PM to visit Oman, address Indian community

A day after being conferred the "Grand Collar of the State of Palestine" in recognition of his contribution to enhancing relations between India and Palestine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday visit Oman, the second leg of his three-nation tour.

The Prime Minister would be welcomed with a ceremonial reception at the Royal Airport by Sayyid Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said, the Deputy Prime Minister for Council of Ministers of Oman.

He will meet Sultan Qaboos at Bait Al Barakah Royal Palace for a special dinner. Modi is also scheduled to visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman and address Indian community at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.

The 'Namo Oman' community event in Bausher expects the presence of at least 25,000 Indian Diaspora inside the stadium though demand is still very high.

There are posters with Modi's pictures and a welcome message.

The Prime Minister would sit on Sultanate Qaboos seat-no world leader has sat on the seat till now, and address the gathering from that seat only.

After the event, Modi will visit the Grand Mosque which is the main mosque in the Sultanate of Oman and has a historical connection with India. The mosque, completed in 2001, is built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone.

The main musalla (prayer hall) of the mosque is square in shape, with a central dome rising to a height of fifty metres above the floor.

The musalla can hold over 6,500 worshippers, the women's musalla can accommodate 1000 worshipers, the outer paved ground can hold 8,000 worshipers and there is additional space available in the interior courtyard and the passageways, making a total capacity of up to 20,000.

The Prime Minister will on February 12 depart for New Delhi.