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Several women were among a new squad of Royal Army of Oman (RAO) cadet officers who graduated from the Sultan Qaboos Military Academy on Sunday. And a highlight of the ceremony was a freefall demonstration by a team of women parachutists.
Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah presided over the function, attended by the ministers of royal office and defence affairs, inspector-general of police and customs, head of Internal Security Service, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and commanders of SAF and Royal Guard of Oman (RGO).
The new graduates, including a number of cadet officers from the UAE who took part in the course, staged a march past as the RAO band played music.
Newly-trained women parachutists from RAO’s Sultan of Oman Parachute unit descended on the ground, amply demonstrating their skills en route. The highly appreciative audience greeted them with rounds and rounds of applause.
Abdallah presented the Sword of Honour to Best Officer Cadet Ismaiel bin Sulaiman al Shabibi. The ceremony ended with the graduates taking the oath of loyalty.
In remarks, Abdallah praised the high level of training standards maintained by RAO and the academy, particularly lauding the women parachutists for their skills.
Women in Oman enjoy equal status with men in every sector as guaranteed by the Basic Law of the State and receive wholehearted encouragement from the country’s ruler and government. Oman boasts several women ministers, under-secretaries and ambassadors. Many top-ranking positions in both the public and private sector establishments are occupied by them.
Last month, they shot to international prominence when an entire military parade, marking the sultanate’s National Day on November 18, was staged by them, including the commander, for the first time in the country’s history.
ravindranath@khaleejtimes.com
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