Muscat: Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed has given amnesty to 78 prisoners, including 30 foreiners of different nationalities, on the occasion of the anniversary of Prophet Mohammad's [PBUH] birthday on Saturday.

The royal pardon comes as a noble gesture from the Sultan considering the social conditions of the inmates' families.

Similar gestures were made by the country's ruler on various religious and national occasions, including Royal pardon extended to 156 prison inmates in 2011 and 184 Omanis and 114 expatriate prisoners in 2010 on the occasion of Eid Al Adha and the celebrations of the National Day.