His Majesty presides over National Day Military Parade

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander, graced the Grand Military Parade held at Al Fateh Square in the Governorate of Muscat, on the occasion of the Sultanate of Oman’s Glorious National Day. The event was held in the presence of Her Highness the Honourable Lady Assayida Ahd Abdullah Hamed Albusaidi, Spouse of the Sultan of Oman.

Upon His Majesty’s arrival at the parade ground, he was received by His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs; General Sultan bin Mohammed Al Nomani, Minister of the Royal Office; and Vice Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al Raeesi, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF).

When His Majesty ascended the Royal Dais, columns of the parade performed a military salute. The joint corps of military bands played the Royal Anthem, while the Sultan of Oman’s Artillery of the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) fired a 21-gun salute to His Majesty.

The parade commander then advanced on horseback to the Royal Dais, requesting that His Majesty signal the start of the military parade.

The parade included units from the Royal Army of Oman (RAO), the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO), the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO), the Sultan’s Special Force (SSF) and the Royal Oman Police (ROP), in addition to joint and mounted military music bands.

The joint corps of military music bands representing the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF), the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO), the ROP and the Royal Court Affairs (RCA) played various tunes as they marched before the Royal Dais, saluting His Majesty, the Supreme Commander.

Columns of the Protocols Guard then joined the parade and to the accompaniment of melodies from the joint corps of military music bands performed the military salute to His Majesty, the Supreme Commander.

This was followed by a parade of a camouflage uniform column, representing the SAF, RGO, SSF and ROP. They passed by the Royal dais, performing a military salute to His Majesty.

His Majesty then viewed a show performed by the Firaq Forces for the Royal Army of Oman (RAO), chanting the traditional Omani greeting  locally called “Al Habout”. They passed before the Royal Dais, performing the military salute to His Majesty the Sultan.

His Majesty then witnessed a musical display on horseback staged by the mounted bands, passing in front of the Royal dais and performing the military salute to His Majesty.

Following this, aerial formations of fighters and rotary-wing aircraft thundered across the sky above the parade ground, embodying the high level of combat efficiency and readiness, as well as the development and progress witnessed by the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander.

Later, the columns of the parade performed an ensemble of cheers that proclaimed “Faith in Allah, Loyalty to the Sultan, Sacrifice for the Nation”. They chanted thrice “Long Live His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander”.

The joint corps of military music bands then played the Royal Anthem, while the columns of the parade performed the military salute marking the conclusion of the military show.

His Majesty then left the parade ground.

The military parade was attended alongside His Majesty the Sultan by members of the Royal family, dignitaries of the Albusaidi family, Ministers, advisers, commanders of the SAF, commanders of military and security services, heads of diplomatic missions of Arab and foreign countries to the Sultanate of Oman, members of the State Council and Shura Council, undersecretaries, senior military and security officers, retired officers and citizens.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.