As the year 2023 arrived, the mood in Brunei, as around the world, turned from one of doom and gloom to cautious optimism and hope. The reason for this was the steady downward trend in the number of Covid-19 cases and the eventual return to normalcy in February 2023. This air of cautious optimism and hope was reflected in Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's New Year speech to the nation on 1 January, in which he called on all Bruneians to express their utmost gratitude to Allah for being able to successfully weather the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also highlighted the silver lining behind the pandemic, which provided the country with the opportunity to build its resilience in sectors such as food security, education, finance and health. He expressed hope that this would in turn encourage Bruneians to work harder towards achieving the national agenda of economic diversification, especially in realizing Wawasan Brunei 2035 (Brunei Vision 2035).

Two major events in early 2023 that perhaps signalled the return to normalcy in Brunei were a royal wedding in January and the country's national day celebrations in February. It is often said that whatever happens in Brunei centres mainly on the royal family. As such, the year started with a gala royal wedding when Sultan Hassanal's fifth daughter from his second wife, Princess Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah, married her first cousin, Prince Bahar, a son of the sultan's brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, on 25 January. The opulent and grand ceremony, held at the sultan's official residence, the Istana Darul Iman, was marked by much pomp and pageantry. Lasting a week, it was attended by foreign dignitaries, including members of Brunei's foreign diplomatic community.

The other event was Brunei's 39th National Day celebrations on 23 February. The theme for the event was “Menjayakan Wawasan Negara” (Achieving the National Vision), which emphasized that every Bruneian had a role in realizing the country's national vision. The theme for 2023 was the same as in 2022, which underscored the importance of Wawasan Brunei 2035. The event was marked by a massive parade and performances by seven thousand participants.