Under His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, the Sultanate has taken giant leaps in almost every sphere in the past few years. Be it in the arena of defence, foreign policy, industrialisation, agriculture, health and education, all the policies have been well-crafted and implemented without any obstacles. And obstacles, if any, were overcome with ease. No doubt, this kind of smooth sailing in the framing and implementation of policies have won enormous admiration for His Majesty the Sultan and the government.

A lot has been said about the Sultanate’s foreign policy. Without any doubts the main pillars of the Sultanate’s foreign policy have been friendship, mutual understanding and peace. Many aspects of it have been admired by all and His Majesty the Sultan, who framed it, has won a lot of plaudits for his balanced approach to many issues, including the problems of the Palestinians. This in turn has won him a number of awards. Among the countries that honoured him are the United States, India and Russia. As a result, he is regarded as one of the tallest leaders of the region and the world and his views on many subjects are heard with attention. Yet another and perhaps the most important principle of the Sultanate’s foreign policy is non-interference in the internal affairs. The Sultanate has stated clearly on many occasions that it will never tolerate foreign meddling in its affairs and at the same time will never poke its nose in the business of other countries. It’s true the Sultanate’s armed forces are strong but its posture has always been defensive, and never offensive.

Right at the start of the Blessed Renaissance, His Majesty the Sultan realised that friendship, mutual understanding and peace are essential for progress and prosperity. For a start, he has strived hard to ensure that cooperation among the member-states of the Gulf Cooperation Council was achieved on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in the affairs of each other. Since the six member-states are bound by a common form of governance, religion, culture and tradition, this has become possible and the results are there for all to see as the region as emerged as a powerhouse of development. The future will see more cooperation for mutual benefit with the Sultanate taking a leading role in ensuring that the policy of give and take will be beneficial not only for the region but for other areas of the world as well.

The Sultanate has a long way to go to achieve its sacrosanct aims in the sphere of development and other areas. But due to its humane policies, both internally and externally, these aims will be achieved without the least difficulty and in the bargain the dreams of His Majesty the Sultan will be realised.