Ain-Al-Yaqeen - November 25, 2005

		November 25, 2005

THE SULTANATE OF OMAN CELEBRATES ITS 35TH NATIONAL DAY.
A MILITARY PARADE SHOWING THE HIGH LEVEL OF MODERN TRAINING.
SULTAN QABOOS: THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS HAS REALIZED ACHIEVEMENTS IN ALL FIELDS.
OMAN'S FOREIGN POLICY IS BASED ON COOPERATION WITH THE WORLD WITHOUT INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHERS.

The Sultanate celebrated its 35th anniversary of National Day, under the wise leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

The Sultan presided over a grand military parade, held at Al Fatah Square in Wattayah.

All corps of the SAF, the Royal Guard of Oman, the Royal Oman Police and the National Firq Forces took part in the military parade. On this auspicious day, the Omani citizens expressed their utmost loyalty to Sultan Qaboos and appreciation for the achievements made in the last 35 years.

Upon arrival of the Sultan at the royal dais, the joint military music bands played the royal anthem, the artillery fired 21 guns to salute Sultan Qaboos and the parade columns performed the military salute.

Then, the commandant of the parade column proceeded to request the Sultan's to begin the parade.

The joint military music bands of the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF), the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO) and the Royal Oman Police (ROP) passed before the royal dais in display like military formations and were accompanied by musical tunes.

After that the cavalry groups who were preceded by the RGO third squadron's musical band which was playing musical tunes started to enter the parade site.

Horsemen from the Royal entourage, the RGO, the Royal Cavalry, the Sultan of Oman Armour and the ROP proceeded before the royal dais saluting the Sultan.

This was followed by the Firq forces squads passing before Sutlan Qaboos in their traditional attires.

Then, the protocol guard columns led by the column commandant passed before the royal dais to salute the Sultan.

These included ten columns representing the RGO, RAO, RAFO, RNO, and ROP. These columns proceeded in regular rows to salute the Sultan who always replied to the salute of the SAF men whenever they passed before the royal dais and during this display the field squads were stationed at the parade square.

A total of 52 field squads took part in the parade. They represented SAF, RGO and ROP.

Sultan Qaboos' participation in the military parade reflected his keenness on training and preparing the SAF and other security apparatuses men to enable them to successfully carry out their duty in protecting the homeland and safeguarding its security and stability.

Afterwards, the parade columns performed the allegiance anthem and chanted: "Long live His Majesty, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces" three times. Then the military salute was performed to the accompaniment of royal anthem signalling the conclusion of the parade. After that Sultan Qaboos left the parade site.

The Sultan was accompanied during the ceremony by Lieutenant-General Abdurabbu Mansour Hadi, vice-president of the Yemeni Republic, delegations of sisterly and friendly countries, members of the Royal family, president of the State Council, president of the Majlis Al Shura, ministers, advisers, the inspector-general of police and customs, the head of the internal security service, the chief of the Sultan's Armed Forces, commanders of SAF and RGO corps, as well as members of the State Council and Majlis Al Shura, under secretaries, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the Sultanate, military attaches, senior state officials, commandants, senior officers, non-commissioned officers and personnel of the SAF, RGO, ROP and security apparatuses, sheikhs, dignitaries, citizens and residents.

Since 1970, qualitative achievements have been made in all fields of life, making the Sultanate an oasis of stability and prosperity.

Thanks to His Majesty's wise planning abilities, the Sultanate has always considered future planning.

The country had adopted the Economic Vision-2020 a long time ago. For years, women have been given the opportunity to progress in all fields.

The wise government is undertaking efforts to reduce dependency on oil through diversification of the economy. And the Sultan has outlined credible foreign policy for supporting justice, peace and stability.

The Sultanate is a role model when it comes to friendly relations based on mutual respect and non-intervention in others' internal affairs.

Sultan Qaboos also presided over a student show, held at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Baushar, as part of the festivities. A total of 25,335 male and female students participated in the pageant by forming splendid artistic tableaux.

The Sultan also presided over the tattoo show, held at Al Fatah Square in Wattayah.

A number of governorates and wilayats held celebrations to mark this occasion. Meanwhile, Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a cable from Lieutenant-General Malik bin Suleiman Al Ma'amari, inspector-general of police and customs, wishing him good health and happiness on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of National Day.

Ma'amari extended his own greetings and of the ROP personnel to the Sultan on this glorious occasion.

