Muscat – Oman has called for stronger cooperation with South Korea in green hydrogen, emphasising that both countries are well placed to drive the global shift to clean energy and tackle climate change.

On Monday, Ministry of Energy and Minerals co-hosted Korea-Oman Green Hydrogen Forum with the Omani Embassy in South Korea and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Seoul.

In his keynote address, H E Mohsin Hamad al Hadhrami, Undersecretary in the ministry, said progress in bilateral cooperation was visible since his first visit to Korea two years ago. “This is my second visit, and I can feel the momentum that is sustained by the two nations,” he was quoted by The Korea Times. “Progress of humanity is all about connection. Without connection there is no progress, and that is why Korea and Oman must continue to work together.”

He noted that climate change is increasingly shaping economic and social realities, including the way buildings are designed, rising demand for cooling and shifts in economic activity. “Every year poses challenges when it comes to temperatures. I’m sure our friends in Korea are feeling it; we are also feeling it in Oman and everywhere,” he said.

H E Hadhrami underlined Oman’s plans to become a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen, with targets to produce 1mn tonnes annually by 2030 and up to 8mn tonnes by 2050. Projects already underway, he added, are progressing faster than expected, including multi-gigawatt facilities capable of producing 1.5mn tonnes a year.

In another meeting on Wednesday, Lee Ho-hyeon, Korean Vice-Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, met H E Hadhrami at Conference House Dalgaebi in Seoul. Discussions focused on cooperation in green hydrogen, renewable energy and industrial plants.

Kang Kyung-sung, President and CEO of KOTRA, H E Zakariya bin Hamad al Saadi, Oman’s Ambassador to Korea, and Abdulaziz bin Saeed al Shidhani, CEO of Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) attended the meeting.

Oman has stressed its commitment to attract investment in hydrogen projects as part of its strategy to become a regional hub for green hydrogen production. This is central to the sultanate’s plans to support global clean energy markets, achieve a zero-carbon economy by 2040 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.