Oman celebrates its 53rd National Day with new visions

Guest Reports

Published: 20 Nov. 2023, 14:20

Oman celebrates its 53rd National Day with new visions

His Majesty Haitham Bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman will celebrate the 53rd glorious National Day this Saturday, Nov. 18, marking milestone accomplishments made in all aspects of life under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

The Royal speech of His Majesty the Sultan at the opening of the first annual sitting of the 8th term of the Council of Oman constituted a new future approach that strengthens the existing efforts made by various state institutions.

The Sultanate of Oman considers that the Council of Oman and its integration with institutions of the State harness the main factors for implementing approaches aimed at achieving accomplishments that benefit citizens.

His Majesty the Sultan’s audience to the chairmen of the State Council and Shura Council — separately, in December 2022 — underscores the fact that partnership in shaping the country’s present and future constitutes a basic pillar of national action in strengthening this integration in a way that serves its future directions and policies aimed at pressing ahead with its comprehensive development. It also underlines the need to unify efforts and advance the supreme interest of the state, secure the sustainability of development and safeguard the country’s gains and accomplishments.

Providing social protection
The Royal interest in the advancement of the homeland and its honourable people was demonstrated through many achievements, most notably the promulgation of the Social Protection Law, which guarantees the implementation of Oman’s vision and policy of adequate insurance coverage for various segments of society.

Among other duties, the Social Protection Fund encompasses a number of programmes, which will be implemented next January 2024. Most of these programmes do not require social research, like endorsing cash benefits for the elderly, children, people with disabilities, orphans and widows.

The power of education
Since the outset of its blessed renaissance, the Sultanate of Oman has advocated the view that education constitutes the edifice that secures and fortifies nations’ present and future. Therefore, Oman accorded top importance to education.

Oman proceeded with bolstering its education by introducing the latest instruments and methods to expand its scope. Oman Vision 2040 gives priority to “education, learning, scholarly research, and national capabilities.” Acting within the context of the vision’s first theme titled “Man and Society,” Oman embarked on implementing comprehensive education, sustainable learning and scholarly research that leads to the evolution of a knowledge-based society and competitive national human resources.

The overall approach is to continue empowering the education sector, linking educational curricula to the requirements of economic growth and broadening opportunities for our youth to help them engage in scientific expertise, and immersing themselves in the broad realms of science and knowledge.

The youth of Oman are encouraged to utilize their cognitive and intellectual abilities for contesting creative and innovative endeavours, thereby laying a robust groundwork for authentic investment and establishing themselves as leaders in economic growth.

H.E. Zakariya Al Saadi, Ambassador of Oman

Invigoating national identity
His Majesty the Sultan also accorded attention to preserving the national identity and demonstrating pride in the Omani culture. His Majesty the Sultan cautioned against the challenges facing society and their unacceptable impacts on the moral and cultural system.

In this context, His Majesty stressed the need to confront these challenges and enhancing society’s ability to address them, notably by invigorating the national identity, inculcating authentic values and principles and promoting the role of the family.

His Majesty the Sultan also urged families to provide extra support to their children and raise them well, bearing in mind the changes posed to their behaviour in terms of negative concepts pervading the world. These include the exploitation of human rights principles and other justifications to impose visions, programs and behaviors that are not consistent with the prevailing tenets and principles.

A sporting chance
Regarding the Royal support to youth, His Majesty gave directives to begin procedures for establishing projects to set up an integrated sports city that attracts and hosts tournaments and competitions at the regional and global levels.

He also gave directives to study projects for investment in sports labs and extend incentives to investors, deemed partners in sports development. In this context, His Majesty the Sultan stressed the need to advance the sports sector and finalize a sports strategy that is being prepared to ensure furnishing facilities for young people and exploring their skills, right from the early school stages.

Local power
Oman attaches importance to the development of national administrative leaders, both in the public and private sectors. In this context, His Majesty the Sultan presided over the opening of the Royal Academy of Management, which enjoys the honourary patronage of His Majesty the Sultan.