"We are honoured in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the blessed Renaissance which was built on right and justice and that achieved Oman a remarkable place. The achievements covered all walks of life of the Omani citizens," he said, adding that the ROP personnel reiterates their allegiance and loyalty to the Sultan praying to God Almighty to grant Sultan Qaboos good health and long life.

The Sultan also received a cable of greetings from Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Hareb, minister responsible for defence affairs, on the blessed occasion.

Sayyid Badr extended his own greetings and that of the armed forces, Firq Forces and the Ministry of Defence.

He said the National Day celebrations give the people an opportunity to express their pride of their country's achievement during the Renaissance era under the wise leadership of the Sultan.

The Sultan accords special care to the armed forces in equipping and providing training to them and it has become a modern force fully capable of safeguarding the country's peace and stability, he said.

He said the armed and Firq Forces and all officials at the ministry are celebrating the occasion by reiterating their loyalty and allegiance to the Sultan and praying to God to bestow good health and long life to their benevolent leader.

The activities of the National day celebrations included fireworks display held in Quriyat, Baushar and Al Naseem Garden in the Muscat Governorate, in Salalah, Khasab and Ibra. Also fireworks were displayed in Rustaq, Sohar and Sumail on Sunday, in Nizwa, Buraimi, Ibri, Sur and Suwaiq. The Sultan hosted a tea party at Al Alam Al Amer Palace, Muscat, and presided over a student pageant, held at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Baushar. A Laser show took place at Al Alam Al Amer Palace in Muscat.

Celebrations were held in various governorates and wilayats with active mass participation.

Sultan Qaboos, the Supreme Commander, presided over Oman Military Music Festival (Tattoo) of the year at Al Fatah Square in celebration of the 35th Renaissance Day. Sultan Qaboos was accompanied during the event by members of the Royal Family, the chairmen of the Majlis Addwala and Majlis Ash"shura, ministers, advisers, the Inspector-General of Police and Customs, the Head of Internal Security Service, the Chief of Staff of the Sultan"s Armed Forces (SAF), commanders of SAF Corps, members of the two majlises, undersecretaries, heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to the Sultanate, shaikhs, dignitaries, citizens and residents.

Upon the Sultan's arrival, the Royal Anthem was played. The protocol column, which represented the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO), the SAF and the ROP entered the celebrations ground, with flags up. Each squad comprised 101 men in protocol attires. The welcome note began with mute infantry gestures performed by the joint units. The tableau reflected the precision, coordination and harmony in performance.

Each team included 60 men who performed splendid tableaux. The first tableau embodied allegiance. It was followed by a tableau depicting a ship steering, which symbolises the wisdom of the leadership. The welcome note concluded by a tableau which took the shape of quintet stars symbolising the solidarity of participating forces.

Then, a policewomen's band, launched for the first time in the Sultanate's history, with 60 women musicians, entered the celebrations ground to the accompaniment of military music to signal the establishment of the new band. The policewomen's band was followed by 60 Australian women who came to join the Sultanate in celebrating this happy occasion.

This show was followed by Oman the Peace tableau, which included a military operetta performed on board a replica of Shabab Oman vessel superimposed Oman Peace. This is to convey the message of peace that the vessel carried in a symbolic (electronic-screen-aided) journey that takes it over to the United States, the UK and France. The participating bands played military concerts, mingled with zealous chants. The performance embodies the role of the armed forces during the time of peace, hails and expresses allegiance to the Supreme Commander.

These participating forces formed a map of Oman, superimposed by three words, which were "Allah, the Homeland and the Sultan". This was followed by a tableau simulating a fortified castle, and another which took the shape of the figure 35, with a portrait of His Majesty in the centre altogether pointing to the wisdom of the Supreme Commander. This was followed by a parachute landing in the shape of the figure 35. Then, the joint forces and Shabab Oman ship and other ships left the celebrations ground signalling the conclusion of this part.

Then came the music bands show, which stressed the active presence of the Military music in the armed forces and the basic role of music in the Tattoo events. This included two programmes, the first was musical tunes of the pipe and drums band and the second was splendid formations to the accompaniment of the music of brass bands performed with the participation of 1000 musicians from the SAF, RGO and ROP.

Then, the concluding show began with all participating team entering the celebrations ground accompanied by musical tunes. After being stationed, the music bands played some tunes and a fireworks display followed and the Royal Anthem was played signalling the conclusion of the festival. Then, His Majesty left the celebrations ground. A total of 2,181 men from the RGO, RAO, ROP, RAFO, RNO took part in the event, as well as 46 musicians from the National Organization for Scouts and Guides and 60 participants from the visiting Australian band.

