Muscat: Oman’s Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed, on Saturday will preside over a military parade to mark the country’s 47th National Day.
The military ceremony will be held at the parade ground in Seeb province of the Muscat governorate, Oman News Agency (ONA), reported on Wednesday, without giving further details.
The Omani government has not yet been declared holidays for both the public and private sectors in celebration of the 47th National Day.
Omanis have launched a hashtag entitled “The 47th National Day”, which attracted more than 4.000 tweets so far, expressing love, loyalty and gratitude for Sultan Qaboos.
Fireworks displays to celebrate the 47th National Day will be held in Al Amerat, Seeb and Salalah provinces on Saturday.
Roads in Muscat are lit up in the colours of the Omani flag and the decorative lights are to stay until the end of the month.
Traditional folk performances and other festivities are set to be held until the end of the month.
Many Omanis and expatriates have been sending their cars to shops that offer customised decorations.
In a country where police strictly enforces regulations that forbid decorating cars, rules were relaxed to allow citizens to celebrate. The Royal Oman Police issued a list of conditions under which such decorations were allowed, saying they would only be accepted until the end of November.
Shops have started displaying National Day-related items such as Sultan Qaboos pictures, key-rings, mementos, stickers, badges and other festive items.
Sultan Qaboos began his rule on July 23, 1970, but the National Day is celebrated on November 18, which is his birthday. He will be turned 77 on Saturday.
Sultan Qaboos was unable to attend National Day celebrations in 2014 as he was undergoing medical treatment in Germany at the time. In his four decades as Oman’s Ruler, Sultan Qaboos has transformed the small oil exporter from a poverty-stricken backwater torn by dissent into a prosperous state, earning a reputation as a regional mediator.
