaries of Oman, and The Royal-meet-the-people gatherings are the most straightforward administrative application for the future in Oman’s governorates.
 
Much hope is pinned on elections of municipal councils, due to be held on Dec. 17 for citizens voting from abroad and Dec. 25 for local voters.  
 
View of Muttrah city [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

View of Muttrah city [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

 

Allocations for the Governorates Development Program were increased to 20 million Omani Rial (RO) ($51.9 million). The worth of additional projects endorsed for implementation during the rest of the 10th Five Year Plan (2021-2025) exceeds RO 650 million.  
 
Last January, the “System of Individual Performance and Institutional Proficiency” (Ejada) was implemented in 57 government institutions. The system covers about 175,000 government employees and aims to generate a quantum leap in government performance by enhancing the efficiency of human resources.
 
The Government Digital Transformation Program is an executive arm of a digital economy to achieve the priorities of Oman Vision 2040.  
 
Automation of government services will rise from 34 percent in 2020 to 80 percent by 2050, with the expected investment volume set at RO 170 million. Investments will be made in improving procedures, re-engineering government services, improving digital infrastructure, and empowering national competencies in digital transformation.
 
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik endorsed the year 2050 as a date for achieving zero carbon emissions. A national plan for this objective includes the establishment of Oman Sustainability Center, based on the outputs of the Carbon Management Laboratory. Moreover, His Majesty issued directives to expedite the development of an early warning system and implement the best urban planning methodologies. This will effectively diminish environmental impacts, balancing sustainable development and the effects of climate change.  
  
Muscat, Capital City of Oman [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

Muscat, Capital City of Oman [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

 

Royal Decree No. 54/ 2022 establishes the National Natural Park Reserve in Musandam Governorate. The park achieves sustainable development by preserving natural resources, sustaining biodiversity and protecting wildlife and geological diversity.  
 
To keep pace with global transformations in green hydrogen, His Majesty will allocate appropriate sites for its production, enhance foreign investment opportunities and localize this technology for domestic use.
 
Ibri Solar Energy Project opened in January 2022. The plant aims to diversify sources of renewable energy, maximize the contribution of clean energy projects, boost the national economy and attract investments.
 
The presence of Omani women and their contribution to Oman’s comprehensive development have been confirmed by Her Highness the Honourable Lady Assayida Ahd Abdullah Hamed Al Busaidi, Spouse of the Sultan of Oman. Omani Women’s Day, which falls on Oct. 17, reflects the achievements women have made in all fields.
 
His Majesty the Sultan gave directives to provide financial support to Omani women’s societies and rehabilitation centers for people with disabilities. As a result, the Omani Women’s Societies Development Laboratory launched 19 empowering investment initiatives.
 
“Sustainability and prosperity for the present and future generations lie in the hands of youth, making them important pillars of Oman Vision 2040,” said HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth. His Majesty the Sultan is making efforts to care for young people and highlight their contributions.  
Royal Opera House [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

Royal Opera House [EMBASSY OF OMAN]

 

Addressing the citizens of Oman, His Majesty the Sultan highlighted the significance of national identity. “Openness to the world must be in a balanced, clear-cut manner. When interacting with technology, we must hold on to our originality,” His Majesty said.
 
In this context, His Majesty the Sultan commended the effective role of Omani media in preserving and documenting Omani culture.
 
His Majesty the Sultan also underscored the role of education and vocational training in the labor market. Cooperating with international institutions, skilled national human resources will be nurtured. Technical education will be aligned with general education tracks so that the Education and Vocational Training Programs foster technical specialization.
 
The innovation system in Oman functions through the integration of a number of entities. The system converts acquired knowledge into innovative applications that can be turned into commercial projects and registered as property rights.
 
Oman has exerted efforts to cut down the period of intellectual property registration and change its mechanism. These efforts coincide with national programs that contributed to transforming graduation projects into start-ups.
 
Oman has developed ways to finance nascent companies. This is accomplished through various programs including direct financing, business accelerator programs and business incubator programs. A number of institutions have merged to form the Industrial Innovation Academy which transforms knowledge into innovative projects.
 
Oman occupied 10th place globally in the education segment of the Global Innovation Index 2022, advancing 34 places compared to last year. Oman also ranked 19th in the Business Policies Index.
 
Oman presses ahead with successful economic measures and streamlined procedures despite the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and other global crises. The medium-term Fiscal Balance Plan (2020-2023), which controls financial conditions and benefits from raised oil prices, supported by the 10th Five Year Plan (2021-2025) has shown particularly optimal results.  
 
The Sultanate of Oman was able to pay off loans and replace some high-cost bonds with low-cost ones. Public debt was downsized by about RO 2.4 billion by the end of August 2022, leaving a remainder of RO 18.4 billion.
 
The ratio of public debt in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) decreased to 46.5 percent, enabling the government to decrease public debt risks and the cost of its interests by about RO 127 million.  
 
The added value in oil and non-oil activities by the end of the second quarter of 2022 contributed to the growth of the GDP value at current prices by 30.4 percent, touching RO 20.4 billion. The corresponding quarter in 2021 equated RO 15.6 billion.
 
Improved credit ratings approved by Fitch ratings, the country’s “positive” future outlook signed by Moody’s and amended ratings at BA3 all confirm the Omani government’s commitment to an improved economy.  
 
The foundations of Omani foreign policy have made the Sultanate of Oman a reliable international partner at local and global levels.
 
At the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Oman reiterated that its political approach is based on a vast experience derived from its heritage and human history.  
 
Oman also promoted the principle of humanity in its foreign policy, most notably realizing the truce in Yemen that paved the way for the safe return of detainees to their countries.  
 
In this context, the Sultanate of Oman believes that the realization of a fair and comprehensive peace in the Middle East requires the establishment of a Palestinian state on all its lands occupied since 1967. Oman stressed its rejection of all forms of systematic violations, expansionist domination and arbitrary arrests of Palestinians.
 
His Majesty visited a number of countries, including the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the United Kingdom and Federal Republic of Germany. In accordance, a number of state leaders visited Oman, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, President Abdel Fattah el Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt, President Ebrahim Raisi of the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of the United Republic of Tanzania, and Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar.  
 
The visits culminated in the signing of partnerships and memoranda of understanding, as well as executive programs in investment, trade and other areas.

BY LEE HYE-IN [lee.hyein@joongang.co.kr]
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