‘Oman is friendly towards expats’

“The country has always been very friendly with migrants, and this will create a more positive atmosphere in the country, because now any concerns they have can be looked after. Oman already has a good international standing, but they don’t boast about it and keep a low profile.”

“In spite of this, Oman is wellknown for its humanitarian endeavours,” added Jabir. “Oman is a very good country, and having visited many other Arab countries, I can say that Oman is very helpful towards migrants. We must always remember to help the less fortunate, and those who are in a better position need to help them through approved charity organisations, don’t just give your aid to anyone else.”

Jacinta Machado is another resident who often organises charitable efforts in the country. She too was happy to see such a prominent step taken by the government.

“There are so many places where we’d like to send aid, but there is unfortunately no one we can connect to over there,” she said. “There have been many times when we have had many people come to us, asking us if we’ve been organising aid towards a particular cause, when there has been no connection on the other side, so even if we collect these goods, we cannot give them to anyone. This is a very good thing, because now Oman will have links to all the other countries, and if there is a disaster there, we can reach out to them through official channels.

“As it is, Oman is a peace-loving country and His Majesty is known in international circles as someone who is striving to achieve piece in so many ways,” added Machado. “If it is known that there is now a government body that is promoting humanitarian efforts like this, it will definitely put Oman on the world map as far as this is concerned, because right now, there are still some people who don’t know about this. If you keep doing good the way people in Oman have been doing so far, there is much, much more Oman can do. This will help Oman lend a helping hand to the truly needy people.”

Indra Mani Pandey, India’s ambassador to Oman, urged nonresident Indians in the country to support this endeavour of the government in the best possible manner.

“It is a great initiative and is in line with Oman’s tradition to work with countries and provide assistance, both regionally and globally,” he said.

“For the Indian community here, it provides an opportunity for them to contribute to the government’s aid efforts.”