In pictures: His Majesty the Sultan presides over Council of Ministers meeting

Muscat: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said presided over the Council of Ministers' meeting at Bait Al Barakah on Wednesday evening.
His Majesty the Sultan started the meeting by praising Allah for the growth and prosperity bestowed on Oman appealing to Allah to continue such blessings for the nation and the citizens.
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Then, His Majesty reviewed local, regional and international conditions. On the domestic front, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his satisfaction with the efforts made by the government and all sectors of the State to continue the comprehensive development march in all parts of the country and to maintain the social aspects for the citizens.
His Majesty the Sultan praised the completion of the new Muscat International Airport and the openness to the world it will provide together with the other airports in the Sultanate. His Majesty also commended the development witnessed by the roads and ports. His Majesty hailed the role of the ministries in implementing the plans and programs which led to achieving more remarkable growth in the various sectors, such as tourism, fisheries, mining and renewable energy to diversify sources of national income. His Majesty pointed out to the role played by the Implementation Support and Follow-up Unit (ISFU).
Video: Ambassadors take oath before His Majesty the Sultan
His Majesty the Sultan stressed the importance of partnership between the public and private sectors to greatly contribute in setting up production projects that will create many job opportunities and provide the appropriate environment for the Omani cadres to take these job opportunities and remain in them.
On another front, His Majesty hailed the military exercises between the Sultanate and U.K (Al Shomoukh/2 and Swift Sword/3) as these exercises contributed to enhancing the capabilities of the armed forces and sharing of experiences and training on the most advanced weapons and equipment.
While reviewing the regional and international developments, His Majesty affirmed the Sultanate's keenness to promote dialogue and understanding among countries to achieve security and stability for all peoples.
At the conclusion of the meeting, His Majesty the Sultan referred to many issues of significance to the country and its citizen and gave his directives to continue work to achieve the prospective objectives and wished all citizens success in all that may maintain prosperity and bounty for Oman and its noble people.