Royal decrees in line with objectives of Oman 2040 vision

Muscat: The Washington-based Atlantic Council has confirmed in a report that the royal decrees issued by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, on reorganizing and restructuring the state’s administrative apparatus, are in line with the objectives of Oman 2040 vision. Oman News Agency tweeted that the Atlantic Council report also wrote about the moderation pursued by His Majesty in the foreign policy of the Sultanate.

Last week, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik issued 28 Royal decrees, including bringing down the number of ministries to 19 from 26.

The citizens and residents alike welcomed the decisions and Social Media channels were abuzz with messages of thanks and appreciation to the outgoing members as well as to the new appointees.

In a chat with Gulf News, Mohammed Mubarak Al Shikely, a senior member of the Omani community, and the Executive Chairman of Silver Falcon LLC, a multi-disciplinary Omani SME company, says that since the Renaissance began in Oman in 1970, people have seen many great personalities make huge contributions towards building the right infrastructure. “It is because of their contribution and the remarkable vision of an incredible leader, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, that we are where we are. We congratulate the new appointments, who I have no doubt, will make even greater contributions. We have now embarked on a renewed Renaissance under His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq. Let us applaud the former Ministers and Under Secretaries for their contributions, whilst we give our hearty congratulations to the torch bearers who have been given the trust of His Majesty and on whom the country has high expectations on. Their success also rests with us, the nationals and residents of Oman, standing with them and giving them not only our undivided and whole hearted support, but also standing up and doing our part."

Shaddad al Musalmy, a senior journalist in Oman, told Gulf News that everyone in Oman is excited about the new changes Oman is undergoing. “This is simply because the focus appears to be the economy. Oman’s Vision 2040 development initiatives now have a new boost. Most of the institutions that underwent top-level changes are related to the economy. These include the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, the newly established Ministry of Economy and also the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Investment Promotion. All these shows how the new move focuses on economy. Sultan Haitham’s appointments of new leaders also seem to reward experience. At the same time taking in young leaders as some of the ministers are young, shows his keenness to bring in fresh ideas. Indeed, there is an indication that suggest that his approach to consolidating government entities is just the kind of leadership Oman needs at this crucial time.”