Muscat: His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander, on Thursday presided over the military parade, which was staged at the military parade ground of Al Murtafaa Garrison on the occasion of the 51st Glorious National Day.
Symbolic units representing 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), the Royal Oman Police (ROP), the Royal Court Affairs (RCA) and the joint military musical band took part in the military parade.
Upon the arrival of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander, to the parade ground, HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Gen Sultan bin Mohammed al Nuamani, Minister of the Royal Office, Vice Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis al Raeesi, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) were honoured to receive His Majesty.
Upon His Majesty’s ascension to the Royal Box, the parade columns gave the military salute and the Royal Anthem was played by the joint military musical band while the artillery fired a twenty-one-gun salute to His Majesty.
Afterwards, the commander of the parade column approached the Royal Box requesting permission from His Majesty, the Supreme Commander, to start the military parade. Then, the parade began as the joint military musical parade band representing the corps of the RAO, RAFO, RNO, RGO, ROP, the Royal Cavalry (RC) and the Royal Camel Corps (RCC) passed in slow and regular march before the Royal Box.
Then, the columns of the Protocols Guard, which represented RAO, RAFO, RNO, RGO, SSF and ROP performed its military parade accompanied with musical pieces of the joint military music in a slow and regular motion, passing before the Royal Box and giving the military salute to His Majesty, the Supreme Commander.
After that, the joint military musical parade band staged various musical pieces. Then, the columns of the Protocols Guard chanted the military anthem “Fal Taslami Oman” or “Oman, Live in Peace”.
The Protocols Guard chanted the call of Loyalty and Allegiance and proclaimed thrice long live His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander.
Then, the Royal Anthem was played and the columns of the Protocols Guard gave the military Salute to His Majesty the Sultan, signaling the conclusion of the military parade.
On this national occasion, His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik accepted a gift from the armed forces, which was presented by HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs.
Then, His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Supreme Commander left the Military Parade Ground surrounded by Allah Care.
His Majesty the Sultan was accompanied during the parade by members of the Royal Family, the chairmen of the State Council and Shura Council, ministers, advisers, commanders of SAF and other military and security departments, heads of the diplomatic missions of the Arab and friendly countries accredited to the Sultanate of Oman, members of the State Council and Shura Council, undersecretaries, governors, judges, members of the Public Prosecution Department, ambassadors and walis.
The parade was also attended by military attaches, senior military commanders and officers, state senior officials, commissioned and non-commissioned officers and personnel of SAF and other military and security departments in the state. –ONA
