National Day (
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: اليوم الوطني العماني, alyawm alwataniu aleumaniu) is an official holiday in the
Sultanate of Oman and the main one in the country. The holiday currently celebrates the birthday of Sultan
Qaboos bin Said al Said, who reigned from 1970 to 2020.
Background
The Portuguese first arrived in the country in the early 1500s, and used the now capital of
Muscat as a fortified port to protect their trade routes to India. Unhappy with a Portuguese presence that exploited Oman, the Al-Ya'ribi clan agreed a treaty with the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
to allow the British to have rights in their ports, in a rebuke of the Portuguese government. Imam
Sultan bin Saif
Sultan bin Saif bin Malik () (died c. 1679) was the second of the Yaruba dynasty of Imams of Oman, a member of the Ibadi sect. He ruled from 1649 to 1679. He completed the work of his predecessor, Nasir bin Murshid, in driving the Portuguese out of ...
led a rebellion that expelled the Portuguese from Oman and its ports.
Observances
National Day events include parades, fireworks, camel races, a horse show, and once every five years, a military
exhibition drill. The holiday gives Omanis the opportunity to return to their home villages which makes the traffic level during the holiday much heavier than usual.
Glorious National Day Military Parade
![KrAZ trucks, Oman 1981](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/KrAZ_trucks%2C_Oman_1981.jpg)
The Glorious National Day Military Parade is the highlight and main event of the national day holiday in the country. It has been held since the early 1970s and has been held in different cities ever since its inception.
The following units of the
Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces are represented at the parade:
* Royal Army of Oman (RAO)
* Royal Navy of Oman (RNO)
* Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO)
*
Royal Guard of Oman
The Royal Guard of Oman (RGO) (Arabic: الحرس السلطاني العماني) is the royal guard of the Sultan of Oman. It is a separate service within the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF) and although equipped to carry out land defense opera ...
(RGO)
*
Sultan's Special Forces (SSF)
* Royal Oman Police (ROP)
* Royal Court Affairs (RCA)
Upon the arrival of Sultan to the royal box on the parade ground in their position as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the parade formations give the royal military salute, with the massed bands playing the
As-Salam as-Sultani
"" ( ar, السلام السلطاني, meaning 'Salute to The Sultan') is Oman's national anthem; it is an ode originally dedicated to Qaboos bin Said (1940–2020), the former Sultan of Oman.
History
"" was written by poet Rashid bin Uzayyiz ...
while the artillery fires a
21-gun salute
A 21-gun salute is the most commonly recognized of the customary gun salutes that are performed by the firing of cannons or artillery as a military honor. As naval customs evolved, 21 guns came to be fired for heads of state, or in exceptiona ...
. Afterwards, the parade commander approaches the royal box to request for permission from the sultan to begin the parade. Once the parade is commenced, the inter-service massed bands of the
Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces passes the royal box in slow and quick time past playing marching music. Then, the parade commander motions for the formations on the parade ground to march off passing before the royal box accompanied to musical marches, giving the Sultan the military salute as they march past. After that, the combined bands gave a musical performance of various pieces from the ancient Omani heritage, as well as international symphony pieces. Following the performances, the troops then chant the military anthem (''Ya Hay Ya Qayoom'') and pledged their Loyalty and Allegiance to the Sultan, before sounding a threefold Long Live His Majesty the Sultan. Finally the royal anthem is then played a second time as the troops
present arms, signaling the conclusion of the military parade. His Majesty then leaves the parade ground with his aides and minister, to attend the other national day events held that day.
See also
*
Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces
*
History of Oman
*
Qaboos Bin Said Al Said
*
Saudi National Day
Saudi National Day ( ar, اليوم الوطني للمملكة العربية السعودية ''al-Yawm al-Waṭanī lil-Mamlaka al-ʿArabiyya as-Saʿūdiyya'') is celebrated in Saudi Arabia every 23rd of September to commemorate the renaming ...
References
{{Reflist
Events in Oman
National holidays
Establishments in Oman
November observances
National days