The achievements of the Sultanate during the last 35 years are abundant and unlimited and covered all fields and provided the citizens with an honourable life in all levels. Moreover, the Sultan, the architect of modern Oman, has brought Oman a remarkable place among the world nations. Anyone who is witness to the past and the present Oman will realise that the success achieved over the years are actually attributed to the wise leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin Said and his sincere efforts which led to a comprehensive development, covering various parts of the country. Prosperity and benevolence has been brought to Oman by the wise leadership of the Sultan, founder of Renaissance, who fulfilled what he promised within a short span beyond the expectation of all.

In Muscat Sultan Qaboos who had presided over the annual session of Council of Oman. Sultan Qaboos reaffirmed his government"s commitment to achieving the goals of comprehensive national development through a greater emphasis on economic diversification and human resources development.

Addressing the annual session of the Council of Oman, the Sultan also highlighted the potential benefits in additional national revenue and employment generation linked to the development of tourism and non-oil projects in the Sultanate.

Further, he urged respect for international law, tolerance between communities, and the settlement of international conflicts through dialogue.

Sultan Qaboos began his address with a firm avowal of the government"s determination to work assiduously towards exploring new horizons for achieving the country's "sustainable comprehensive development". This, he stressed, was possible only through the acquisition of knowledge, hard work, and a willingness to keep abreast of modern developments in all spheres of life.

Espousing the vision of a nation well-integrated into the global community, he said: "We should be fearless when communicating with different civilisations and cultures around the world, and in exploring the accomplishments and developments in those communities, in order to enhance our position in a world which no-one doubts, thanks to the latest scientific advancements, has become smaller, like a village, where no society can isolate itself without interacting and communicating with others, that is if that society seeks to achieve prosperity and welfare for its citizens."

In fact, Oman's desire to reach out to the rest of the world goes well back in time, His Majesty said, citing in this regard the travels of "our Omani ancestors" to different parts of the world. "They extended the hand of friendship to all and looked forward with optimism to the mutual exchange of interests with other communities without taking sides," he said.

In his address, Sultan Qaboos listed two key objectives behind the implementation of the government's five-year developmental plans: to complete the main infrastructure of a modern state, and to raise living standards in all parts of the country. "This is being accomplished in accordance with specific programmes, which have been studied very carefully, and which are aimed at increasing the ratio of economic development with more emphasis on the diversification of the sources of national income and the development of human resources," the Sultan said.

In this regard, he lauded the outcome of government policies aimed at boosting non-oil sectors, as was becoming evident in the materialisation of a number of projects that are either completed or under development. These ventures, the Sultan stressed, would help open up new revenue streams, generate job opportunities, and create opportunities for young Omanis to pursue new skills.

Sultan Qaboos singled out the tourism sector as particularly promising with regard to its potential to contribute to national goals. This optimism is reflected in the government's decision to create a separate ministry to oversee the development of this key sector, he said.

"We have a strong belief in the importance of the tourism sector, since it is an emerging industry at the international level where it has become one of the main sources of revenue in many developed countries. And because God has bestowed our country with an environment and geographical diversity, as well as other essential elements, that makes it a favourable tourist destination in the region, we took the decision to establish a Ministry of Tourism to administer this vital and important sector."

He voiced hope that the new ministry would work to develop the potential of this sector in co-ordination with other government departments and the private sector. Turning to regional and international developments, Sultan Qaboos said the Sultanate's foreign policy was guided by "certain fundamental principles" which the government has unswervingly adhered to. Oman, he stressed, has always sided with "rightness, justice and joint efforts with other peace-loving nations to settle international conflicts through dialogue and negotiations so that security and stability may prevail and all nations on Earth will be able to reap the benefits thereof".

In this context, he urged an end to the "daily suffering" of the Palestinian people and to enable them to achieve their aspirations to statehood. He also called for the return of Arab lands under occupation, and voiced hope that security and stability would prevail in Iraq. Sultan Qaboos concluded his address with an appeal for adherence to the rule of law and for the achievement of global harmony. "We also call for respect for international law and the principles and conventions upon which it is based, and for tolerance between communities and races," he said.

Sultan Qaboos stressed in his address to the general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Sultan Qaboos promised women equal opportunities

Omani women will get equal opportunities to play a productive role in society, said Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed. "Our aims include the raising of educational standards and updating the curriculum to make it richer and more relevant to the needs of an ever-changing world."

