Tuesday 14 / January / 2025
Muscat: The Oman-Bahrain relations are deep-rooted in history which were established by fathers and forefathers of both nations, officials have said ahead of the King of Bahrain’s visit to Oman on Tuesday.
King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain will pay a state visit to the Sultanate of Oman from today.
Juma Ahmed Al Kaabi, Ambassador of Bahrain to the Sultanate of Oman,said that the visit of King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa to the Sultanate of Oman constitutes an embodiment of bilateral relations that have been established decades ago, the ties that stem from the common bonds of fraternity between the two countries.
“They are fraternal relations that go deep into history from the sites of civilisations in Dilmun (Bahrain) and Magan (Oman), coupled with the strategic, commercial and cultural relations and based on bonds of amity and kinship. Today, bilateral relations are at their peak, thanks to the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and Majesty King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa and their enlightened visions that will continue to invigorate bilateral relations and upgrade them further,” Al Kaabi added.
Al Kaabi told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the two countries have consensus on the fundamentals of foreign policy, including neutrality, good neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and the predominance of the dialogue.
He added that Oman and Bahrain also share values of balanced stand in tackling issues of human coexistence and the promotion of international cooperation, the realisation of sustainable peace and sustainable development, the protection of human rights and freedoms, and the protection of environment.
The Bahraini ambassador pointed out that the state visit bears testimony to the depth of bilateral relations and that it will open up vistas of cooperation in various fields leading to integration. It is hoped that the visit will see the signing of agreements, memoranda of understanding and executive programmes in several fields, including cooperation in museum affairs, education, food security, investment, the development of industries and in-country value (ICV), the media, health, endowments, labour, human resources development, insurance, social protection, agricultural production and stock market fields.
He pointed out that the Omani-Bahraini Investment Company will be announced (with an estimated capital of OMR10 million). He added that the company, whose contract was signed in Bahrain during the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, would constitute a new start to establish investment projects that benefit the two countries and the two peoples.
He added that, since the formation of the Omani-Bahraini Joint Committee, eight agreements, 30 memoranda of understanding and 10 executive programmes have been signed in various diplomatic, economic, cultural, social, sports, environmental and other fields. He pointed out that the recommendations of the Bahraini-Omani Joint Committee aim to maximise the volume of cooperation in all development areas that generated positive outcomes.
Al Kaabi said that the Omani- Bahraini Business Council, which brings together the chambers of commerce and industry in the two countries, embarked on studying prospects for cooperation in many economic, commercial and investment fields, with the prime objective of achieving integration between Oman 2040 and Bahrain 2030.
Al Kaabi added that the volume of commercial exchange between the two countries in 2023 ranged between $850 million and $1.4 billion. He added that the volume of Bahraini exports to the Sultanate of Oman stood at about $843 million in 2023, while the volume of Omani exports to Bahrain amounted to about $558 million in the same year.
As many as 876 Bahraini companies do business in the Sultanate of Oman, while the number of Omani companies operating in the Kingdom of Bahrain is about 270 companies, and there are 1,362 Omani investors who own shares in companies listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange, while the number of Bahraini investors who own shares in companies listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange is 696 investors.
Al Kaabi said that the number of tourists from the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Bahrain reached 57,000 during 2023, while the number of tourists from the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Sultanate of Oman stood at 47,000.
He pointed out that the volume of Bahraini investment in the Sultanate of Oman stood at 470 million dinars or about $1.25 billion, while the volume of Omani direct investment in Bahrain amounted to about 290 million dinars, or about $772 million.
The number of licenses for economic activities, issued in favour of Omani citizens in the Kingdom of Bahrain, stood at about 1,236 in 2023, while the number of licenses for economic activities granted to Bahraini citizens in the Sultanate of Oman amounted to about 1140 in the same year.
He explained that the number of partnerships between entrepreneurs in both countries reached about 500 in 2024, noting that these numbers offer a future vision and chart out a roadmap to explore more investment opportunities available between the two countries.
Speaking about cooperation in the field of education, Al Kaabi said that the year 2024 saw the signing of an agreement between the University of Bahrain and Sultan Qaboos University in the field of cooperation and research, in addition to exchange expertise and educational programmes, in addition to the school performance evaluation system.
He added that about 12 Omani universities have been accredited in Bahrain, while the number of accredited Bahraini universities in the Sultanate of Oman stood at eight. He pointed out that studies are underway to add other universities in the list of accreditations in both countries, noting that 300 Omani students study in Bahrain universities, while about 120 Bahraini students study in Oman universities.
In the cultural field, Al Kaabi explained that, in October 2022, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field of cultural cooperation and that the MoU is currently being implemented.
Al Kaabi pointed out that cultural cooperation between the two countries also included holding a Bahraini Cultural Week, organizing an exhibition to showcase Bahraini-Omani fine arts and organizing visits for specialists in the field of handicrafts. He added that steps are underway to hold an “Omani-Bahraini Identity Festival”.
Al Kaabi affirmed that the two countries are preparing to develop a joint action plan on how to promote Oman and Bahrain culture, with special emphasis on tourism and investment.
The determination of the two leaders to advance the relations between the two countries elevates the spirit of cooperation and affinity, preserves the depth of the close historical ties, and heralds a bright future that brings welfare to the two countries and their brotherly peoples.
