Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

You will live in our hearts forever

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A great leader, a man of strength and vision, peace maker, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos will long be remembered by future generations for the prosperous reign even after his final return to the soil of the Sultanate. He reshaped this country into a sparkling oasis of peace and stability in the turbulent region. The Sultanate is today prosperous and secure, is a monument to his decades of singular resolve and sweat.


When His Majesty took reins of the country in 1970, he made a promise to the people of the Sultanate. “My people, I will proceed as quickly as possible to transform your life into a prosperous one with a bright future. Every one of you must play his part towards this goal. Our country in the past was famous and strong. If we work in unity and co-operation, we will regenerate that glorious past and we will take a respectable place in the world. I call upon you to continue living as usual.”


The late Sultan kept his word and took Sultanate to new summits of development. Born in Salalah in Dhofar in 1940, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was the eighth descendant in the Royal Al Busaidi family, which was founded by Imam Ahmed bin Said in 1744. He was the longest serving leader in the Arab world, as he has been in the office for over 49 years.


He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in his twenties, and then joined the British Army after graduation. He also studied in England in 1966 before returning to Oman and taking over the reins of Oman in 1970.


His Majesty set out his vision for the Sultanate in many of his speeches and exhorted fellow citizens to contribute to the development. “We promise you that we shall do our duty towards the people of our dear country. We also hope that every one of you will do his duty in helping us to build the thriving and happy future that we seek for this country, because, as you know, unless there is co-operation between the government and the people we will not be able to build our country with the speed required to free her from the backwardness she has endured for so long.


The government and the people are as one body. If one of its limbs fails to do its duty, the other parts of the body will suffer. We hope that you will think well of us and at the same time we hope that we shall think well of you.”


His Majesty believed in the power and abilities of the Omani people, and encouraged them to work hard to build their country, which made him work harder to facilitate their education and provide them with work opportunities and equal rights. “Every Omani is required today — more than at any time — to roll up his sleeves and give his devoted efforts to carrying out his duties seriously and consistently.”


The march of blessed renaissance mobilised energy of the people. July 23, 1970 will be etched in the golden letters in the history of the Sultanate as Sultan Qaboos set out to relaunch the country on the path to unprecedented development and progress in the form of wide network of roads and expressways, airports, schools and colleges, hospitals and clinics, and telecommunications.


His Majesty had always been keen to fulfil all the Sultanate’s international and regional obligations towards different organisations. He recognised the international responsibility towards different causes that aim to serve humankind in several fields.


He also played an important role in the convergence of views among neighbouring countries, and had always sought to assist belligerent states in conflict resolution.


This important role has been welcomed internationally.


The Sultanate has adopted peace as a pillar in its diplomacy and politics since the beginning of the modern Omani Renaissance. It is based on the firm belief that building processes and national growth and building a modern state all required the provision of necessary components, mainly peace and security.


Thanks to the guidelines of His Majesty and his deep-rooted faith in peace, the Sultanate had the ability and the courage not only to clearly and honestly express its opinions and vision towards situations and developments occurring in the Gulf, the Arab world and internationally.


“In our opinion, while at the gates of a new millenary, our most vital obligation is to work with states on fighting injustice and tyranny, curb ethnic cleansing and embrace human dignity, fight the occupation of other states’ territories and denying their legitimate rights” His Majesty said on the 28th National Day.


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