Muscat: The Sultanate will celebrate today the 49th anniversary of the modern Blessed Renaissance march led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. On this day 49 years ago, the Blessed Renaissance sun 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 on various areas of life across this kind land represented in the projects achieved and still being made while the citizen and the Omani community enjoy this sustainable development from the Governorate of Musandam in the north down to the Government of Dhofar in the south.
This kind of glory is also reflected on the values and fundamentals cemented by the architect of Oman modern renaissance for the blessed march that is witnessing processes of nation-building across this kind land.
His Majesty has given a priority to the development of Omani citizens and to preparing successive generations of citizens of this homeland in all fields, as well as providing all means to upgrade all educational, healthy and social aspects for the citizen and the Omani community in a bid to prepare national specialised and well-equipped cadres as per the possible levels in all fields to carry out the greater role in developing, guiding and steering programmes and plans of the national development.
Despite the modest financial potential and dependence on fluctuating oil returns due to changing global oil prices, the greater gains were represented in the successive generations of Oman’s citizens who were provided with all opportunities of education including higher education, training and seeking to upgrade shouldering the 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 and depending on the Omani citizen as he is the precious wealth of the homeland.
Then, the march of Blessed Renaissance made success in mobilising energies of the nation including the 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 citizen, the community and the Omani 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 major constant effort during the last 49 years, and the endeavour being led and steered by His Majesty wisely and efficiently in all fields.
The Omani citizen across this kind land, is proud to participate loyally, sincerely and devotedly in building this nation as outlined by the wise footsteps of His Majesty.
As the civil, military, technical and development achievements made across this kind land are a strong evidence, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said expressed satisfaction while presiding over the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 5 January 2019 over the constant efforts of the Government and all state institutions in continuing the march of comprehensive development with positive growth rates that maintained the level of basic social services for the citizens across the country, besides diversifying sources of income and increasing contributions of non-oil revenues in the total state revenues.
In this context, intensive efforts are being exerted 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 in 2021, coinciding with the 10th five-year development plan (2021-2025).
The National Conference for the Future Vision (Oman 2040) was held on 27 and 28 January 2019, under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, Chairman of the Future Vision 2040, with wide participation of various sectors of the Omani society, especially the youth.
The conference was organised in a bid 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 the suitable environment for the Omani economy and to attract more investments to the Sultanate in a way that copes with the requirements of the future vision (Oman 2040), intensive efforts are being exerted to highlight the good investment climate of the Sultanate, particularly in the Special Economic Zone in Duqm (SEZD) and the various free zones in the Sultanate, as well as the investment incentives that attract investors from inside and outside the Sultanate.
In this context, His Majesty the Sultan issued a number of Royal Decrees on 1 July 2019, namely the Royal Decree No. 50/2019 promulgating Foreign Capital Investment, the Royal Decree No. 51/2019 promulgating Privatisation Law, the Royal Decree No. 52/2019 promulgating Public Private Partnership Law, the Royal Decree No. 53/2019 promulgating Bankruptcy Law and the Royal Decree No. 54/2019 establishing the Public Authority for Privatisation and Partnership and issuing its system.
These Royal decrees were issued in order 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 Omani 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 jobseekers 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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 the People’s Republic of China established a strategic partnership to achieve common and mutual interests on 25 May 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.