His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s annual Royal Speech at the Oman Council is an eagerly awaited event by Omanis and Residents alike. It is a guide to highlight the way forward. It is a pause to share the joy of achievements with the citizens, a moment to highlight the challenges to the people transparently, a call to gear up the efforts and roll up the sleeves to make them a tangible reality.
It is through the solid values and principles that Oman illustrated the epic of its modernity under the far sighted and wise leadership of his Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said who acceded the thrown on 23rd of July 1970. Ever since, Oman has progressed from good to great.
This year’s Royal speech was phenomenal. It has left no doubt that our development experience is an Omani breakthrough. It a seed that has emanated from the womb of the Omani soil. This seed was carefully nourished by a visionary leader with unmatched sacrifices. Hence, as the days pass by it was destined to bloom and flourish. It was able to bear the test of time and accommodate the accelerated changes that are taking place within the local, regional and global environment and capture the scientific and technological advancement on a sound and solid ground.
The Royal Speech has attracted a lot of attention and admiration for a leader who won the hearts and souls of his people and the respect of the regional and international community. His Majesty has illustrated beyond any doubt his everlasting affinity to Oman and its people. In fact his human touch has sprouted out to reflect his concern for humanity at large.
His Majesty’s loud cry from Husin Alshomook in the Wilayat of Manah on 31st of October 2011 signified the triumph of sincerity and honesty. It has celebrated the consistent efforts in our quest for further development and modernity and set the floor for the various options for further participation and engagement of people from all parts of Oman and motivated them to join hands and share the responsibility of building their country.
His majesty's words are still engraved in the hearts of each Omani when he promised to build modern Oman. His Majesty said " 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 cooperation, we will regenerate that glorious past and we will take a respectable place in the world."
As we celebrate our Forty One National Day what do we have to say? Was the promise fulfilled? Are we proud to be Omanis? Is Oman known to the external World? Can we actually shrug our shoulders with pride when we are asked where we from are and respond with an assuring smile that we are From Oman?
As we celebrate our Forty One National Day what do we have to say? Was the promise fulfilled? Are we proud to be Omanis? Is Oman known to the external World? Can we actually shrug our shoulders with pride when we are asked where we from are and respond with an assuring smile that we are From Oman?
The new objectives highlighted within HM’s Royal Speech on the 31st of October, 2011 leave no doubt that the leader has so big ambitions and dreams. He has the interest of Oman and the prosperity of its citizens as an ongoing concern.
Inaugurating the fifth term of the Council of Oman His Majesty’s Royal speech touched upon the following realms of concerns:
· Oman’s Shura experiment and the incremental approach with which the Sultanate has nourished it to empower its citizens to elect their representatives and support the Shura Council members to be the voice of the people. The gradual manner gave a firm foundation and stable pillars that has ensured its natural growth. The Road from the idea of a consultative Council to the current state of the Shura Council has witnessed many improvements that last of which is giving the members to choose the President of the Shura Council and his two deputies without any interference from the government. The Council was also bolstered with legislative and auditing powers. All these initiatives will undoubtedly fulfil its aspirations of contributing more effectively to the decision-making process for the higher interest of the country and citizens.
· The Royal Speech reiterated and affirmed his Majesty’s continued attention to the development of human resources as a cornerstone of every development and a pivotal component around which all types of development revolve as their ultimate goal is the happiness of the individual, providing him with a means of decent living and guaranteeing his security and safety. This objective takes into consideration the need to undergo a comprehensive review for the education system so that it can accommodate the needs of the hour and result on equipping the students with the needed knowledge, skills and attitude that will enable them to live up to the expectation and able to adapt to the ongoing trends. The quest for developing the human resources will also focus on the youth since they are the present and future of the nation. The government endeavoured to provide them with education, training, qualifications and employment opportunities. Highlighting that the upcoming era will take that attention to greater heights by way of providing more opportunities to the youth in order to consolidate their gain in knowledge strengthen their talents in creation and production and increase their participation in the comprehensive development march.
· Stressing that the right of the citizens to express their opinion is guaranteed by the State’s laws and regulations in order for them to come forward with their constructive ideas. His Majesty warned that such freedom should refrain from monopolization and radicalism. He reiterated that inflexibility, extremism and immoderation are opposite to all this and societies which adopt such ideas only carry within themselves the seeds of their eventual destruction. He encouraged the people to resort of the principles and values of their society by saying “We were born in this country with the natural disposition of tolerance, good conduct, rejection of bitterness, warding off sedition and abiding by customs and values based on fraternity, cooperation and love among all”. He recommended that these good traits and high values to be inculcated in the younger generation from the inception at home, in schools, mosques, clubs and other educational and nurturing venues to furnish a fence, protecting them from falling into the abyss of intruding ideas that call for violence, extremism, hatred, fanaticism, being opinionated and non-acceptance of others, as well as other extreme ideas and opinions that lead to the tearing up of society, draining its vital powers and leaving it in ruins and utter destruction, God forbid.
· Stressing on the fact that government work is a responsibility before it is considered a prestige and recognition HM stressed that it should be carried out with total disregard for personal interests and with complete honesty for the service of the community, and it should never countenance corruption. He affirmed that corruption will not be allowed in any shape or form; we instruct our government to take all necessary measures to prevent it and we direct all the audit authorities to fulfil their duties resolutely in this regard with the full force of the law, away from doubt and uncertainties, since justice must take its course and become our goal and objective.
· He reiterated his support for the judiciary and its independence is a duty to which we have committed ourselves, and we recognise that it is imperative to respect its decisions without favouritism, as all are equal before the law.
· Adopting a clear policy based on cooperation with all in accordance with the firm principles of mutual respect, encouragement of dialogue and rejection of violence in tackling issues, in order to come up with communities where fraternisation and stability prevail, which will enable nations to continue their development march and achieve their objectives of progress and prosperity in an atmosphere of security, free of disturbances, and encourage the implementation of economic and social plans and programmes in accordance with priorities dictated by public interests.
· Adopting balanced economic policies to preserve our gains and boost our economic plans and be able to adapt to prevailing circumstances of the global market.
All these guiding torches eliminate any misconception and put it clear that Oman is moving from good to great. It is empowering all its fabric of it society to participate in the quest of development. It is empowering the voice of the people through wider scope of participation in the decision making process and ensuring the right to express their opinions to mirror their creative ideas to enrich the process of developing Oman to greater heights. His Majesty’s noble gesture of thanking all those who has contributed in building modern Omanis and residents is a real motivating touch that will lead them to exert more efforts. Recognizing of the role that the private Sector has exhibited in the development process and that which is expected from it in the future was another motivational touch as well.
Highlighting the need to cooperate and collaborate between all the elements of the society to ensure efficient and effective use of the resources was a call to use the power of the team as a vehicle to maximize the profit.
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