"We have endorsed the Sultanate of Oman's membership of the convention for the elimination of all types of discrimination against women,"

With reference to UNESCO's pioneering role in enhancing ethical principles to guide scientific and technological development, Sultan Qaboos emphasised the importance of enhancing public awareness in facing the new ethical challenges related to scientific and technological innovations.

"It is essential that policies we devise to meet these challenges have been based on careful analysis, consultation and understanding," he said.

He underlined that Oman devotes great care and attention to the development and reform of education.

"Our aims include the raising of standards and updating the curriculum to make it richer and more relevant to the needs of an ever-changing world."

Concern for Oman's national heritage, both tangible and intangible, has always been at the centre of attention, he said, adding that the reason for this is the important role it plays in the enrichment of intellectual and artistic life and in promoting creativity and innovation in society.

"We look forward to the addition to world heritage list of the Sultanate's 'aflaj' irrigation system at the forthcoming meeting of the heritage committee in 2006."

The 'falaj', Sultan Qaboos said, was a unique and important water resource that had made a major contribution to Omani society throughout its history.

"Not only is it regarded as one of the most important historical sites in Oman, but it represents the ability of Omanis to build civilisations in the face of severe challenges," he added.

Praising the efforts exerted by UNESCO in mobilising the international community to take measures to protect the environment, Sultan Qaboos said: "We are pleased that this organisation is sponsoring the award promoted by Oman for preservation of the international environment."

The national day in Oman brings joy and happiness to Omanis. It is a moment of relishing the achievements of the renaissance which, Oman has witnessed under the wise leadership and far sighted vision of Sultan Qaboos. As we are enthusiastically celebrating the 35th national day one cannot help but stretch his hands for almighty Allah to bestow His Majesty with prosperous years to come.

Not only the achievements of the renaissance could be measured in a materialistic sense but it is also evident through the Sultan's undivided attention of empowering the citizens, and educating them for they are the goal of the development process and its beneficiaries.

From the early stage of the renaissance Sultan Qaboos has the vision of widely opening the door to educate both genders of his citizens. His words are still crystal clear in the hearts and minds of all the Omanis. " the most important thing is education, we will teach our children even under the shade of a tree." Today that mission became a tangible reality and there are various avenues for educating the Omani youth that ranges from schools, colleges, and universities.

Besides the Omani students are sent on scholarships to pursue higher education. These efforts empowered the Omanis to confidently serve their country in all spheres of life. Omanization is put in motion were both Omani men and women are serving their country hand in hand with their expatriates colleagues. The Omani youth are called upon to play an active role. They are expected to make use of the opportunities, which are put before them and equip themselves with educational background and gain the job skills to ensure bright career prospects.

Women on the other hand, are given their due attention. Not only they are assigned high government posts and allowed to contribute to the political participation in the country but are also given the opportunity to be entrepreneurs and run their own businesses. Numerous areas were given importance such as health sector, social services, environment, and the economy at large.

From the inception of the renaissance, Sultan Qaboos stroke a balance between modernization and tradition. The approval of "The Basic Status of the State" in 1996 marked a remarkable transformation towards a state of institutions and law. It has laid down the legal framework for the country and set in motion the needed guarantees for equality before the law.

During his annual "meet the people tour", Sultan Qaboos opens his heart to every citizen. He patiently listens to them and solve their demands. He keeps them updated with the future plans and discusses prevailing issues with them. It is an opportunity to follow up the implementation of the projects and instructs the accompanying Ministers to take the necessary procedures to solve the needs of the citizens.

On the external front Oman is known and recognized as a nation which has firm principles such as non-intervention in the affairs of other countries, respect for international laws, strengthening relations with all the nations . Therefore, it is no surprise that Oman is an active member in most of the international organizations.

In fact Sultan Qaboos has established chairs in various western universities to enhance cultural dialogues and appreciation such as in the USA, the UK, and Australia. Besides establishing the Sultan Qaboos award for environment which is under the supervision of the UNESCO.

The fact that Muscat is designated as the Cultural Capital of the Arab World in the year 2006 speaks for itself of the status that Oman enjoys among the nations of the region.

The Renaissance numerous achievements in Oman did not come in handy, rather the leadership of the Sultan was faced with many teething problems. However with his broad mindedness and other qualities of leadership, Sultan Qaboos has undoubtedly nurtured a friendly atmosphere hence, enabled the Sultanate to enjoy an era of prosperity and earn undeterred credibility in the external arena. As a result it became widely known for its love for humanity and peace. In fact the Sultan was awarded the international peace award by the National Council on Arab Relations.