Dhaka, 20th Nov 2025:
The Sultanate of Oman celebrated this Thursday its Glorious National Day, commemorating the Al Busaidi State Foundation Day on 20th November each year. This historic occasion embodies the patriotic spirit of this blessed nation’s people as they advance with renewed determination to build their homeland under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
The profound pride of the nation’s Monarch in the people of Oman reflects the deep unity between the Leader and his loyal citizens. This national cohesion represents a fundamental element in the success of achievements realized during this era of renewed Renaissance. Throughout history, the Omanis have stood united as an impregnable fortress, guided by enlightened faith.
The supreme commitment to developing education, higher education, scientific research, and innovation has been manifested in significant accomplishments aligned with “Oman Vision 2040” priorities. During his visit to Sultan Faisal bin Turki School for Boys in the Wilayat of Al Amerat, His Majesty the Sultan emphasized the crucial importance of equipping students with knowledge in modern technology and integrating it into educational processes across schools destined to become future models. The total number of educators reached (66,379) male and female teachers, distributed across (1,303) schools. The number of administrative and technical staff in government schools amounted to (11,183), comprising (4,420) males and (6,763) females. Regarding the number of teachers in special education schools, it totalled (241) male and female educators, with the aggregate count of administrative personnel in special education schools being (46) male and female administrators.
During this year (2025), (16) new school buildings were received to be operationalized across (9) educational directorates, comprising (4) schools in the Muscat Governorate educational directorate, (3) schools in the North Al Batinah educational directorate, (2) schools in the South Al Batinah Governorate educational directorate, in addition to (2) schools in the Dhofar Governorate educational directorate, and one school in each of the A’Dakhiliyah Governorate educational directorate, the South A’Sharqiyah Governorate educational directorate, the North A’Sharqiyah Governorate educational directorate, the A’Dhahirah Governorate educational directorate, and the Al Wusta Governorate educational directorate. The construction of these schools has observed the highest standards of security and safety.
Oman’s education sector demonstrates positive development in academic and research infrastructure, as evidenced by the 2026 rankings from the British institution Quacquarelli Symonds. The QS World University Rankings 2026 features five Omani higher education institutions, with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) achieving remarkable progress by advancing 28 positions to secure 334th place globally.
The Sultanate of Oman is making dedicated and systematic efforts to bolster scientific research and innovation, a commitment that has yielded significant returns as evidenced by its notable ascent of ten positions in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index over a four-year period, advancing from 84th to 74th place. Concurrently, the nation has achieved substantial improvement in innovation outputs, climbing 23 positions from 109th to 86th place.
Under the academic sector’s “Performance-Based Institutional Funding Program,” support has been extended to approximately 2,228 research projects between 2018 and 2024. The past year alone witnessed the funding of 475 research initiatives with a total allocation of approximately RO 2.4 million. The Strategic Research Program, designed to address specific challenges within government entities, has supported 74 research projects. Meanwhile, the industrial sector’s ” EJAAD” Program has facilitated 61 research projects with a total investment of RO 2.5 million.
The Sultanate of Oman has established a comprehensive framework of 13 distinct programs dedicated to fostering innovation and building national capabilities. These initiatives include the National Program for Supporting Innovation Centers in Higher Education Institutions, the Student Graduation Projects Transformation into Start-ups Program, and the Falling Walls Competition. The ecosystem is further strengthened by National Scientific Research Awards that recognize excellence across multiple sectors, while creating pathways for Omani innovators and researchers to participate in prestigious international forums including the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the Kuala Lumpur International Invention and Innovation Exhibition, and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.
The Sultanate of Oman is strategically enhancing its national scientific publishing infrastructure and elevating the standards of its peer-reviewed journals, in direct alignment with its transition toward a knowledge-based economy. This systematic development of scientific research and academic publishing frameworks represents a fundamental pillar in building a knowledge-driven society and strengthening the nation’s competitive standing globally.
