(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Twenty years ago when Danish physician Dr Stig Pors Nielsen first came to Oman his immediate reaction was that of awe.
Everything about the country its people and surrounding reminded him of a home away from home. Over the next couple of years as he kept revisiting the sultanate and witnessing its rapid growth first-hand he felt a strong urge to write the story of this fast developing country.
That's how his book Oman: Stories of a Modern Arab Country came about. Published in Denmark the book tells the story of the sultanate the place which he literally and metaphorically describes as the land where 'the sun shines almost everyday'.
Interestingly the cover of his book paints a rugged picture of the country – that with its lofty mountains and vast expanse of unbroken sand. But though this landscape doesn't belie the true beauty of Oman Dr Nielsen says that there is much more that the country has to offer. The book he claims was an attempt to demystify the myth surrounding Oman.
Dr Nielsen a retired physician and specialist in clinical physiology and nuclear medicine first visited the sultanate in 1994 when invited to 'offer my services to Sultan Qaboos University Hospital'.
'Initially I taught at the university hospital for shorter periods but later I joined as senior consultant at the department of clinical physiology' Dr Nielsen said in an e-mail interview from Denmark. He continued to live in Oman for around a year after which he kept making short trips to the country.
'But back home I noticed that the Europeans knew very little about this wonderful place' he said or – if they did know of Oman – they were misinformed. Dr Nielsen wanted to correct that and also let the world know about how in less than 50 years Oman had already attained what he says Europe needed 500 years to accomplish.
'People in the West assume that Oman is very traditional. What they don't know is that it is peace-loving modern and tolerant and has good relations with all neighbouring countries. Most importantly it is a place where you as an expatriate feel safe and at home' he said.
He immediately began penning down experiences from his brief stay (1994-95) in the sultanate. 'I wrote the first version in Danish. But people who read it thought that it should be written in English since Danish books can only be read by 5mn.' Dr Nielsen claimed. The English version was published by AuthorHouse UK this year.
Oman: Stories... comprises vignettes from Dr Nielsen's daily life while he worked here.
'It is about the beautiful place the many people I met there and the fantastic development the country has experienced during the reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It is also about the nature and history of Oman its healthcare politics law and order etc. It is meant to be an eye opener for foreigners wanting to visit the wonderful place and its industrious and kind population' he claimed.
His fondest memories of the place is a trip he took to the Sharqiyah Sands and how he was once caught in a funny situation during an unexpected downpour in the region.
What has however left a lasting imprint on Dr Nielsen's mind is the progress that the sultanate has made over the last 20 years. 'The Omanisation process is going well' he claimed adding that even the progress that is taking place is being done with great respect for the cultural heritage. He believes that Oman is a good example for other developing nations.
The writer will be visiting Oman in November again and this time with copies of his book
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