MUSCAT: The Sultanate today celebrates the 49th anniversary of the modern Blessed Renaissance march led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. On this day before 49 years, the Blessed Renaissance has emerged. His Majesty the Sultan announced the birth of a new dawn for Oman and its people, while Oman and its people progressed to retain Oman’s civilised glory and positive role at the GCC, Arab and regional level, calling for peace and standing as a firm pillar in this vital region of the world where interests of many regional and international powers and parties meet.
The glory of the blessed march reflected in various areas of life across this land witnessed by the progress achieved and still being made, while the citizens and the community enjoy this sustainable development from the Governorate of Musandam in the north down to the Governorate of Dhofar in the south. This kind of glory is also reflected in the values and fundamentals cemented by the architect of modern renaissance for the blessed march. His Majesty has given priority for building the Omani citizen and to prepare successive generations of citizens of this homeland in all fields, as well as providing all means to upgrade educational, health and social aspects for the citizens and the community to prepare specialised and well-equipped national cadre in all fields to carry out the greater role in developing, guiding and steering programmes and plans for national development.
Despite the modest financial potentials and dependence on fluctuating oil returns due to the changing global oil prices, the greater gains were represented by the successive generations of citizens who were provided with all opportunities of education including higher education, training and seeking to upgrade, shouldering responsibility of leading and steering development programmes in various sectors and fields. This was made within the framework of values and principles cemented by His Majesty the Sultan based on equality, citizenship, justice and the rule of law in the state of establishments. The march of blessed renaissance made success in mobilising energies of the nation including Omani woman to take the homeland towards broader avenues.
While the blessed Renaissance Day — the 23rd of July 1970 — represented a special day in the life of the citizens, community and the state, as well as the modern history of Oman, the modern Omani state of which pillars were built by His Majesty the Sultan is actually the fruit of the constant efforts during the last 49 years, and the endeavour being led and steered by His Majesty’s wise policies. The citizens across this land, are proud to participate loyally, sincerely and devotedly in building this nation as outlined by His Majesty.
As the civil, military, technical and development achievements made across the country are a strong evidence, His Majesty the Sultan expressed satisfaction while presiding over the meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 5, this year, said the constant efforts of the government and all state institutions in continuing the march of comprehensive development with positive growth rates which maintained the level of basic social services for the citizens across the country, besides diversifying sources of income and increasing the contribution of non-oil revenues.
In this context, intensive efforts are being made in the Sultanate in all fields, both in terms of assessing the future vision “Oman 2020” which will end next year, and benefiting from its lessons and results and in preparation for the future vision “Oman 2040” which will begin from 2021, coinciding with the 10th Five-Year Development Plan (2021-2025). The National Conference for the Future Vision (Oman 2040) was held on January 27 and 28, 2019, under the auspices of HH Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, Chairman of the Vision 2040, with wide participation from various sectors of the society, especially the youth. The conference was organised to contribute in preparing the future vision for the Sultanate “Oman 2040” as per the Royal orders of His Majesty the Sultan.
Meanwhile, in a bid to create suitable environment for the economy and to allure more investments to the Sultanate in a way that meets with the requirements of the future vision (Oman 2040), intensive efforts are being made to highlight the good investment climate in the Sultanate, particularly in the Special Economic Zone in Duqm (SEZD) and various free zones in the Sultanate, as well as investment incentives which attract investors from the Sultanate and abroad. In this context, His Majesty the Sultan issued number of Royal Decrees on July 1, including Royal Decree No 50/2019 promulgating Foreign Capital Investment, Royal Decree No 51/2019 promulgating Privatisation Law, Royal Decree No 52/2019 promulgating Public Private Partnership Law, Royal Decree No 53/2019 promulgating Bankruptcy Law and Royal Decree No
54/2019 establishing the Public Authority for Privatisation and Partnership and issuing its system. These Royal Decrees were issued to provide an integrated and attractive Omani legislative environment that will attract investments in all fields in a manner that enhances the competitiveness of the economy and gives a greater role to the private sector to cooperate in the partnership between the government and the private sector in terms of absorbing more job-seekers and diversifying the Omani economy according to the objectives of the future vision (Oman 2040).
While the military and security services receive the Royal attention and interest of His Majesty, the Supreme Commander, stemming from His Majesty’s belief that security and safety of the homeland and the citizen are an essential pillar for achieving development and prosperity, the Sultanate enjoys safety, security and stability, as well as development and prosperity as a fruit of His Majesty’s far-sighted policies in various areas at the internal, GCC, regional and international levels.
As far as the foreign policy is concerned, stemming from the pillars laid down by His Majesty the Sultan for the Sultanate’s policy and its relations with various brotherly and friendly countries over the past decades, the Sultanate’s policy is based on the principle of non-interference in other countries’ affairs, good-neighbourhood, peaceful settlement of disputes and cooperation with all efforts exerted in a bid to promote dialogue and understanding among countries to achieve security, stability and rapprochement among countries and peoples around the world.
Within this framework, the Sultanate decided to open a new diplomatic mission to the State of Palestine at the level of an embassy, in continuation of the Sultanate’s supportive approach to the brotherly Palestinian people. The Sultanate and Britain signed a joint defence agreement between the two friendly countries on 21/2/2019.
The two sides also signed cooperation and partnership agreement to promote the bilateral ties in the political, economic, scientific, cultural, development and technological fields on 22/5/2019. The Sultanate and China established a strategic partnership to achieve common and mutual interests on May 25, 2018. The Sultanate also has friendly relations with various brotherly and friendly countries that adhere to the principles adopted by the Sultanate in this field. This approach actually expands the circle of friends throughout the region and the world around the Sultanate on one hand, and it serves the objectives of the comprehensive and sustainable development, as well as programs and plans adopted by the Sultanate in this area on the other hand. — ONA
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