As the US faces another pivotal moment in its political journey, marked by polarisation and ideological fragmentation, it must confront a fundamental question: what binds a nation together? The return of Donald Trump to the presidency highlights the urgency of restoring unity and coherence in a deeply fractured society. At this crossroads, the US can draw inspiration from Oman, where the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos transformed a fragmented and tribal society into a harmonious, modern nation by focusing on family values and social cohesion.
For the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the institution of family was not only a cultural cornerstone but the nucleus of national stability and growth. Oman’s Basic Law enshrines the family as the foundation of society, underscoring its role in instilling values of responsibility, solidarity and mutual respect. From this core principle, the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos pursued a development strategy grounded in the four Ms — maa' (water), madrasa (school), mustashfa (hospital), and manzil (house) — ensuring that every Omani, regardless of background, had access to the essentials for a dignified life. These priorities reflect a deeper philosophy: national progress begins by addressing fundamental human needs and equalising opportunity.
In contrast, America’s focus has often shifted towards cultural battles, sidelining the fundamental building blocks of societal stability. The US must now revisit the principles that enabled Oman to harmonise diversity, ensuring that inclusion is substantive rather than superficial and that family values remain central to rebuilding national unity.
The late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos understood that sustainable development and national cohesion required addressing inequalities across social strata. His policies dissolved class divisions without erasing identities, ensuring that modernisation did not exacerbate fault lines but instead strengthened social bonds. Schools became centres of learning for all, hospitals guaranteed universal healthcare access and housing and land allocation programmes offered stability to families. These initiatives reinforced the idea of equal citizenship, replacing tribal hierarchies with a shared national identity that transcended historical divides.
The US, by contrast, faces widening gaps — economic, educational, and cultural — that threaten its cohesion. Income inequality, racial and ethnic disparities and ideological rigidity have turned public discourse into a zero-sum contest. America must recognise, as Oman did, that unity is not achieved through dominance or exclusion but through inclusion that values all voices and identities.
In Oman, the emphasis on madrasa (education) as a means of empowerment illustrates how equitable access to learning can dissolve barriers and create upwards mobility. The late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos invested in a nationwide education system, ensuring that even the most remote villages had schools. Education became the great equaliser, empowering rural communities and women, integrating expatriates and cultivating a skilled workforce capable of driving modernisation. Similarly, the US must reinvest in its public education system — not as a battleground for ideological debates but as a shared platform for equal opportunity and national renewal.
The provision of healthcare and housing further exemplifies Oman’s commitment to equality. Free healthcare and subsidised housing ensured that Omanis could lead secure and dignified lives, reducing resentment and alienation. In the US, where healthcare access and housing affordability remain contentious issues, the lesson is clear — socioeconomic security is not a handout but a foundation for unity. Policies that promote affordable housing and universal healthcare are not just economic imperatives; they are moral obligations necessary to rebuild trust in government and social cohesion.
Perhaps the most profound lesson from Oman lies in its approach to water — a symbol of survival, sustainability and shared responsibility. The late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos recognised that water management required both modernisation and communal cooperation. Infrastructure investments ensured equitable access, reinforcing the idea that resources must be distributed fairly for the good of all. The late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos supported centuries-old traditional water distribution systems and did not seek to destabilise them or replace them with modern facilities since they proved to be pragmatic. This philosophy mirrors the challenge America faces today in managing its environmental resources and energy transition. Addressing these issues collectively rather than competitively is essential to forging a shared national purpose.
America’s divisions are not insurmountable, but healing them requires abandoning partisan rhetoric and bringing everyone back to the table. The late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos demonstrated that unity does not mean uniformity. Oman’s success lays in its ability to balance diversity — ethnic, tribal and economic — while ensuring equal opportunities and fair representation. The United States, too, must strive for a single voice — not a monolithic one, but a chorus of tones and tonalities that reflect the richness of its diversity without drowning out shared values.
Critics may argue that Oman’s model cannot be replicated in a nation as large and complex as the US. Yet, the principles that underpinned Oman’s transformation — family, equality and shared responsibility — are universal. America’s founding ideals were built on these very values and it is time to reclaim them. This means strengthening families through policies that support work-life balance and caregiving, investing in education to level the playing field, ensuring healthcare and housing security as pillars of dignity and managing resources equitably to sustain future generations.
In an era of deep divides, the US must shift its focus from identity politics to shared identity — from fragmentation to reconciliation. Oman’s example proves that modernity and tradition, diversity and unity, can coexist — not by chance but through deliberate policies that prioritise the collective good.
As America enters a new chapter, it must recognise that unity is not built overnight nor imposed from above. It is nurtured through education, health, housing and sustainability — the very elements the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos championed to bind Oman together. It is time for the US to move beyond slogans and divisions, embrace its diversity and find its voice — not as fragmented echoes, but as a harmonised chorus that reflects the strength of its people. The future of the nation depends not on how loudly it speaks, but on how well it listens, learns and leads — starting with the lessons Oman so powerfully embodies.
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