The Olympic torch began its parade through the Omani capital Monday on the Middle East stage of its journey to Beijing for this summer’s games, an journalist with newswire AFP reported.
The parade began without incident at 5:00 pm (1300 GMT) when Liu Ging Min of the Olympic organising committee passed the flame to the governor of Muscat, State Minister Sayed Al-Motassem bin Hmud Al-Busaidi.
Local football club director Sayed Shehab ben Tarek then began the relay through the streets of Muscat, applauded at the start by around 400 people, including about 100 Chinese.
Security appeared low key and a lone helicopter monitored the 20-kilometre route as the torch was passed between the first of some 80 athletes who were to carry the flame in relay.
Children lined part of the route, waving miniature Olympic and Omani flags.
The parade was expected to be an incident-free stop for the torch which has been dogged by human rights protests on most of its stages so far.
Sayed Fatik bin Fahar, a member of the Al-Busaid dynasty which has ruled the sultanate for centuries, told AFP: “This is a great honour. This is a great event. It is not strange that Oman hosts such an event given the security that it enjoys.”
Demonstrations are rare in the sultanate, which borders Saudi Arabia, and the ruling family does not allow political parties.
“We do not expect any problems. Everything is under control,” said Murtada Al Ajmi, a member of the Oman Olympic Committee.
“Everyone is happy. It took a lot to prepare for this but at least we see that everyone is excited,” he added.
The parade was held over until the evening, after the heat of the day had eased. Even in April, daytime temperatures in the sultanate can reach 40 degrees Celsius.
Earlier the torch was greeted in Muscat on its arrival from Tanzania, at a low-key ceremony attended by Sports Minister Ali bin Massoud bin Ali Al-Sunaidi and representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission.
“A warm welcome to the Olympic torch,” said a red banner unfurled by the reception party.
Oman enjoys good relations with China which is a major destination for Omani oil exports, while Chinese companies are involved in several major infrastructure projects, including a $130 million highway.
People in Oman appeared indifferent to the Olympic torch relay taking place in their country for the first time and most local newspapers confined their reports to sports pages.
China’s hopes of winning international prestige by sending the Olympic torch through 135 cities on five continents ahead of the August 8 opening of the Olympic Games have already been severely dented.
The early stages in London and Paris were overshadowed by demonstrations against Beijing’s repression of protests in Tibet, and the third stage in San Francisco was also drastically curtailed and seen by relatively few people.
However, the most recent legs in Buenos Aires and Dar es Salaam passed off with little incident.
The torch was to leave Muscat early on Tuesday for the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
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