February 17, 2006

IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW WITH THE KUWAITI AL SIYASA NEWSPAPER. SULTAN QABOOS BIN SAID: THE ALMIGHTY IS PROTECTING ME, I AM COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO THE HOMELAND AND ITS PEOPLE. THE CUSTOM OF LEADERS INSPECTING AND ENQUIRING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF THE PEOPLE HAS EXISTED THROUGHOUT ISLAM'S HISTORY. WE HAVE PROFITABLE INVESTMENT FLOW FROM JAPAN, THE US, SOUTH KOREA, GERMANY AND SEVERAL GULF STATES. WE BELIEVE IN THE PROVERB: 'MAY GOD HAVE MERCY UPON HIM WHO REALISES HIS LIMITS AND STICKS TO THEM'." Sultan Qaboos bin Said has said that he is completely dedicated to his people and homeland and that all his efforts are focused on the betterment of the Sultanate's citizens. In a wide-ranging interview given to Ahmed Al Jarallah, editor-in-chief of the Kuwaiti Al Siyasa newspaper, His Majesty has said that he has a mission a mission to uplift the people and the country. And he has affirmed that it is the main reason behind the continued loyalty and love of the people. He says that he enjoys his tour to the Sultanate's wilayats and regions as it gives him an opportunity to interact with the people directly, leading to mutual love and respect. His Majesty contends that this is nothing new as the custom of leaders inspecting and enquiring about the conditions of the people has existed throughout Islam's history. To a question, he replies that Oman of the past is not Oman of the present and "we have many dreams to realise for our country and our people" and "we shoulder that responsibility seriously and honestly". Commenting on the beauty of Oman tinged with a surreal simplicity, he says the secret of beauty lies in its simplicity and "whatever we have in this country is simple". While advocating openness with regard to tourism and investments in the country, His Majesty has said it is good provided the culture and heritage of the country are safeguarded. His Majesty has affirmed unequivocally that social dignity is paramount and it is essential that we treat all with due respect and appreciation. The full text of the interview is given below: Asked about the loyalty of his subjects since he took the reins of Oman and the absence of any news concerning his personal security and safety, His Majesty replied with a smile: "The Almighty is protecting me, I am completely dedicated to the homeland and its people and my continued intermingling with the people of Oman has satisfied them. All my actions and all my efforts are for the people of Oman and my ultimate delight is to see my country and people as I imagined the first day I came to power, and I feel I have a mission, not authority, for this country and its people; that's why my time is dedicated to them. And this is the main reason behind their loyalty." His Majesty said: "As you know I always interact with the people of Oman; I talk to them as one of them; I am a staunch believer in discipline, but I also believe in what remains on Earth (what is beautiful to the people). I always follow up the Omani affair." Replying to a question about the absence of any risks which disturb His Majesty's personal security during the past 35 years, though many leaders had faced problems and a number of countries underwent changes, His Majesty said: "Security prevails in Oman, and as a media man, you know Oman. Our national security has never been risked, thanks to God who knows what is in the hearts and souls maybe God is satisfied with what is in my heart; that's why we are always protected by the Almighty". "Our efforts are transparent and extend to all parts of our country and people, and as you see, I do not surround myself with any extraordinary security precautions, and thank God, nothing disturbs our country's security." Asked whether His Majesty feels anxious while going to his bedroom, he said: "Not at all. I do listen to some news, read some topics and verses of the Holy Quran before I get to bed. Usually I sleep after a busy day filled with many tasks; I take decisions on urgent matters during the day. When decisions are awaited on any pending matters, I settle them in coordination with the authorities concerned." His Majesty said he enjoys his tours of the Sultanate's regions and wilayats, noting that during these tours he meets the people, listen to their requirements and they in turn listen to his views. His Majesty added that inspecting the situation of the subjects is an affair which has existed throughout Islam's history and is considered one of duties of the leader. "There are some citizens whose circumstances may not allow them to knock at certain doors, so I go to them directly and I feel psychologically relaxed during these tours. I feel delighted when I see my subjects listening to my directives with attention. This creates a culture of discipline and interaction between the leader and his subjects, leading to mutual loyalty. Answering a question whether a leader in any country or any time or place should be popular, feared or respected, His Majesty said when a leader is feared by his people who are scared to converse with him, he is destined to be surrounded by hypocrites who glorify his misdeeds, if any, and push him to follow his desires and wishes which may not be normal. He will then lose the company of reformers and advisers. No wise or normal leader looks forward to following such a path. His Majesty added that there should be discipline, but not to the extent that the leader becomes a frightening person. To a question whether the Omani affair takes most of his time leaving him no space to think of regional, Arab and international matters, His Majesty said: "I am completely dedicated to the Omani affair. Nevertheless, we are influenced and we influence regional, Arab and international developments and we spend time to think of how to deal with these developments; but we believe in the proverb: 'May God have mercy upon him who realises his limits and sticks to them'." His Majesty added: "There are some who talk about affairs which are of no concern to them, but we in Oman, do not follow this style as we have a lot of tasks which fill our time, noting Oman of the past is not Oman of the present and there are many dreams to realise for our country and our people, the responsibility of which we honestly and seriously shoulder". On his rare media statements, His Majesty said with a smile: "I hate exaggeration and I direct the media organisations not to exaggerate and to be simple and concise when shedding light on achievements. I am one of those who believe that actions speak louder than words, so let people see things as they are and our government operates from this perspective". Commenting on the simple and beautiful touches of many Omani establishments in Muscat and its adjacent villages, which were visited by the editor-in-chief of the Kuwaiti daily, His Majesty said: "The secret of the beauty always lies in its simplicity, and whatever we have in this country, is simple, even the city's colours and the facades of the buildings are painted in seven elegant colours". His Majesty added: "We always combine our heritage and modernisation and I believe that the Omani policy has succeeded in this combination". Asked whether His Majesty was engaged in a big battle to achieve this combination and build the modern Oman and whether time has come to achieve