MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tareq bin Taimour was sworn in on Saturday, Jumada Al Ula 15, 1441, January 11, 2020, during a joint session of the Council of Oman and the Defence Council in implementation of the provision of Article (7) of the Basic Law of the State.
Upon His Majesty’s arrival, he performed the oath reading as follows:
“I swear in the name of the Almighty Allah to respect the Basic Law of the State and the laws, to fully sponsor the interests of citizens and their liberties and to safeguard the independence of the nation and the safety of its territories.”
Then, His Majesty the Sultan gave a speech, reading as follows:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful
In the name of the Praiseworthy Allah, the Wise, Venerated One, the One Hallowed equally in contentment and distress; Glory Be to Him Whose judgement cannot be revoked; the One Who conducts all affairs with no intercessor acting beyond His will; to Him we resort in praise, foremost and finally — peace and blessings be upon His prophets, His messengers and their faithful disciples.
As for now:
The will of the Almighty Allah on His beings is inevitable and to Him we shall all return. It was the Almighty Allah’s will that we have lost the best of men, the forgiven one, God willing, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos; a man who cannot be served right by such a speech, as no words can calculate what he had achieved and accomplished. He set up a modern state from scratch, a country that is now recognized by all, far and near. He established a deeply rooted renaissance whose features have crystalised in a schema of laws and legislations that fortify this country and channel the progress of its march towards the blossoming future that he wished. He set up an infrastructure that has become the centre of attraction of the world. He established an economic and social structure founded on grounds of justice, sustainable development, productivity and diversification of the income. The outcome of this is a steady rise in living standards of Omani citizens. He built sturdy and constant frameworks for education — at all its levels — and specialisations that are tapped by generations of citizens who relished knowledge and expertise. May Allah, the Almighty, reward him fully as a truthful Sultan can be recompensed for serving his country and his nation. May Allah place him in the company of the righteous “in the midst of Gardens and Rivers, in an Assembly of Truth in the Presence of a Sovereign Omnipotent” and may Allah grant Oman dignity, progress and power.
Dear people of Oman:
Words fall short of articulating a eulogy for a Sultan as great as him (Sultan Qaboos), or describe his good deeds and accomplishments. Our only relief — the best with which we can eternalise his achievements — is to pursue his rightful legacy and derive impetus for the brilliant steps that he treaded in full confidence and determination, to preserve the gains that he made and to build upon them. This is what we are resolved to execute, God willing. We shall march forward on this road so that Oman could attain and maintain its prominent place in which (His Majesty Sultan Qaboos) wished to position it and for which he stayed on vigil to realise that goal, and he was granted success in his endeavours.
In the foreign front, we shall trace the course of the late Sultan, reaffirming the fundamentals of our country’s foreign policy based on peaceful co-existence with nations, good neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, respect for countries’ sovereignty and international cooperation in various spheres. We will remain as the world had known us during the reign of the Forgiven one, God willing, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. We will call and contribute to resolving disputes by peaceful means, sparing no effort in finding satisfactory solutions in a spirit of harmony and understanding.
We will continue contact with our brethren, leaders of Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to enhance our countries’ march of collaboration to realise our peoples’ aspirations and to push the GCC forward.
In the Arab front, we will continue to support the Arab League and cooperate with our brethren, leaders of Arab states, to achieve the goals of the Arab League, promote our citizens’ lives, distance this region from conflicts and work for economic integration that will serve our Arab peoples.
Oman will maintain its role as an active member of the United Nations Organization, a member that respects the UN Charter and works with member states towards achieving international peace and security, as well as economic prosperity for all countries of the world. We will build our relations with all world countries on the basis of the great heritage left behind for us by the late Sultan, God bless him, a heritage whose essence is based on commitment to relations of friendship and cooperation with all and respect for charters, laws and agreements signed with other countries and organisations.
Dear Citizens:
Our country could not have achieved all this if it had not been for the charismatic leadership of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, as well as the solid principles on which he had set up the edifice of the modern state. It would not have been realised without your rallying around his leadership, your pride over what we have all achieved under his judicious leadership. It would not have been without established security, well-deployed across the terrain of this country. It would not have been realised without the existence of modern Armed Forces that are fully mobilised and highly qualified in all its branches and sectors. It would not have been realised without the existence of security services that secured the stability of this country and gained the respect of citizens. We appreciate the role of all in safeguarding the gains of the Sultanate and reiterate our support to them all and our pride over their role.
People of Oman:
The trust thrust on our shoulders and the resultant immense responsibilities require us all to work together for the sake of our country’s magnificence, with a persistent resolve to promote it to the loftiest levels. This cannot be realised without your support and cooperation and combination of all efforts to achieve the desired supreme national goal. Your contribution to enrich all efforts of progress, development and prosperity will be highly appreciated.
May the Almighty Allah protect you in His divine care and may He grant His mercy and forgiveness to the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and reward him plentifully. May Allah grant us success in pursuing his course and accomplishing the objectives that he wished to be realised for this great nation.”
After that, His Majesty Sultan Haitham received the best wishes of Royal Family members, ministers, advisers, military leaders and honourable members of the State Council and members the Majlis Ash’shura on the occasion of his induction as Sultan of Oman.
The Royal Anthem was played while the artillery fired a 21-gun salute to His Majesty the Sultan. — ONA
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