In the domain of development and social protection, the Sultanate of Oman persists in its efforts to build a comprehensive social care system. This system aims to provide social and economic support and empowerment to all segments of society, including the family, the elderly, persons with disabilities, women, children, and civil society organizations. The ultimate objective is to forge a society that is both economically and socially empowered through the introduction of a suite of new programs and projects across various developmental sectors. These initiatives are designed to advance social work, support and empower the most vulnerable groups, establish effective social protection mechanisms, and strengthen family cohesion and social solidarity. This is in addition to activating community partnerships and enhancing resource efficiency to deliver high-quality social services.
The social protection system in the Sultanate of Oman has undergone a comprehensive and qualitative transformation across all levels and trajectories. The Social Protection Law has redefined the very concept of protection to encompass all stages of life, from childhood to advanced age, establishing programs that cover retirement, end-of-service benefits, maternity, disability, direct cash security for limited-income families, and savings.
Since the system’s inauguration, beneficiaries have exceeded 63.6 percent of the target population. Furthermore, novel mechanisms have been introduced to support the most vulnerable groups, such as the household income support benefit, which ensures the precise and equitable delivery of aid to its rightful recipients.
Complementing the institutional development framework, which mandates robust governance, the process of implementing changes to restructure Oman’s pension funds has been initiated. This endeavour paves the way for a new era commensurate with national and international aspirations. The strategic direction for the 2024-2025 transition phase was formulated, achieving an implementation rate exceeding 90 percent for the Fund. This progress is meticulously designed to cultivate and enhance its internal and developmental capacities through the delivery of intelligent and proactive services that fulfill stakeholder requirements and elevate satisfaction. It also provides comprehensive coverage for all societal segments not encompassed by the social protection system, concurrently improving all associated benefits.
Statistics released by the Social Protection Fund at the end of September 2025 indicate the participation of 92 active entities from the public sector and 29,370 from the private sector. The number of insured Omani workers surpassed 604,000 citizens, with over 121,000 active pensions disbursed.
These figures epitomize the significant progress achieved within the social protection system and affirm the Social Protection Fund’s emergence as a regional exemplar of transparency and institutional efficacy.
Regarding the sector for persons with disabilities, His Majesty the Sultan issued his lofty directives in September 2025 to establish a new sector at the level of an Undersecretary within the structure of the Ministry of Social Development. This sector is tasked with overseeing all matters that would elevate the services provided to persons with disabilities. To formalize this, His Majesty the Sultan issued Royal Decree No. 92/2025 in October 2025, promulgating the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This law embodies Oman’s commitment to preserving the dignity of persons with disabilities and guaranteeing their rights. Moreover, His Majesty issued his royal orders in April 2025, approving RO 7 million to establish the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Care and Rehabilitation Centre and to study the needs of the governorates for such centres. This step reflects the reinforcement of the rights of persons with autism spectrum disorder and the creation of a suitable and supportive environment that contributes to improving their quality of life.
A number of specialized rehabilitative and productive programs and projects are being implemented. The Child Protection Guide and the National Guide for the Care of Children in Foster Families have been launched. Furthermore, childcare centres and youth homes provide an alternative family environment that offers comprehensive care encompassing living, educational, social, psychological, and health aspects. The number of children enrolled in the centre by the end of the first half of 2025 reached 83 children, consisting of 33 males and 50 females, while the number of those enrolled in youth homes reached 77 youths. Meanwhile, the home care program for the elderly served 1,327 beneficiaries.
The Sultanate of Oman confers supreme priority upon the healthcare sector, with the noble objective of delivering comprehensive and multifaceted medical care to its citizens and residents, embracing prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and health promotion. A strategic direction enshrining health as a paramount priority within Oman Vision 2040 has been articulated, crystallized in the pursuit of “a pioneering health system governed by global standards.”
The national report monitoring the indicators of Oman Vision 2040 for the health sector revealed conspicuous advancement in national indicators throughout 2024 and 2025. The Sultanate of Oman ascended to 55th position globally and 6th within the Middle East and North Africa in the Legatum Prosperity Index – Health pillar, representing an advancement of six ranks since 2019.
The inauguration of the National Health Policy constitutes a definitive roadmap for establishing an integrated and sustainable health system. In parallel, specialized initiatives dedicated to the enhancement of maternal and child health have diligently pursued the refinement of specialized services via the National Screening Program for Non-Communicable Diseases, the Diabetes Care Program, advanced fertility services, oncology care, cardiac care, and the combat of tuberculosis and respiratory diseases.