further social openness, His Majesty said: "I object to the dominance of modernisation over heritage, particularly when our heritage is beautiful and it only needs some developments to keep abreast of modernisation. And I think Oman has made big strides in this respect and we have to open the doors still wider after the infrastructure has been completed and security and safety prevailed in this beautiful city". On whether His Majesty means by the expression increasing modernisation and openness in the sense of openness to tourists and increase in international investments, he replied: "We have profitable investment flow from Japan, the US, South Korea, Germany and several Gulf states. In the past an investment figure of $100 million used to dazzle us, but now we talk about projects worth billions without being dazzled. We have many such projects on the stream". With regard to tourism, His Majesty said: "I feel we should increase the openness, provided the Omani heritage and culture are safeguarded. We have resorted to gradual openness and we proceed on this policy in tourism and we should always remember that whatever comes easily goes easily, so we don't want the openness to be easy in order not to go easily". "Oman has placed itself on the tourism map and will succeed in enhancing its position as the country's geography is fascinating and its people are pleasant and hospitable," His Majesty added. Replying to a question on what were His Majesty's dreams when he took power in the country with its wide geography, and its people who lived at different levels of modernity, His Majesty said that at that time he was obsessed with the combination of heritage and modernisation, adding: "We began by educating women, constructing schools and we gently entered into the community." He said those who want to educate their daughters are welcome and those who want to stick to traditions are free to do so as well. "We were concerned with developing our society though the economic situation was not encouraging at that time; we depended on the Almighty and the potentials available with us. At that time we focused on agriculture and fisheries, and thank God, we have passed that stage and the Omanis have developed their heritage and dealt with modernisation according to the levels set by the leadership; and now we have a society which is respected by its visitors". Replying to a question about his dreams for the coming 15 years and what he wants to do for Oman, His Majesty said: "Had you asked me this question 15 years ago, my answer would have been weighed by some economic concerns about availability of funds needed to realise our dreams. But now the situation is changed; in terms of incomes, the half-completed infrastructure and the combination of heritage and modernisation. And I am pleased with that". His Majesty added: "I currently focus on training Omanis and preparing them to enter the labour market and I don't want any of my subjects to get disgusted with any job except those which violate morals. Even in Royal camps, we supervise the training of men and women while preparing and arranging these facilities during our absence". His Majesty continued: "Instead of giving the citizen a fish to finish in one day we give him/her a fishhook to learn how to fish and ensure a lifetime vocation". His Majesty said: "In the past, when the private sector employed 10,000 citizens we used to say it was a big and satisfying number but now the private sector employs more than 100,000 well-trained citizens in various vocations". "We don't want factories and companies to employ anyone who is not willing to work, and I follow these details myself because they are profitable for us and for our economy," His Majesty added. Commenting on a question about whether the deficit in the Omani general budget is continuous and what are the incomes available from the national wealth, His Majesty said: "When drafting the general budget, an oil price which is less than the market price is set, thus, you find a deficit in the budget. The fact is that the budget is usually drafted to cover implementation of projects in the coming year and any way the budget is not depleted completely and the remaining amounts are shifted to the coming year. "With regard to the oil income according to the market prices, the difference in price between what is fixed in the budget and what is prevalent in the market is transferred to the reserve fund to be invested prudently and profitably". "Many have advised us to expand the reserve fund but we didn't want to take any risk and we prefer to focus on well-studied investments that are free of risks," His Majesty said. "On the oil resources, I could say there is heavy Omani oil with big reserves which were not feasible according to the previous oil prices, but according to the current oil prices which will not come down in the light of the ongoing growth in the world, its production has became feasible and this heavy oil is demanded by the international market". He said that Oman also has the gas which is exported according to long term pacts and has other resources such as plaster and cement, in addition to the agriculture and fisheries and the increased investment in tourism, adding that the country progresses steadily and reliably. Replying to a question on whether Oman exports part of its wealth of food and if it is self-sufficient of such items, His Majesty said: "No country in the world is self-sufficient in terms of food and other requirements and the exchange of commodities and knowledge has existed from ancient times and we should remember that the term globalisation appeared in our Holy Quran long time before it appeared in books of the world written by man". His Majesty added: "We provide others with fish and oil and they send us apple and banana. The most important point is to be capable of exporting and importing and exchanging commodities in a way which ensures our interests and the interests of others". Asked whether His Majesty believes that his people are close to his ambitions and interact with him, His Majesty said: "Yes, the majority of Omanis share with me the same vision and when I sit and discuss with the Omanis who belong to different generations, I feel that they have the same aspirations, desires and the picture I have for this country and its people". His Majesty said: "We preserve the social dignity of all and we deal with all with respect and appreciation and listen to their requirements and they listen to our views". His Majesty said the secret of the formula is to preserve the dignity of every person and give each his/her right in terms of esteem". Commenting on his address delivered on November 18, 1994, His Majesty said: "In that address I warned our people against terrorism and the misuse of religious texts, saying the world currently suffers from terrorism, but thanks be to God, the good Omani soil has rejected such detestable and poisonous plants". His Majesty added that some of the countries of the region were infected by this disease but with God's will, they will defeat it by resorting to the tolerant religion and peaceful dialogue. His Majesty concluded his statement by expressing appreciation and respect of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the emir of Kuwait, and prayed to the Almighty to grant him success in serving his people and country. From "Al Siyasa" newspaper Kuwait.