Muscat: Oman will make big strides towards progress under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, say people in the country.
January 11 marks the first anniversary of His Majesty being sworn in as the Sultan of Oman, and since then, he has done much to improve the country’s economic and social structure for the long-term.
Younis bin Ali Al Mandhari, the head of the Youth and Human Resources Committee at the Majlis Al Shura, said His Majesty’s efforts to develop the country were geared towards Oman Vision 2040, the Sultanate’s plan to set up a diversified, sustainable economy and decent standards of living for all.
With this in mind, His Majesty has drafted many new laws and reorganised some of the state’s apparatus so that it is more effective towards achieving these objectives.
“He prepared for Vision 2040 through various Royal Decrees and ministerial decisions, as well as by merging government bodies, ending some others, and creating some as well, to provide an agile and effective government with defined goals and results to serve the country. We look forward to continuing building Oman under the vision of our Sultan,” he said.
“The Majlis Al Shura will help His Majesty take Oman on the path of the renewed renaissance, and advise on laws and legislations in keeping with current local and global developments,” added Al Mandhari.
He was also impressed by His Majesty’s ability to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Soon after the arrival of the pandemic, he immediately formed the Supreme Committee for dealing with COVID-19, so that he could follow up on the developments of the pandemic and work to limit the spread of the virus,” he admitted.
“The committee was also formed to protect citizens and residents, and provide support to all the economic sectors of the Sultanate that were affected by the pandemic,” added Al Mandhari. “He personally chaired the committee several times, so that he could take informed decisions and safeguard the health of people here.”
Encouraging Omanis to work hard, and make conditions better for foreign investment were two of His Majesty’s key achievements, said Jassim Al Balushi, the deputy head of education and training at the National University of Science and Technology’s College of Engineering.
“We have been working very hard to build Oman,” he said. “We must celebrate the achievements we have accomplished since the dawn of the modern renaissance, and show love for our country and our Sultan, His Majesty Haitham Bin Tarik, as well as remember the legacy of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour.
“All of us now know we need to develop our economy by diversifying our sources of income,” he added.
“We shouldn’t depend on importing our goods, but produce them ourselves. We should now move to a manufacturing and export model of business. Oman, for example, has a very long coastline, so fisheries could be an area that is developed. Omanis have to become entrepreneurs, ready to create business and provide jobs for the next generation.”
Sulaiman Al Sulaimi, an executive committee member of the Oman Road Safety Association (ORSA) was confident the country would continue to progress under His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, and called on all to help contribute in this direction.
“We are confident that under His Majesty’s leadership, Oman will continue to progress and prosper, and sustainably contribute to local and international development and understanding. We have strong faith in his wisdom, and wish him every success for the years to come. ORSA would like to congratulate HM on his first anniversary as Sultan of Oman.”
Changes made to the country’s economic setup will encourage more investment and growth, said Dr Hesham Magd, the head of the Faculty of Business and Economics at the Modern College of Business and Science.
“The efforts made by His Majesty will cause a competitive market to develop, that will raise the chances of qualified and skilled workers to contribute to the country, as well as enjoy a better working atmosphere, and aid in knowledge transfer, which will help in the country’s long-term sustainability,” he said.
“In the long-run, Oman’s economy will make more progress towards diversification, and reliance on the oil sector will drop,” added Magd.
“Economic balance will be achieved, with more emphasis put on production of goods, rather than importing them. This will also help achieve the goals of Oman Vision 2040, leading to stability and more self-sufficiency.”