Oman also accorded priority to sustainable development in governorates and cities, considered as pillars of Oman Vision 2040. The approach focuses on the development of local administration, based on decentralization. It resulted in the issuance of the Governorate System and the Municipal Councils Law, aimed to empower the people of Oman in each governorate and enable them to contribute to the nation-building process.

Building the economy
The Sultanate of Oman continues to implement economic plans, financial and investment programs within the framework of the 10th five-year plan for 2021-25, guided by the priorities of Oman Vision 2040. The outcomes of these plans have contributed to enhancing the GDP growth, raising financial and economic indicators, improving credit ratings and achieving some financial surpluses that were directed to economic and social priorities.

The economy of the Sultanate of Oman witnessed a growth in fixed prices by 2.1 percent during the first half of 2023. Oman managed till the first half of 2023 to reduce public debt to 16.3 billion Omani rial, thanks to rationalizing and raising the efficiency of spending, as well as the increase in public revenues as a result of the rise in oil prices.

Meanwhile, the contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP reached 1.070 billion Omani rial in 2022. It is hoped that its growth will reach 2.75 percent during the next two years, compared to 2.4 percent at the end of last year.

Foreign direct investments recorded a 23.3 percent increase at the end of the first quarter of 2023, to stand at 21.27 billion Omani rial.

At the behest of His Majesty the Sultan, a fund named Oman Future Fund was launched last May 2023 with a capital of 2 billion Omani rial.

The fund is aimed at enhancing economic activity and encouraging the private sector to enter into partnerships or finance feasible investment projects in the sectors of economic diversification targeted by Oman Vision 2040.

Being a good neighbor
The foreign policy of the Sultanate of Oman, under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, continues to be a global role-model, based on mutual respect, common interests and benefits, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, respect for international conventions and laws, and upholding the principles of peace, humanity, dialogue and tolerance.

In this context, His Majesty the Sultan said, “We reassert our firm political tenets, solidly anchored in the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign nations. Our position is further rooted in a steadfast belief in the establishment of a just and equitable system for mutual benefit and exchange of interests, aimed at establishing solid foundations for stability and peace, and to make a positive contribution towards these noble objectives.”

At the level of bilateral relations, His Majesty the Sultan held talks this year with leaders of Arab and foreign countries through mutual visits and phone calls, including with the presidents of America, Russia and Syria. Additionally, His Majesty visited a number of countries, including the United Arab Emirates, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. These visits aimed at promoting areas of bilateral cooperation and exchanging views on a set of regional and international issues of common interest.

The Sultanate of Oman is currently chairing the 43rd session of the GCC Supreme Council. Oman perceives the achievements made by the GCC in various fields were attributed to the success of benign endeavors, unification, interdependence and kinship among the countries of the region, united by a common history and destiny, as well as the GCC keenness to extend bridges of friendship with friendly countries and all regional and international bodies and organizations in support of joint cooperation in the political, economic and commercial fields.

The Sultanate of Oman has reacted to a number of events in the region, including the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the violation of Palestinian rights. In this regard, the Monarch of the country affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and backed all efforts calling for halting the escalation and attacks on children and innocent civilians and releasing prisoners in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law.

His Majesty the Sultan also urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to protect civilians, ensure their humanitarian needs, lift the illegal siege on Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories, and resume the peace process to enable the Palestinian people regain all their legitimate rights by establishing their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

During his audience with the GCC foreign ministers and the GCC Secretary-General, His Majesty also stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to stop escalation and violence and provide protection for civilians.

The Sultanate of Oman is rallying efforts with the GCC, Arab and Islamic countries to achieve ceasefire in Gaza and halt the unjustified and inhumane attack on Gaza Strip. During the GCC Ministerial Council’s meeting in Muscat, the GCC countries provided immediate support worth $100 million for humanitarian and relief aid, and stressed the need to urgently ensure the delivery of this aid to the Gaza Strip.

Oman’s renewed renaissance, under the leadership of His Majesty the Sultan and the efforts of its noble people, is pressing ahead to achieve development goals and realize aspirations, so that Oman and its people enjoy a more prosperous future.