National Day – 50 years since Oman’s progress
The National Day of Oman is an official celebration in the Sultanate of Oman and the main one in the country. On November 18, this day celebrates the birth of Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.
National Day Celebrations
National Day events include parades, fireworks, camel races, a horse show, and once every five years, a mock military display. The holidays give Omanis the opportunity to return to their home villages, making the traffic during the holidays much heavier than usual.
Following the death of Sultan Qaboos in January 2020, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said ascended the throne, and has successfully been responsible for the early challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020.
On July 23, 2020, Oman will celebrate its fiftieth Renaissance Day, exactly half a century ago, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said ascended the throne and established the Sultanate of Oman. The advances the country made under his leadership since 1970 were transformative. Significant investments throughout the economy took Oman from an isolated and underdeveloped country with basic facilities and infrastructure to a thriving economy with greatly improved standards of living for all citizens.
In the early years of his reign, the country joined global organizations and witnessed the first of many large-scale infrastructure projects that helped facilitate connections and trade between previously more disparate regions.
As the population expanded from 723,000 to nearly 5 million today, incomes more than kept up as GDP per capita increased 46-fold. Life expectancy increased by 27 years and the infant mortality rate dropped. reduced.
These significant improvements in health outcomes were made possible by significant investment in basic health infrastructure, including the development of 67 additional hospitals. The infrastructure transformation is one of the most enlightening and serves as an important foundation for the country’s continued development. When #Sultan #Qaboos first came to the throne, there were only 3 km of paved roads in the entire Sultanate. Since then, Oman has developed some of the best road networks, not only in the region but throughout the world, ranking in the global top 10 for road quality with its more than 60,000 km of well-maintained road infrastructure.
Meanwhile, three major seaports in #Salalah, #Sohar and #Duqm have driven economic growth and facilitated diversification, while the 10 airports built since 1970 serve the growing number of local and international business and leisure travelers.
In 1970, the country was almost completely closed to foreigners, while today the country welcomes 2.3 million international visitors a year. While #tourism in #Oman has been one of the key focus areas in recent years, Oman has also made significant progress in industrial development.
In 1970, half of the country’s GDP was derived from oil revenues. Thanks to diversification efforts, that figure has dropped to 21.8%. These figures are testament to the late sultan’s legacy, and its importance underlined by #Sultan #Haitham’s emphasis on his commitment to continuity. 
However, half a century after the Renaissance, Sultan Haitham is facing one of the country’s most challenging moments in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government has responded with stimulus packages aimed at ensuring macroeconomic stability while providing relief to people. Omanis whose salaries have been reduced are entitled to have their bank loans restructured without additional interest or fees. Fuel subsidies are also provided and electricity and water bills have been frozen until the end of June.
Authorities also acted quickly to limit the spread of the virus itself. A series of measures were implemented, including travel restrictions on international flights and domestic public transport services, the closure of all schools, universities, shopping malls and non-essential shops, and the suspension of prayers in mosques. Meanwhile, major cities went through a period of total lockdown.
While the economic impact will resonate across many key sectors, particularly energy and tourism, there have also been encouraging signs. Oman’s ability to coordinate a rapid and effective response to the Covid-19 threat has been built on 50 years of social and economic progress in all sectors. Looking ahead, the #sultanate’s economic resilience will continue to be tested as the full long-term impacts of the pandemic, and in particular the country’s current vulnerability to oil price shocks, are revealed. It is a cause for concern.
