The Sultanate celebrated the 49th on Monday (November 18) which is a special date for everyone in Oman. The birthday of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos is celebrated as the National Day of Oman. We wish the leader of the nation and the people of Oman a happy National Day.
The Sultanate will continue to celebrate the 49th National Day of Oman with festivities in the forthcoming days as well. The festivities will continue for the forthcoming days. Some express patriotic feeling through the decoration of the vehicles, some say it through the colours they wear and the companies and organisations make the statement with the lighting of their respective buildings.
What we see today is the vision of His Majesty which began to see its implementation from 1970 from the development of the nation to foreign relations the Sultanate cherishes with other countries.
Today the Sultanate is known for its security and stability and these features are considered as two important attractions for foreign investment. The nation is internationally known as the peace supporter.
From the very beginning the focal points have been on education and health. The basic education and health is free for all. When it comes to higher education, it is still available through merit. Very early in the years of Renaissance the importance was given to vocational training, but now with digital world and changing of the economy and the job market there is more movement towards future skills at the same time encouraging the spirit of entrepreneurship.
It has been oil and gas that started off the economic development, now in the millennium the path for Oman has been set aiming at the diversification of the economy with a stress on transformational industries, logistics, transportation, tourism, mining and fisheries.
November 18 is actually a festival for the nation. At the national level the day has been marked by the military parade but the unique aspect of the day is that there is a celebration at the heart level of each individual and this is so whether you are a citizen or an expatriate living in Oman. There have been artists depicting Oman on canvases and its leader in portrait. When you see people express themselves through art then we know art is celebrated in that nation and where art is kept at such high esteem we know there is harmony and peace. Art cannot survive at superficial level. It is expressed inner thoughts and art can only strive where there is an audience. Art is an education but it is also an instinct that has been keenly developed by the leader of the nation. Its importance can be seen in the priority it has been given at Sultan Qaboos University.
The undergraduate programme at the College of Art and Social Sciences features Arabic Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, Translation, History, Sociology, Social Work, Music and Musicology, Information Studies (Management of Information Institutions, Archive Management), Geography (Environmental Studies, Population Studies, GIS, Urban and Regional Planning), Tourism (Tourism Guidance, Hospitality Management, Tourism Management), Mass Communication (Journalism and Electronic Publishing, Public Relations and Advertising, Radio and Television).
Art by nature nurtures thinkers and writers, but with education and guidance a scientific thinking process is achieved. Art creates a balance and unites the society. It is easy for a society to isolate itself especially today as the modern technology is narrowing down the need to communicate with each other and the life on line provides to an extent great amount of independence from transportation to food. The more the technology gets smarter further it is going to make us dependent on it moving away from inter-dependency of mankind or the society as a whole. And technology has crossed the barriers of borders as we in the simple example of shopping on line from countries across the globe.
While the life in the digital world is more about being part of a data, art is a field which continues to celebrate emotions — the core of human being.
So as Oman zooms towards diversification and the digital world let us not forget to nurture the art and artists and writers, it is a protective measure to strike the right balance and helps us to stay connected.
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