Muscat – His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s state visit to Turkiye on November 28 and 29 is expected to strengthen the longstanding bilateral relations between the two countries.

The visit, the first by an Omani Sultan to Turkiye in nearly 40 years, will include discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, investment, education, defence and other sectors.

Oman and Turkiye have seen steady growth in trade relations. According to National Centre for Statistics and Information data, bilateral trade exceeded RO216mn in the first eight months of 2024, up from RO208mn during the same period in 2023. Turkiye is Oman’s 17th-largest non-oil trading partner and the top European recipient of Omani non-oil exports.

The economic partnership is further reflected in investment. At the end of 2023, 423 Turkish companies with a combined investment of over RO100mn were operating in Oman. These firms are active in sectors such as construction, industry, retail and logistics, contributing to major infrastructure projects, including airports, ports, roads and dams. Conversely, Omani investments in Turkiye totalled RO75mn in 2022 through 36 companies.

Tourism is a growing area of collaboration. In 2022, more than 130,000 Omani tourists visited Turkiye, a surge attributed to a mutual visa waiver agreement. Efforts are underway to attract Turkish tourists to Oman to explore its rich cultural and natural offerings.

The two nations are also advancing ties in education and research. In October, Oman and Turkiye signed a memorandum of understanding covering scholarships, mutual recognition of higher education institutions, and joint initiatives in science, technology and training.

Highlighting the significance of the visit, Saif Rashid al Jahwari, Oman’s Ambassador to Turkiye, described it as a “new era” in the two countries’ historic relations.

“A number of agreements will be signed to enhance cooperation in areas such as politics, economics, defence, transportation, communications, energy, health and SME development,” he said.

Echoing Jahwari’s views, Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Hakimoğlu stated, “This historic visit will contribute significantly to strengthening bilateral relations. We look forward to signing agreements in political, economic, cultural and defence fields, among others.”