Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarek announced a grant of 20 million rials ($52m) for each of the country's 11 governorates as he enters the third year of his reign with a drive to improve the country's standard of living.
The ruler has been holding a series of meetings with governors and tribal leaders from each area to discuss how to improve the lives of Omanis.
“We urge you, as administrators of your towns, to elevate your local communities and improve the status of the Omani citizens in your areas and their quality of life. The government will support you,” Sultan Haitham said at a meeting in Nizwa, the main city of Al Dakhiliya governorate, last week.
“You must recognise challenges and address difficulties in your towns to serve your communities and public interest,” he said.
On Monday, he met leaders in the Al Sharqiyah North governorate.
He also issued pardons for 229 prisoners in Omani jails.
Along with creating employment for graduates, the ruler is calling for the promotion of small and medium enterprises to create opportunities for self-employment and for contracts to be given to established businesses.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is received by Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, right, upon arriving in Muscat for an official visit in 2014. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court — Abu Dhabi -
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said is seen while welcoming Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Bait Al Noor church in Muscat, Oman, in 2016. AP Photo -
Oman's new sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said swears in at the Royal Family Council in Muscat, Oman. Oman TV via AP -
Oman's new sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said makes his first speech in front of the Royal Family Council in Muscat, Oman. Oman TV via AP -
Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, right, stands for a photograph with Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said during the opening ceremony of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017. Photo by Abdullah Al Junaibi -
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq al Said offers condolences to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region, on the passing of Sheikha Hessa bint Mohamed Al Nahyan, at Mushrif Palace in 2018. Hamad Al Kaabi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi -
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, right, and Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq al Said attend the final day of Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Shams Tower in 2016. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi -
Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdulaziz meets Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to receive condolences after one of his brothers, Saudi Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, passed away, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2016. Getty Images -
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, center right, is seen next to Britain's Prince Charles while welcoming him and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at Bait Al Noor church in Muscat. AP Photo -
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said receives Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, upon arrival in Muscat, Oman in 2019. EPA -
Britain's Prince Harry is being welcomed by Sayyid Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said upon his arrival in Oman in 2014. AFP -
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said looks on during the Closing Ceremony at Al-Musannah Sports City on day nine of the 2nd Asian Beach Games Muscat 2010 in Muscat, Oman. Getty Images
Sultan Haitham ascended to the throne on January 11, 2020, shortly after the death of his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said.
Sultan Qaboos, who ruled for 50 years, was regarded as a hero by many of his subjects for lifting the country from obscurity and turning it into a modern nation by building infrastructure and schools, creating jobs and reconciling tribal differences between feuding groups.
Sultan Haitham’s first challenge as ruler was to revive the economy, which has suffered from falling oil prices and chronic budget deficits in the past five years.
He was quick to get off the mark with a cabinet reshuffle three months into his rule. He trimmed the cabinet to 19 ministries from 26, retired all civil servants who had served for more than 30 years, and removed the positions of state advisers to save government expenditure.
Omanis in rural areas praised the sultan’s latest initiative as a step in the right direction.
“We welcome the news to improve the quality of life in areas outside big cities like Muscat, Salalah and Sohar,” Ahmed Al Hosni, 44, a farmer in the Wosta region, told The National.
“It is the right step and it comes at the right time. It’s about time that development spreads all over the country and not just in cities and major towns.”
