London: British magazine The Middle East has hailed the Sultanate's development in all fields under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said since his ascension to power in 1970 and praised the unity of the Omani people in supporting his leadership.
The magazine's March 2013 issue has published a report titled 'Oman Under the Microscope', which says Omanis have a special kinship with His Majesty, who is considered the architect of the modern Omani Renaissance.
The report notes that Oman has witnessed a sea of changes and development over the last 43 years to become a modern state with world-class ports, airports, roads, universities, colleges, schools, healthcare facilities, and social-care institutions.
Included in the report are interviews with male and female Omani youths, who have discussed issues related to Omanisation, the creation of job opportunities, and the new legislations that have been introduced to meet the demands of the youth.
In addition, the report has hailed the establishment of the Al Rafd Fund, which has an initial capital of OMR70 million, due to be increased by OMR7 million
each year.
The Middle East's report covers the growing industrial activity at Sohar Port and the Sohar Industrial Area. It also highlights the Duqm Port, which is one of the basic components of the Oman Vision 2020, aimed at diversifying the sources of national income.
The report has pointed out that while oil and gas projects remained a priority for the Sultanate, it would proceed with its diversification programme.
Islamic banking which was recently introduced by the Central Bank of Oman in response to a Royal Decree to create windows for Sharia-compliant banking products, has also been covered.
In the report, the magazine praises the rich tourism potential of the Sultanate and the government's allocation of $39 million last February for the development of tourist sites.