National Day

 "I promise you to proceed forthwith in the process of creating a modern government. My first act will be the immediate abolition of all the unnecessary restrictions on your lives and activities.

"My people, I will proceed as quickly as possible to transform your life into a prosperous one with a bright future. Every one of you must play his part towards this goal. Our country in the past was famous and strong. If we work in unity and cooperation we will regenerate that glorious past and we will take a respectable place in the world.

"I call upon you to continue living as usual. I will be arriving in Muscat in the coming days and then I will let you know of my future plans.

"My people, I and my new government will work to achieve our general objective.

"My people, my brothers, yesterday it was complete darkness and with the help of God, tomorrow will be a new dawn on Muscat, Oman and its people.

"God bless us all and may He grant our efforts success."

And so began the reign of Sultan Qaboos on 23 July 1970.

Thirty Nine years have passed since he gave this speech and in that time we have come far. We have gone from having three boys schools with nine hundred students to 542587 into 1050 schools and that’s just the schools, the numbers of further education institutions is impressive.

There was just the ONE hospital, mothers and babies regularly died in childbirth. Most people over the age of thirty have some memory of a sibling(or more than one) that died in childbirth or was still born. Now we have hospitals galore and 52% of the population is under the age of 21.

Nearly forty Years later his speech rings true. What vision!

I am very proud to be an Omani.