National Defence College
The National Defence College came about as a result of Royal Directives issued in 2007 by the His Late Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces - may Allah rest his soul in peace. A committee was formed to draw up plans for the building, develop the curricula and examine the draft statute of the college. This was followed by Royal Decree No. 2/2013 issued on 8 January 2013, which stipulated the requirement to establish a college for strategic studies in the fields of security and defence called the National Defence College, affiliated to the Ministry of Defence, and based in Bait Al Falaj Camp in the Governorate of Muscat. The principal goals of the college are to augment the level of knowledge and skills among national leaders to better equip them to assume positions at senior leadership level, to facilitate the integration and communication between various sectors and institutions of state, to contribute to policy formulation and strategy development, and to provide effective advice to government on security and defence issues. Since its inception, the National Defence College has played a significant role in consolidating the achievements of the sultanate's renaissance, in particular those pertaining to the Sultan’s Armed Forces and the various military and security services. The courses offered at the National Defence College have been designed to advance the academic credentials for both military and civil cadres, enhance compatibility and integration across government departments, and broaden the knowledge base in key strategic areas by establishing an in-depth appreciation of the various local, regional and global issues related to national security and defence. The course is essentially an integrated programme in the field of strategic studies that aims to qualify national decision-makers at the strategic level. It is taught through a mix of practical activities, theory, group work and case studies that deal with aspects of strategic planning, and the development of public policies and national strategies. Although the programme is sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, it is considered to be a national programme that covers all elements of the state's jurisdiction, affecting political, economic, military, security, social, media, technical and other focus areas. The programme aims to assist participants in their national duties by improving their research and analytical skills so that they are better prepared to make objective assessments concerning the various dimensions of national security.
