Envoy: Oman Eager to Boost Ties with Iran

Omani Ambassador to Tehran Saud bin Ahmad Khalid al-Barwani said on Tuesday that his country is eagerly to broaden economic ties with Iran.

“Omani officials seek expansion of economic ties with Iran,” Saud bin Ahmad Khalid al-Barwani said today, in a meeting with Iranian businessmen and economic activists in Ardabil province, with participation of the Iranian Head of Iran-Oman joint economic commission Mohsen Zarrabi.

“It is vital for delegations from both countries to attend Iran-Oman joint economic summit to prepare the ground for development of mutual economic relations,” the Omani ambassador said.

Zarrabi, for his part, announced that Iran’s exports to Oman stood at $146 million in 2016-2017 but the figure increased up to $728 million in 2017-2018.

According to him, Iran-Oman trade volume was $1.161 million in 2017-2018 (Iranian calendar year 1397, ended on March 20, 2018).

In late October, Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Ali Asqar Mounesan announced, “Talks with Oman are underway to implement visa-free program for Iranian tourists visiting the country.”

On September 20, the cabinet of ministers approved to maintain a visa waiver program for Omani nationals which had been ratified last September for a one-year period.

Last month, Iran's Ambassador to Muscat Mohammad Reza Nouri Shahroudi met with Omani Agriculture Minister and Fisheries Hamad bin Said bin Sulaiman Al-Aufi and discussed ways to develop mutual cooperation in the fields of agriculture and fisheries.

Iran and Oman have had good economic relations from old times and the ties have even expanded in recent years due to extended bank cooperation between the two countries.

Oman’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Masoud al-Sunaidy said earlier in October that the removal of visa requirements for the citizens of Oman visiting Iran would boost commercial relations between the two countries.

The Omani minister made the remarks in Omani capital city of Muscat in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Oman Nouri Shahroudi.

He added that the move could be considered as a significant step forward towards expanding tourism in both Iran and Oman. He went further adding that the visa removal further expands the friendly relations between the two nations.

The Iranian government announced on September 17 that Omani citizens can travel to Iran without visa.

Oman in return facilitated the visa issuing process using electronic 10-day visas which can be extended up to a year.