Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said celebrated his 5 years of reign this Saturday. On the occasion of this anniversary, the Omani sovereign gave a speech and announced the creation of a generous royal grant which will increase several allowances and financial aid distributed to Omanis. The Sultan of Oman concluded his birthday by attending an open-air show with his family.
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Creation of a day of celebration dedicated to the glory of the Sultan and his predecessors
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman, 69, delivered a speech to the nation on the morning of Saturday, January 11. On January 10, 2020, Sultan Qaboos died at the age of 79. Sultan Qaboos left his mark on the history of Oman. During his half-century reign, the sultan completely transformed the country which had not yet exploited its oil resources and was one of the poorest in the region. The day after his death, his cousin, Haitham ben Tarik, succeeded him.
This Saturday, January 11, 2025, on the occasion of his 5th reign anniversary, Sultan Haitham delivered a speech, in which he asked the population to remember and commemorate all of his predecessors because each reign “played a civilizational role and each sovereign can boast of having had a historical position”. In order to honor the sovereign, Sultan Haitham announced that henceforth an annual festival would be celebrated on November 20, in memory of November 20, 1744, the date on which his ancestor Ahmed bin Said Al Busaid was elected as imam and became the first indigenous leader. He is the founder of the Al Said dynasty which still reigns over the sultanate.
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Sultan of Oman promises additional financial aid on the occasion of his 5th reign
Sultan Haitham announced other good news, which directly affects the finances of the population. The sovereign decided to create “a royal grant worth more than 178 million riyals (around 451 million euros) to support the social and economic aspects of certain segments of the population”. The country has around 4.5 million inhabitants and around 100,000 inhabitants are affected by one of the subsidies or the increase in subsidies announced.
These subsidies are diverse. For example, citizens entitled to housing assistance will see this assistance increased. Housing loans will be facilitated. The sovereign intends to extend social protection and insurance to citizens to several family members. There is also talk of providing additional assistance to retirees receiving a small pension. Finally, marriage assistance will be created, making it possible to grant subsidies intended to finance the marriages of couples in difficulty.
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A student performance to highlight Sultan Haitham’s visionary initiatives
After the announcement of this good news, Sultan Haitham went with his family to the Al Fateh main square in Muscat where a student festival was taking place organized on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the sovereign’s reign. The first lady Ahad bint Abdallah bin Hamad Al Said accompanied the sultan as well as their children and several cousins of the head of state. This show, composed of several paintings, was performed by the country’s youth and had the theme “The Renewed Renaissance”, an expression used by Sultan Haitham to describe his reign and describe his vision for the country.
The royal family and members of the government were seated under a canopy, facing the stage, to watch this open-air show. Around 8,000 people attended the show. Each painting evoked the grandeur or projects of the country and highlighted the vision of the sovereign. After the first introductory table, the second table was entitled “Knowledge”, highlighting the desire to develop research and innovations in the country by 2040. “Oman Vision 2040” is a political action plan which was launched by the sovereign at the beginning of his reign. This plan concerns both the improvement of the living conditions of the population as well as a set of measures concerning the development of the country’s infrastructure and wealth.
The third table, entitled “Promises kept” highlighted all the accomplishments already accomplished by the sovereign since his accession to the throne. The fourth painting, titled “Oman, Land of Peace”, highlighted the significant social cohesion that reigns in Oman and the peace within the nation. The fifth tableau honored all generations by bringing citizens of all ages on stage and presenting folk dances to highlight the importance of cherishing ancestral traditions and culture.
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