By Dr. Hussein Shehadeh – MUSCAT
Nearly four decades on, the fruits of the Oman’s Renaissance are as copious as they are pervasive. A nation once steeped in ignorance, poverty and despair now finds itself on the cusp of prosperity complete with the trappings of a modem state that many other countries can only aspire for.
From modern healthcare and educational institutions, to comprehensive infrastructure and a complete spectrum of state institutions, Oman finds itself in the prime of nationhood.
On the external front, the Sultanate has extended a hand of friendship and co-operation with countries far and near. A sustained revival of historically strong maritime and commercial links has augured well for investment inflows and bilateral trade.
Commerce and industry continue to flourish in the wake of growing opportunity and enterprise. An increasing number of international firms have already set up offices in the Sultanate, while others seek opportunities for investment and business partnership.
Indeed, four decades of enlightened leadership, based on far-sighted domestic and foreign policies, continue to yield significant dividends to Oman and its people. These gains are manifest not only in the country’s continued economic progress, but also in the overall well-being of its people.
The latest indicators attest to a vigorous upward trend in per capita income levels, macroeconomic growth, health, employment generation and socio-economic development.
Not surprisingly, recognition for the policies and domestic achievements of the Government has come from several prestigious quarters. For the third consecutive year, Oman was placed in the top tier of nations deemed the most peaceful around the world.
The highly rated Global Peace Index 2009 ranked Oman as the second most peaceful Arab country, and the 21st in its rankings of 144 countries. The rankings were based on data collated by the renowned Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), which took into account such indicators as political stability, crime levels, defence outlays, size of the prison population, and so on.
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 tranquility, economic competitiveness, quality of healthcare, governance and so on.
The most prominent trait that characterises Oman’s diplomatic relations and foreign policy is its relentless quest to seek solutions to its needs in the larger arena by diligently pursuing international relations beneficial for its long term. And this has been necessitated by its own reality — its history, geography,
diverse population, economy, and strategic Middle East location, especially in
the wake of a few regional aggressors who have increasingly made their presence
felt in the aftermath of the Cold War. And today, when the international
community increasingly looks forward to Oman with reverence as a nation internally stable and economically prosperous, the Sultanate’s pragmatic and
independent foreign policy has made it stand in extremely good stead in its integration with the Middle East and the international community at large.
Oman owes primarily to the wisdom of its pragmatic leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Said as much as to the Ibadhi interpretation of Islam for its pragmatic foreign policy. In his National Day speech in 1994 he reiterated the Ibadhi virtues, asking Omanis to eschew momentary causes and religious bigotry, to be tolerant and forward-looking. “Obstinacy in religious understanding leads to backwardness in Muslims, prevalence of violence and intolerance.”
From this Ibadhi heritage comes the underlying principle of the Sultanate’s extremely modem approach: seek security and prosperity steadily
and consistently through non-violent means. Oman today stands at the core
of the international geopolitics riding high on its value-based foreign policy.
Central to its modernisation and its march to the 21st century lies the huge
stride that Oman took in the field of education and empowering its women.
Education for all, especially women, received a top priority on the agenda for
nation building. And in just about five years from the date of the beginning of
Oman Renaissance, education became the buzz word across the nation.
In 1970, the Sultanate had a handful of teachers and education was scarce.
This was probably the most difficult challenge that the young ruler faced when he assumed authority and confronted the hard facts. There were just three schools for approximately 900 students in the entire nation, within a year of his accession. Qaboos saw to it that 13 additional primary and elementary schools were established for 7,000 pupils. It was raised to 45 institutions for 15000 in 1972.
With schools, colleges and universities being set up at frenzied pace all across the nation, Oman registered an increase in literacy by whopping 66.2 per cent in first five years. By 1975, there were 262 schools and institutions. Oman today offers one of the most favoured educational centres in the whole of Middle East offering higher education in almost every branch of humanities, commerce and science.
These aspirations to ensure a civilised future for every single Omani and their ambitions for Oman to play a prominent role in the world lay at the root of his tireless efforts for human resource development.
Between 1982 and 1986, Oman undertook the construction of Sultan Qaboos University – one of the most modern universities in the region. The University now has seven colleges covering many subjects from agriculture to medicine.
Unlike elsewhere In the Arab world, Oman pioneered one of the most different tasks – total emancipation and his is empowering its women. In its emphasis on empowering women, Oman, in fact, can easily be considered at par with many advanced and highly modern societies in the world. Not only do the women here hold key positions in almost every sphere of administration, education, business and management, but they also lie central to an amazingly forward looking society and are immensely respected.
“We call upon Omani women everywhere, in the villages and the cities, in both urban and Bedu communities, in the hills and mountains, to roll up their sleeves and contribute to the process of economic and social development. We have great faith in the educated young Omani women to work devotedly to assist their sisters in their local communities to develop their skills and abilities, both practically and intellectually, in order to contribute to our Omani Renaissance which demands the utilisation of our entire national genius, for the realisation of our country’s glory and prosperity
“We call upon Omani women to shoulder this vital role in the community and we are confident that they will respond to this call.”
These words of the Sultan in fact, set the motion and empowering women. He has also decreed that women may become members of the Majlis Al Shun and had a 30 per cent representation by women. This is an unprecedented move, not only for Oman, but for the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.
The participation of women in Al Shura and in holding other senior positions in, for instance, the Omani Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Planning Board, reflects the Sultan’s desire to see women gaining the trust and respect of the society.
The massive frog-leap that the nation took, from poverty to prosperity in transforming a veritable Bedouin society to a modern progressive nation has, surprisingly, virtually been sans any birth pangs.
It showed the world how a vision can be achieved with the least confrontation, hiccups and with absolutely no displacements.
Courtesy https://www.middle-east-online.com/