Sultan Honors Success of Omani Pavillion at Shanghai Expo 2010

The minister of heritage and culture of the Sultanate of Oman, His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, honored those who were responsible for the success of the Omani pavilion which displayed the history and culture of the Sultanate at the Shanghai Expo 2010.

The Shanghai Expo 2010 ran from May 1 until October 31^st, 2010 and attracted a total of 73 million visitors from all over the world. Of those visitors about 3.6 million stopped by the Omani pavilion and learned about the culture, geographical diversity, economic and technological progress made in recent years in Oman.

Haitham is quoted by the media as saying that the great success which Oman experienced at the Expo is just the first step in what he expects will be a journey of successes in other international venues.

“It was impressing to see the significant success. Besides, it was a great feeling to see how the Omani culture was received by the expo visitors,” he said.

Praise for Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman

The Secretary General of the AGCC (Arab Gulf Countries Council) Abdulrahman bin Hamad al Attiyah heaped warm praise on the His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman for his great success in achieving unprecedented improvement in human rights and other areas in his country.

Describing the Sultan’s achievements as ‘remarkable’ al Attiyah expressed appreciation of the ‘wise policies’ of his majesty which have accomplished so much for the Sultanate in recent years. The Secretary General added that because of these achievements Oman has become a source of ‘inspiration’ for other Arab Gulf states and has garnered respect from the rest of the international community.

What was especially satisfying to al Attiyah as representative of the AGCC was the assertion made by Sihasak Phuangketkeow, president of the Human Rights Council, that Oman is meeting all the international standards, work mechanisms and conditions for the implementation of human rights in the Sultanate.

Al Attiyah told the Oman News Agency that Phuangketkeow’s statement and the success of the Sultanate is simply a reflection of the wise political vision and enlightened perspective of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The Secretary General went on to say that Oman’s success is proof that the Sultan is committed to security, stability and the welfare of the Omani people.

Is China Rising a Sign for Future Asian Dominance?

There is no doubt that China is quickly becoming dominant player in the world economy. Where America and Western Europe led in the past, Chinese markets are taking the lead. The Chinese have a near endless labor market and vast natural resources and of course a drive to succeed that appears to be enabling it to take the lead in the world’s economy. Even China’s deleveraging is translating into something positive for the county.

The important question for Oman and other Persian Gulf states is how will China’s rising to world hegemonic power translate to positive growth for local economies in the gulf region. The answer can only be positive. China’s rise gives Oman and other Persian Gulf states a huge market for oil. Chinese money has already found its way to the Persian Gulf in many business ventures. Its clear that this trend will only continue in the future.