His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik presided over a meeting of the Council of Ministers at Al-Ma’moura Palace in Salalah.

His Majesty opened the meeting by turning to God with praise and thanks, for his abundant blessings to this beloved country and its loyal people, asking him to bestow upon Oman, its people and residents further goodness and blessings.

His Majesty then proceeded to review a number of topics. In light of the continued improvement in Oman’s financial performance over the past period, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his satisfaction at the reduction in the level of public debt and the positive results achieved, which contribute to strengthening confidence in the local economy and creating an attractive environment that helps to revitalise the various economic sectors.

After reviewing the current status of employment, the Council emphasised that it is one of the most important national priorities, and that the initiatives recently approved by the Government will contribute to creating more job opportunities for citizens. To drive these initiatives forward; the Council approved the allocation of an additional sum of 50 million Omani Rials, to support employment programmes for jobseekers in the private sector, in addition to the funds collected at a rate of 1.2 per cent of the value of purchase invoices from the oil and gas sector, government departments and companies affiliated with Oman Investment Authority, in order for the relevant authorities to establish clear procedures and requirements, to ensure the sustainability of the opportunities that will be provided.

As part of his concern for social and educational matters, His Majesty commended the efforts of the relevant authorities in monitoring the living conditions of citizens. He directed the relevant authorities to allocate 72 million Omani Rials from the general state budget to fund the ‘Family Support Benefit’ programme, which forms part of the Social Protection Fund benefits recently announced.

His Majesty also extended his congratulations to his sons and daughters, the school and university students, at the start of the new academic year, praying to God that it may be a year filled with diligence and hard work. In addition, he commended the efforts made by teachers and academics in preparing for the new academic year, on whom much depends in building a generation armed with knowledge and science, and committed to values, principles and good morals.

In light of the increasing student density in some governorates experiencing steady population growth, the Council has approved the allocation of an additional 40 million Omani Rials under the current five-year plan, to accelerate the construction of new schools.

With the aim of raising the Sultanate of Oman’s ranking in the Government AI Readiness Index, through the adoption and localisation of relevant technologies and legislation, and to boost the productivity of economic and development sectors, and increase the number of technology start-ups specialising in the development of local solutions in this field; the Council has approved the National Programme for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Digital Technologies, and the implementation of its projects and initiatives.

In light of reports indicating that the number of visitors to “Khareef Dhofar” had risen to one million by the end of last August, his Majesty praised the efforts made by the relevant authorities to implement numerous development projects, events and programmes aimed at attracting tourists to the Governorate, which contributed to the success of this year’s autumn season. His Majesty emphasised the importance of continuing to assess tourists’ expectations and developing the events and services on offer, to ensure an increase in visitor numbers during future seasons.

After commending the performance of government institutions and their efforts to address issues that constitute national priorities for improving the services they provide; his Majesty emphasised the importance of developing mechanisms to measure the level of satisfaction among beneficiaries of government services and aspects relating to the simplification of procedures, thereby contributing to the improvement of the services provided and enhancing the impressions of those benefiting from them. His Majesty directed the Council of Ministers and the relevant authorities to launch a dedicated online platform for receiving complaints and suggestions regarding government institutions within the coming year.

In light of the strong social cohesion, harmony and unity for which Omani society has been renowned throughout history, and based on the Omani values that reject all forms of extremism, intolerance and partisanship, the Council emphasised the importance of safeguarding society in various respects and strengthening the role of the family in raising children according to tolerant principles, and in helping them to avoid and resist misguided ideas. In this context, his Majesty praised the efforts of the various military and security agencies, and their competence in dealing with incidents that seek to undermine security, whilst directing all agencies to remain vigilant in monitoring these phenomena and countering them as they arise.

In the context of reviewing regional and international issues, his Majesty touched upon bilateral relations with a number of brotherly and friendly nations, emphasising the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment and ongoing endeavour to cooperate with all nations in a manner that brings benefit and goodwill to all.

At the conclusion of the meeting, his Majesty addressed a number of matters of concern to the nation and its citizens, and issued his directives that all government institutions should continue to improve the work entrusted to them, and create the appropriate conditions to raise performance at all levels. His Majesty prayed for continuous success for all, for the good and prosperity of this beloved nation and its loyal citizens.