Pertaining to the development and expansion of health infrastructure, the year 2024 and the commencement of 2025 were marked by the inauguration of 10 health institutions, accompanied by the expansion and enhancement of facilities for 7 hospitals and 21 additional health institutions. Work progresses assiduously on a portfolio of major ventures, which remain under construction, development and expansion. These encompass the National Virtual Health Centre and 9 hospitals.
The Sultanate of Oman has further secured qualitative triumphs in the realm of organ transplantation, most eminent among them the National Centre’s successful implantation of an artificial heart, the indigenization of organ transplant services, and the successful recommencement of corneal transplant operations at Al Nahdha Hospital. Present endeavours are focused upon the establishment of an eye bank, aiming to achieve self-sufficiency within a five-year horizon. The inaugural phase of the organ transplantation program witnessed a pronounced increase in kidney, liver, and corneal transplant procedures, crowned by the performance of the first heart transplant for an Omani citizen within the Sultanate of Oman. A regulatory statute was also promulgated to ensure the protection of the rights of donors and recipients within this vital domain.
A number of referral hospitals in the Sultanate of Oman have been honoured with international accreditation, namely: Al Masarra Hospital, Nizwa Hospital, and A’Rustaq Hospital, recognized for their dedication to patient safety. Moreover, Khoula Hospital was bestowed with the global “Baby-Friendly Hospital” accreditation by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, while the Royal Hospital secured the Platinum Status from Accreditation Canada International (ACI), counted among the most preeminent and distinguished international accreditations.
The Nuclear Medicine Department at the Royal Hospital has triumphantly concluded the Quality Assurance Audit in Nuclear Medicine Practices, conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), attaining an exceptional score of 92.5 percent. This distinguished result notably exceeds the global benchmark, which ranges from 56.6 percent to 87.9 percent, thereby elevating the department into the echelon of world-class centres distinguished by their unwavering commitment to the most rigorous standards of quality and safety. In the realm of immunizations, the Sultanate of Oman has attained a preeminent coverage rate for essential childhood vaccines, surpassing 99 percent.
The Council of Oman, comprising its two chambers – the State Council and the Shura Council – perpetuates its profound dedication to integration and unified national action with the nation’s diverse institutions across all spheres. This commitment is channelled through its legislative mandate, encompassing its entrusted responsibilities in reviewing draft laws and international agreements, as well as proposing and refining legislation, all to bolster the nation’s developmental march. In parallel, the Omani judiciary strives to anchor a progressive and sophisticated justice system, predicated on unparalleled efficiency, the expeditious adjudication of cases, and the streamlining of legal procedures, thereby aligning with the imperatives of national development and global economic transformations. Moreover, the Sultanate of Oman assiduously cultivates robust financial and administrative oversight by championing the principles of transparency, accountability, and institutional and societal partnership, which collectively serve to embed the pillars of sound governance and advance the realization of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
In the domain of environmental affairs and the promotion of its sustainability, the Sultanate of Oman has attained a distinguished environmental accomplishment by leading the list of the least polluted Arab nations in the 2025 Global Pollution Index, achieving a rank of 22nd worldwide. Oman’s receipt of the formal accreditation from the Ramsar Convention for designating the Wetland Reserve in Al Wusta Governorate represents the culmination of its sustained efforts to conserve biological diversity.
The inclusion of both the Al Jabal Al Akhdar Scenic Nature Reserve and the Al Saleel Natural Park Reserve within the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves serves to reinforce the synergy between environmental preservation and community development, thereby supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s comprehensive endeavours to achieve the aspirations of “Oman Vision 2040.”
The Sultanate of Oman has further augmented its air quality initiatives through a sophisticated network of 56 monitoring stations strategically distributed across its various governorates, operating to observe atmospheric variables and thereby inform environmental and public health policymaking. It has also adopted an integrated approach to protect the marine environment and enhance its sustainability through the implementation of a portfolio of meticulously considered projects and initiatives, an undertaking founded upon its possession of an extensive coastal stretch spanning approximately 3,165 kilometers, which hosts a singularly unique biodiversity.
