The sister Sultanate of Oman will celebrate its 53rd anniversary tomorrow

Tomorrow, Saturday, the sister Sultanate of Oman will celebrate its 53rd National Day, with many achievements in all aspects and levels of life inspired by the resolute vision led by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, who affirmed his noble efforts to do everything possible to achieve the goals and aspirations of Oman Vision 2040.
The noble speech delivered by His Majesty the King at the opening of the first annual meeting of the eighth session of the Omani Council opened a new path for the future in strengthening the existing efforts of the various national institutions.
Last October, the Sultanate of Oman held the tenth elections for the members of the Shura Council, where citizens for the first time voted using modern technology through the “Intekhab” application, which is also used for the elections of members of the Municipal Councils for the third term, designed according to security and confidentiality standards, to elect 90 members.
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s interest and enthusiasm for the progress of the country and its respected people are reflected in several achievements, the most notable of which is the promulgation of the Social Protection Law, which guarantees the realization of the Sultanate of Oman’s vision and its policy to provide full and adequate insurance coverage for all sectors of society, while hoping that the social security system will be comprehensive and targeted at all sectors of society so that everyone can enjoy a decent life.
Since the beginning of its divine renaissance, the Sultanate of Oman has always believed that education is the foundation for the consolidation of the present and future of the country and society, and it has provided reasons for this and continues to develop education and adopt its latest developments. The Sultanate of Oman has made the development and qualification of national capabilities a priority and necessity, and the Omani Council of Ministers approved the annual plan (2023-2027) to strengthen the External Affairs Committee. A plan was developed to provide (150) scholarships for future specific professions and the best international universities over a period of five years, starting this year, with the aim of producing graduates who can take on leadership roles in the economic sector.
His Majesty the Sultan of Oman, who attaches great importance to preserving the identity and pride of Omani culture, drew attention to the challenges facing society and the unacceptable extent of their impact on its moral and cultural systems, and stressed the need to address these challenges and conduct research. In addition to focusing on the family, which is a bulwark for the sons and daughters of the Sultanate from negative intellectuals, there is a need to pay attention to them and follow them in order to strengthen society’s ability to face them and consolidate national identity, authentic values ​​and principles. Tendencies.
Regarding the highest support for youth, His Majesty the King instructed to launch the process of establishing a comprehensive sports city project, which will attract and host championships and competitions at regional and global levels. He also instructed to study the priority projects agreed by the Investment Laboratory in the sports sector and provide the necessary facilities for investors, as they are partners in the development of sports.
The Sultanate of Oman is working to develop national leadership and administrative capacity in both the public and private sectors, and to develop and train Omani cadres. In this regard, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq opened the Royal Administrative Academy in March last year.
The Sultanate of Oman prioritizes the development of sustainable governorates and cities, which is one of the priorities of the economic and development axis of Oman Vision 2040, implementing local administration based on decentralization and supporting this approach through the promulgation of the Governorate System and Municipal Council Laws to enable the people of the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman to contribute to building the nation.
The Sultanate of Oman also seeks to strengthen social and economic prosperity, the main driver of the development sector, through the National Urban Development Strategy, through the seven main objectives it seeks to achieve, which are flexible cities and communities that are habitable, protect the characteristics of Oman, respond to climate change, adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects, and growth and diversity. The economic plan is based on the characteristics of each governorate, the sustainable use of resources, the production of energy and its renewable energy sources, the efficiency of water and waste management, and the protection and improvement of the environment through the management and monitoring of impacts on environmentally sensitive areas.
The inauguration of Sultan Haitham City is the beginning of this important area, as it is a smart model city with a planned area of ​​14 million square meters to 800,000 square meters, and its sustainable urban planning is based on 12 international standards of quality of life and luxury living, starting from appropriate costs and integrated facilities, all the way to a modern and sustainable lifestyle.
The Sultanate of Oman continues to implement economic plans, financial and investment programs within the framework of the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), guided by the axes and priorities of Oman Vision 2040, the results of which have contributed to the growth of GDP, improved financial and economic indicators, improved credit ratings, and achieved some fiscal surpluses for economic and social priorities.

