Saudi-Omani Coordination Council: Strengthening partnership and economic integration

In a move reflecting the depth of the historical and strategic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, arrived today in the Omani capital, Muscat, where he met with his Omani counterpart, His Excellency Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Al Busaidi. The two ministers co-chaired the third meeting of the Saudi-Omani Coordination Council, with broad participation from the heads of subcommittees and the council's secretariat team from both sides.

Strategic dimensions and historical depth

This meeting comes at a crucial time, as the region undergoes rapid transformations, underscoring the vital importance of joint coordination among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The Saudi-Omani Coordination Council, established to serve as the overarching framework for relations between the two countries, is a cornerstone for realizing the aspirations of both leaderships and peoples. These relations are rooted in a long historical legacy and strong social and cultural ties, which have been significantly strengthened under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, with the diligent oversight of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Council’s role is not limited to diplomatic aspects, but extends to aligning the objectives of “Saudi Vision 2030” with “Oman Vision 2040,” as both sides seek to create a strong economic bloc that contributes to diversifying sources of income and enhancing economic stability in the region.

Meeting outcomes: Economic integration and quality initiatives

During the meeting, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, affirmed that this gathering builds upon the positive outcomes of the second meeting held in Al-Ula, emphasizing the need to move forward with implementing the adopted recommendations and initiatives. The meeting witnessed concrete steps to enhance economic cooperation, most notably:

• Facilitating trade exchange: Commending the signing of the minutes facilitating mutual recognition of rules of origin, and accepting certificates of origin issued by national authorities, which will remove bureaucratic obstacles to the flow of goods between the two countries.
• Industrial Integration: Launching the second phase of industrial integration initiatives, which enhances joint investment opportunities in promising industrial sectors.
• Digital transformation: Noting the establishment and launch of the electronic platform of the Coordination Council, which will serve as an effective tool to link the work of the committees and follow up on the progress of initiatives accurately and transparently.

Agreement in political and security visions

For his part, the Omani Foreign Minister noted the significant progress in relations across various sectors, including security, justice, and tourism cooperation. The two sides also discussed regional and international developments, with discussions revealing a convergence of views on critical issues and a shared commitment to supporting security and stability efforts in the region and the world.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides signed the minutes of the third meeting, in the presence of a high-level delegation from both countries, which included Assistant Minister of Interior Dr. Hisham Al-Falih, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati, and a number of officials in the Ministries of Investment, Economy and Culture, reflecting the comprehensiveness of this cooperation and its coverage of all vital areas.