Oman celebrates 39th National Day -Marking birth of momentous era that has transformed every facet of national life

The people of Oman celebrate today yet another milestone in the nation’s ongoing march towards greater progress and prosperity. But far from being just another annual fixture in its national calendar, the Sultanate’s National Day commemorates an occasion of profound significance — the birth of a momentous era in its modern history, a renaissance that has spectacularly transformed every facet of national life while safeguarding its cherished Omani, Arabic and Islamic roots.

Indeed, National Day is an occasion of great pride and joy for Omanis as they reflect with gratitude on the bountiful gains of the blessed Renaissance ushered in by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos when he assumed the throne in 1970. On this day, Omanis also reaffirm their allegiance to their leader and renew their pledge to continue doing their part in safeguarding, consolidating and building on this national renaissance. Now, into the 39th year of their nation’s modern history, Omanis have a great deal to be proud of. From education and health to industry and infrastructure, the Sultanate has made impressive strides in all facets of nationhood.

Developmental policies pursued by His Majesty’s Government from the outset of the renaissance have been designed to achieve all-encompassing progress and prosperity. Through successive five-year-plans, as well as the Vision 2020 economic charter, the government has strived for progress and development in all spheres, notably defence and security, agriculture and fisheries, commerce and industry, transport and communications, hospitality and tourism, civil services and human resources, women and child affairs, shura consultation and social advancement. The benefits of modernisation and socio-economic development have percolated down to all the regions of the Sultanate — urban and rural.

On the international and regional arenas, the country is widely seen as a paradigm of political stability — the enduring product of His Majesty’s enlightened foreign policy that espouses friendship, reconciliation and mutual co-operation. On the domestic front, the country is an oasis of tranquillity nurtured by policies that engender equity, harmony and social stability. Not surprisingly, Oman continues to enjoy a high standing among countries of the region and indeed the wider world for its many exemplary accomplishments. For the third consecutive year, the Sultanate was placed in the top tier of nations deemed the most peaceful around the world.

The prestigious Global Peace Index 2009 ranked Oman as the second most peaceful Arab country, and the 21st in its rankings of 144 countries. More recently, Oman was ranked the most stable among Arab and African states in a survey published by the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine of the United States. The Sultanate was placed at the top of its 2009 Index of countries in Africa and the Arab region based on 12 social, economic, political and military indicators. The survey also listed Oman alongside a number of “stable” countries in Western Europe, in addition to the United States, Canada, Argentina, Japan and South Korea.

Furthermore, a host of other organisations, notably the International Monetary Fund (IMF), The World Bank and Unicef have also issued praiseworthy appraisals of the robust improvements being witnessed in Oman across a wide socio-economic spectrum. These appraisals cite the Sultanate’s laudatory achievements in the areas of domestic tranquillity, economic competitiveness, quality of healthcare, governance, and so on. The gross domestic product per capita has jumped from $20,999 to $22,816, while literacy levels among adults have climbed to 84.4 per cent.

Health indicators attest to the comprehensive and well-developed standards of Oman’s healthcare system. The country’s healthcare infrastructure now boasts around 60 hospitals, 130 health centres, and 15 health complexes. Health expectancy at birth is pegged at a remarkable 75.5 years, placing Oman on a par with many advanced Western nations. With a current under-5 mortality rate of 11.1/1000 live births, Oman has already realised the Millennium Development Goal 4, reducing this rate by two thirds of its 1990 rate estimated then at 35/1000 live births, according to Unicef. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 29/1000 live births in 1990 has declined to 10.3/1000 — very close to year 2015 target. The current immunisation coverage rate of infants against the leading childhood diseases is 99 per cent.

Sustained investment in educational services has also led to the creation of a vast network of modern schools that cover the length and breadth of the country. By the end of the academic year in 2008, the country’s rapidly burgeoning school network had grown to 1,052 government schools and 174 private schools catering to well over 600,000 pupils. Staffing these schools is an army of around 45,000 teachers.

Oman’s higher education system has also grown by leaps and bounds. This growth has been fuelled by a vision to achieve a high degree of self-reliance in higher education, within a system which offers in-country a spectrum of programmes that meets the needs of the Omani economy and society in a global world. Thus from one college that opened up in 1995, private higher education has mushroomed to 23 institutions at present with around 17,000 new entrants each year.

On the economic front, prudent fiscal and macroeconomic policies have helped the nation stave off the damaging effects of the global financial and economic downturn that have already swamped a number of economies around the world. A massive spending plan unveiled by the government at the start of the year, combined with effective stimulus measures, have keep the domestic economy chugging along at a healthy trot despite the sharp fall in international oil revenues, which is a key source of government earnings.

Government spending was forecast at RO 6.424 billion for 2009, compared to a budgeted expenditure of RO 5.8 billion in 2008. Revenues were also estimated higher at RO 5.614 billion in 2009 compared to projected earnings of RO 5.4 billion in 2008. The increase in spending nearly doubled the forecast budget deficit to RO 810 million from RO 410m in 2008. But an increase in oil prices, which have since stabilised at around $70 per barrel, has helped shore up Oman’s fiscal and balance of payments position.

There is every optimism that GDP growth at constant prices will continue to be positive in 2009, and is projected at 2.5 per cent against the mere 1 per cent estimated at the start of the year. The Muscat Securities Market Index too has improved remarkably in recent months, rising to 6489 points by around end-October from 5441 points at the end of 2008, entailing an increase of 19 per cent. All these factors augur well for a positive outlook during 2010 and beyond.