There is still more room left for bilateral cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the West, according to an American journalist who is currently visiting the country.
During his visit to the Oman Journalists Association, Tim Constantine of The Washington Times interviewed Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak al Araimi and Salim al Jahwari. Constantine, who hosts the Capitol Hill Show, said the Sultanate of Oman defies the western perception of the Arab world, and he “is to take home fond memories about the country.”
“This is my first visit to the Sultanate of Oman, and I feel there are many good things in the region that Americans are probably not aware of, and there is a lot of opportunity in tourism here. I want to take this message home,” said Constantine, who has come to take part in the IFJ Congress scheduled to be held from May 31 to June 3.
He appreciated the country’s developments over the past few decades. “The state of well-being is reflected on the people here.”
“I look at things from different angles. People are very friendly and hospitable, whether it’s a clerk or a senior official and people in between are quite nice. People being happy reflects on any society.”
He opines that the most important focal point in his meetings with senior journalists was that there is a lot to work together, cooperate, coordinate and put things together, however much simple they might seem, regular communication is quite possible.
“I personally feel that The Washington Times has great potential to work with OJA. Bilateral collaboration is possible in terms of knowledge and expertise sharing.”
According to him, as the Sultanate of Oman is to host the IFJ Congress from the end of this month, there is an enormous opportunity for the Congress.
“The meeting and sessions of the people in communication, the media people, are of great importance, and as they go home, they take with them the message that it is a great country with great people and share a positive message with the rest of the world.” Constantine is popular for using his unique background in politics and radio to provide communications strategy for issues, high profile individuals and select political candidates. He landed his first radio gig at age 13, working in Rock and Pop formats through college.
About the freedom of the press in the Sultanate of Oman, Constantine said he was learning more about it as he spent more time in the country.
Tim Constantine has already prepared a story on his days in the country, the first piece being ‘My Vacation in Oman’, which, according to him, can change the perceptions of Americans about the Middle East.
He was first elected to public office at the age of 27, beating a two-term incumbent Chairman of the GOP, and re-elected four years later with 70 per cent of the vote.
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