“It is a pleasure for me to speak to you this evening through our Omani radio. Our intention is to make sure that you closely know the government’s plans [i]and the steps it will take to achieve reassurance and progress for our people, prosperity, and security for our country. On this basis, you can trust that our conversation tonight will determine the direction of the future. We will have a similar conversation in the future… “.
With these words, the founder of modern Oman, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, began his speech a month after he assumed power in the Sultanate in 1970. Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed passed away at the age of 80. He has the longest reign of rule among the Arab leaders, and the third in the world.
The Sultan started his career after he managed to control the Dhofar revolution, and worked to create the appropriate climate to end it “through a reform program for the country at all levels, showing people that the revolution is a legitimate right and the only way to express love to the country. He did not carry any hatred against the revolutionaries, and he expressed the importance of having the awareness to meet the challenges facing the country.[ii]” He worked to confront the causes of the revolution, address them, rebuilds Dhofar, and take into account the legitimate demands of the people.
