The youth – both men and women – have been the focus of all government policies. All development plans and programmes are geared up to ensure their uplift.

This has been so ever since the beginning of the Blessed Renaissance when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said realised that the future of the nation depends solely on the youth and that enough importance should be given to their well-being so that they become the strong foundations of the nation.

The health policy was devised with the youth in mind. The result was that in the course of the five-year development plans, a lot of focus was given to building hospitals and clinics all over the country. Even the private sector was encouraged to enter the healthcare sector.

The results have been stupendous with the Sultanate today having the best health care facilities in every nook and cranny. As a result, every citizen has access to the best health care and there was no need for anyone to go abroad for any kind of treatment. Medical education was also given due importance. Next in the order of importance was education.

Many millions of rials were spent to start schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions in every part of the country. Special programmes were also started to train youth. The results are there for all to see today with thousands of youth finding employment in the public and private sectors.

This was also the result of the policy of Omanisation that was pursued with extreme vigour with the full backing of His Majesty the Sultan. In fact, His Majesty the Sultan has always been eager to ensure the employment of Omani youth.

Last year, he ordered the public and private sectors to provide jobs to 50,000 youth. This target was easily crossed. Early this year, the state budget set a target to provide jobs to 30,000 and there is little doubt that this target too will be crossed.

It would not be incorrect to state that the policy of Omanisation is being pursued by all sectors. In all government departments, Omanis dominate. Public sector businesses and establishments too now employ mostly citizens.

The Omanisation trend is visible in the private sector too with more and more firms preferring to hire citizens. In the days to come, this trend will grow with expatriate workers being gradually terminated. Of course, for more Omani youth to join it, the private sector will have to do a lot and this primarily means increasing salaries and perks so that they are in no way lesser to the emoluments offered by the public sector.

The Sultanate is firmly on the road to development, progress and prosperity. And in this endeavour, the full support of the youth is crucial. Hence, the coming months and years will witness more and more focus on them so that they are the firm pillars of the nation.