Saturday 28 / December / 2024
ABU DHABI: The UAE will join the Sultanate of Oman on Saturday in celebrating its 53rd National Day, underscoring the deep-rooted relations and strategic partnership between the two countries.
The ties between the two countries are advancing and growing stronger due to the support and guidance of the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
Every year, the UAE celebrates the 53rd National Day of Oman on 18th November. The celebration includes lighting up some of the most iconic buildings in the UAE with the Omani flag, giving flowers and gifts to Omani visitors who arrive in the UAE through borders and airports, and stamping their passports with a special mark inspired by the occasion.
The UAE also hosts special events at the most popular shopping and entertainment centres in the country.
The two nations have shared many historic moments in their bilateral ties over the years, strengthening their bond. A remarkable example was the meeting of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1968.
The relations between the two countries continued to grow after the UAE was established in 1971, and they have signed many agreements on culture and education. They also enhanced their cooperation by exchanging visits in various cultural and educational fields to learn from each other and share experiences.
The late Sheikh Zayed’s historic visit to Oman in 1991 marked a significant milestone in the bilateral cooperation of the two nations. It led to the establishment of a joint committee that achieved remarkable outcomes, such as allowing their citizens to cross the border with their IDs instead of passports and creating an economic committee that explored various opportunities for joint ventures.
Close relations across various levels bind the two states, manifested through continuous dialogue, high-level meetings, and regular ministerial and governmental gatherings, reflecting the considerable attention given to developing their bilateral relations.
On 27th September, 2022, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed went on an official visit to Oman, which marked the start of a new era in the two countries' shared history across political, economic, cultural, and developmental areas. During the visit, several Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed in industry, culture and media, railways, education and scientific research, agricultural resources, and financial markets.
Oman is the UAE's second-largest Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) trading partner, accounting for 20 percent of total Emirati trade with GCC countries. Their non-oil trade reached AED36.3 billion in the first nine months of 2022, marking a 7 percent growth compared to the same period in 2021 and a 20 percent growth compared to the same period in 2020.
The arts and literature worlds of the two countries are rooted in a shared cultural heritage that unites them and other GCC countries. Their poetry, prose, storytelling, oral traditions, proverbs, and folk narratives show similarities in their customs and traditions.
The cultural and social ties between the UAE and Oman are deeply intertwined and have reached significant levels, extending to familial relations and sharing customs, clothing, and arts, which are the outcomes of their shared history and geographical proximity.
As Oman marks its 53rd National Day, it is also looking forward to the fourth anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s accession to the throne on 11th January, 2020, following the death of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
Oman entered a new and prosperous development phase under the rule of His Majesty Sultan Haitham, and has achieved remarkable success and made crucial reforms, such as upgrading its national work process and pursuing the goals of the Oman Vision 2040.
The vision has four development plans, which are to diversify and strengthen the national economy, achieve sustainable economic growth of 5 percent per year, increase the average income per person by up to 90 percent, build a high-quality education system, and develop a national system for scientific research, innovation, and creativity that will help create a knowledge-based economy.
The vision also aims to create a favourable environment for the labour market and employment and enable the private sector to lead a competitive national economy integrated with the global economy.
