Tuesday 21 / July / 2026
Today marks the fifty-seventh anniversary of the Eternal Renaissance Day, a time to reflect on the monumental changes that have shaped modern Oman. It was on this day, 23rd July 1970, that the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said assumed power, ushering in an era of unprecedented progress and development. For those of us who lived through the pre-1970 period, the transformation is nothing short of miraculous.
It is impossible to forget the Oman we lived in before 23rd July 1970. For nearly three decades, life, for me, was stagnant, marked by a severe lack of basic necessities. There was no electricity, no clean drinking water, and virtually no access to health or educational services. We lived in an era of darkness, a stark contrast to the world we inhabit today. In my book, “Oman prior to 1970,” I documented most of these hardships faced by Omanis.
The primary reason for this was the absence of a substantial national income. When oil was discovered and the first shipment was exported in June 1967, the pace of development was agonizingly slow. Early projects, like the piped water system in Muscat and Muttrah and the start of the Muttrah Corniche, were a beginning, but they were not enough to lift the country out of its prolonged recession.
Sultan Said bin Taimur, the preceding ruler, was against borrowing from aboard, a policy that, while arguably sound given the lack of national income, contributed to the country’s economic stagnation. At the time, the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman was unique in having no foreign debt, a fact that highlights the conservative financial policy of the era.
The vision of Sultan Qaboos was not limited to infrastructure. He understood that a nation is built by its people. Within a decade, the three schools that existed in 1970 became hundreds. The Sultan Qaboos university opened its doors in 1986, educating the first generation of Omani leaders, doctors and engineers. In healthcare, the Royal Hospital and a network of clinics reached even the most remote villages in the mountains and deserts, eradicating diseases like malaria and giving every Omani citizen access to modern care.
He brought not just technology to Oman, but hope.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Sultan Qaboos was not what he built, but what he left behind: a legacy of peace, tolerance, and stability. His wise and peaceful transition of power on 10th January 2020 amazed the world and ensured the continuity of the nation. Today, under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the march of progress continues.
On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the birth of modern Oman, let us pay tribute to the spirit of the man who was behind the transformation of Oman into a modern entity, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, may God have mercy on him.
