His Majesty Sultan Haitham Chairs Cabinet Session, Outlines Oman’s Development and Foreign Policy Priorities

His Majesty Sultan Haitham Chairs Cabinet Session, Outlines Oman’s Development and Foreign Policy Priorities

Salalah — 16 September 2025
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik — may God protect and preserve him — presided over a meeting of the Council of Ministers at Al-Maamoura Palace in Salalah, during which he reviewed national development achievements, set directives for upcoming policies and programmes, and affirmed Oman’s regional and international positions.

Praise and Prayers for the Nation

Opening the session, His Majesty offered thanks to the Almighty for the blessings of security and stability bestowed upon the Sultanate, and prayed for continued prosperity and divine care for Oman, its citizens and residents.

Advancing Oman Vision 2040

The Council reviewed the performance of the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan (2021–2025) and discussed targets for the Eleventh Plan (2026–2030). His Majesty praised the efforts of government institutions and the private sector for strengthening Oman’s financial position and improving its standing in economic indicators. He emphasized the importance of maintaining progress, raising Oman’s rankings, and applying lessons from the current plan to achieve the goals of Oman Vision 2040.

Directives included: pursuing higher growth rates; diversifying sources of income; broadening the economic structure; and addressing challenges in employment and training initiatives to create jobs across all sectors.

State Budget and Sustainable Growth

The Council examined preliminary results for the 2025 general budget, noting a 3.4% growth in real GDP driven by improved non-oil activity. The draft General Budget for fiscal year 2026 — the first year of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan — was reviewed.

His Majesty stressed continued pursuit of sustainable development targets, economic stability, and efficient public spending within a balanced framework. He called for active implementation of the National Local Content Policy to encourage Omani industries and strengthen export-related production.

Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence

The Government Digital Transformation Program (2021–2025) achievements were highlighted, including the launch of the Unified National Services Portal, the issuance of a regulation on government digital transformation, and the digitisation of 74% of government services. Several artificial intelligence projects were adopted and Oman advanced to 45th globally and 5th regionally (MENA) in the AI Readiness Index.

The Council called for close cooperation across government units to deliver the National Digital Economy Program, raise investment and technical readiness, strengthen human and legislative capacity, and remove obstacles to AI and digital projects.

Employment Initiatives and the “Tawteen” Platform

Regarding employment, His Majesty directed that the previously allocated support for private-sector employment and wage-support initiatives be doubled to 100 million Omani rials to meet strong demand from employers and jobseekers.

The national employment platform “Tawteen”, launched in December 2024, provides data on job supply and demand and lists vacancies across public and private sectors. The Sultan directed further development of the platform, encouraging more company registrations and full integration with related databases to better match citizens with job opportunities.

Government Performance and Public Feedback

The Council reviewed the mid-year 2025 performance evaluation of government institutions and the results of the national platform for proposals, complaints and reports (Tajawob). It stressed continuous platform improvement, timely resolution of reports, active engagement with public feedback, and monitoring beneficiary satisfaction.

His Majesty reaffirmed the accountability mechanism adopted earlier in the year, linking each entity’s responsibilities to its annual performance results.

Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities

To enhance services for persons with disabilities, His Majesty directed the creation of a new sector at the level of Undersecretary within the Ministry of Social Development. The sector will oversee services, address challenges, promote empowerment and social inclusion, and facilitate access to education at all stages.

Fostering a “One Government Team”

The Council welcomed the launch of the National Initiative for the One Government Team, organized by the Royal Academy of Management. The initiative aims to foster a collective mindset among civil servants, encouraging public employees to view their work as part of a unified national effort to build Oman’s future.

Tourism Success in Dhofar

The Council praised the success of the 2025 Dhofar Khareef (monsoon) season and commended the Governorate and associated authorities for implementing development projects and programs that attract tourists.

Regional and International Stance

Affirming Oman’s principled foreign policy in support of peace and security, the Council welcomed the outcomes of the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha. It condemned the recent Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar as a violation of sovereignty and international norms, expressed full solidarity with Qatar, and supported measures taken by Doha.

The Sultanate reiterated its firm position on the Palestinian cause, strongly condemning continued aggression against the Gaza Strip, the targeting of civilians and aid workers, restrictions on humanitarian assistance, and attempts to displace populations. The Council called for a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

His Majesty also highlighted recent high-level reciprocal visits with friendly countries and urged translating signed agreements into tangible programmes that serve Oman’s development objectives. Oman’s active participation in regional and international summits was noted as reinforcing dialogue, cooperation and shared stability.

Conclusion

At the close of the meeting, His Majesty Sultan Haitham offered prayers for continued success and prosperity for Oman and its loyal citizens, reaffirming his commitment to the nation’s progress, stability and unity.
Ahmed Al Harthi

BSc in Software Engineering with Multimedia and Masters of Business Administration in Project Management. Ahmed works as an IT manager and content creator at Omanspire.

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