Jewel of Muscat to sail this month - Ship to follow ancient trade routes in journey to Singapore

The Jewel of Muscat was officially named here yesterday at a glittering event held under the auspices of Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al Rowas, His Majesty the Sultan’s Adviser for Cultural Affairs, in the presence of Jo Tchok Tong, Senior Minister of Singapore. The inaugural ceremony, attended by a large number of dignitaries including diplomats, began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by Dr Said bin Rashid al Sawafi followed by the Royal Anthem.

The high point of the event came when Tong and Al Rowas drew the curtain to announce the name of the ship The Jewel of Muscat. This was followed by a tour of the ship by Tong, Al Rowas, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Secretary-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rajha bint Abdulameer bin Ali, Minister of Tourism, Zain Aldeen Abedeen Rasheed, Singapore Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Lee Yee Shian, Singapore Minister for Commerce, Industries and labour, and others.

The voyage is expected to begin this month, with the ship reaching Singapore by June 2010. The Jewel of Muscat ship assumes special significance not only because it is a maritime engineering feat but also because it helps revive memories of Omani sailors from the 9th century onwards. With no nails and bolts, this huge ship will follow the ancient trade routes in its journey to Singapore. The Jewel of Muscat project is a historical accomplishment, as it is a reconstruction of a 9th century sewn-plank ship made of handmade coconut fibre ropes and wood without a single nail. She will be given as a gift from the Government of the Sultanate of Oman to the people of Singapore.