The Sultanate’s economy grew by 2.1% in constant prices in the first half of the year until the middle of the year, and the Sultanate’s public debt was reduced to Omani riyals 16 billion and 300 million respectively, thanks to rationalization and economic adjustments, increased spending efficiency and increased public revenues due to higher oil prices, and financial measures to increase non-oil revenues, in addition to managing the loan portfolio by buying back some sovereign bonds at a price below the issue value, repaying high-cost loans and replacing them with lower ones, and issuing local bonds at a relatively low cost traded on the Muscat Stock Exchange.
Meanwhile, foreign direct investment recorded growth by the end of the first quarter of this year, reaching 21 billion riyals and 270 million Omani riyals, respectively.
The Sultanate of Oman focuses on attracting investment in projects in a variety of fields, including renewable energy and green hydrogen, and signed two agreements in June last year with an investment of approximately US$10 billion to develop two new projects. Green hydrogen production project in the Central Province.
The Sultanate of Oman seeks to maximize the advantages of its geographical location through special economic zones and free zones, and to strengthen this aspect by establishing a maritime transport corridor connecting the Arab Gulf countries, Europe, Asia and Africa markets. This year, the economic city in South Batinah Governorate, known as Hazzan Economic City, and two free zones were established within it, attracting a total of Omani riyals 300 million in local and foreign investment to join the Sohar Free Zone, the Industrial Zone (Madayn). , Duqm Special Economic Zone, Salalah Free Zone and Mazyuna Free Zone, are supported by legislation, laws and institutions that encourage investment, low taxes, qualified labor, advanced infrastructure, and political and economic stability. .
This economic movement in the Sultanate of Oman and the resulting positive results in improving financial and economic indicators and reducing the country’s public debt have prompted credit rating agencies to upgrade and adjust the credit outlook of the Sultanate of Oman.
The foreign policy of the Sultanate of Oman, led by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, provides a global model to emulate, based on mutual respect, common interests and benefits, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, respect for international charters, compliance with laws and regulations, and upholding the principles of peace, humanity, dialogue and tolerance, playing an effective role in many issues to achieve regional security, peace and stability, winning the trust and appreciation of international units and organizations at the international and international levels.
The Sultanate of Oman, which is currently presiding over the 43rd session of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, believes that the Council’s achievements in various fields are due to good efforts, solidarity, and the unity of the Council’s commitment to building bridges of friendship with friendly countries and all regional and international institutions and organizations, supporting mutual ties and brotherhood among regional countries united by a common history, common destiny and enthusiasm in the political, economic and business fields.
The Sultanate of Oman reacts to a series of events in the region, including Israeli aggression against Gaza and violations of Palestinian rights. In this regard, His Majesty the Sultan of Oman affirms the Sultanate’s solidarity with the brotherly Palestinian people and supports all efforts to call for an end to the escalation and attacks against children and innocent civilians and the release of prisoners, in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law, and calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibility to protect civilians, guarantee their humanitarian needs, lift the illegal siege of Gaza and other Palestinian territories, and resume the peace process so that the Palestinian people can regain all their legitimate rights to establish an independent State on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the principle of the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as all relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Sultanate of Oman is currently working with sister countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab and Islamic countries to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the unjust and inhumane attacks on the Gaza Strip during the Gulf Ministerial Meeting. In Muscat, the members of the Security Council immediately offered humanitarian and disaster relief assistance worth $100 million and need to ensure that this assistance is urgently provided to the Gaza Strip.
The Sultanate of Oman, in cooperation with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all parties in Yemen, has contributed to resolving a range of contemporary regional and international issues, including the Yemeni crisis, and has made constructive efforts to reach a comprehensive and lasting solution that meets the aspirations of all the brotherly Yemeni people. On the humanitarian front, the Sultanate of Oman, in response to the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Belgium, facilitated the reception of two Austrian citizens and one Danish citizen and transported them from Tehran to Muscat and then to their country, in addition to cooperating with the State of Qatar to jointly release Iranian and American nationals.
The Sultanate of Oman is continuing to move towards a new renaissance under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and the efforts of its respected people, and is making additional efforts to ensure the successful realization of its desired goals and aspirations.