MUSCAT: Everything in Oman is modern today and there is no comparison between Oman now and what it was four decades ago. Look at present day’s schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure, the country is much progressed in all aspects.
All these were made possible by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, who according to Sergey Plekhanov, Russian scholar and author, did not just build a nation but enable people grow with concepts and wisdom.
“The late Sultan was simple but an exceptional man who spent his whole life for his country and people,” Sergey, who authored the best-seller A Reformer on the Throne, told the Observer in an exclusive interview.
His Majesty’s vision brought nothing but a sense of modernity, stability and peace to the people of this great country, he said.
The book — A Reformer on the Throne — is an insightful portrait of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos set against the historical and political background in the late 90s.
The Sultan’s visionary and strong-willed leadership, together with the human resources represented by the people of Oman, has resulted in a sense of individual responsibility and duty towards the country’s growth.
“Unlike his predecessors, he realised what the throne is and the value it holds. He wanted the throne to bring reforms that would uplift the people. So did he live and rule,” Plekhanov said.
The meet the people programme by His Majesty represented a unique practice that cemented the relations between the leader and his subjects. He spared no effort for the comfort and prosperity of citizens, provided them an opportunity to directly communicate with the leader about their concerns in an open democratic environment.
“He did not wait for the people to come to him. On the contrary, he went to them, listened to their grievances, answered to their queries and also found solutions to them,” Plekhanov said.
To a question as to what made him get inspired to author a book on His Majesty, Oman and the people, he said, “I was inspired not only by my own political inclinations, but also by my admiration for the beauty of Oman’s use of its own past,” he said.
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