Monday 17 / November / 2025
Muscat: The Foreign Ministry on Monday held its sixth annual meeting at the Diplomatic Club with the Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations accredited to the Sultanate of Oman.
The meeting served to exchange viewpoints on a number of current issues in the region and to review updates related to the national development march and Oman Vision 2040, alongside Omani foreign policy.
During the meeting, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, expressed his thanks and appreciation for the efforts made by the missions in Muscat to maintain and enhance relations of cooperation between their countries and the Sultanate of Oman. He lauded the opening of several missions over the past two years, including the embassies of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine, alongside the World Bank office, noting what this represents in terms of support for the diplomatic presence and existing partnerships with the Sultanate of Oman.
He addressed the ambitious approaches outlined in Oman Vision 2040 in the fields of international trade, foreign direct investment, joint projects, and technological development, with a focus on the green transition. He emphasised that these elements form essential pillars for the next stage and that the Sultanate of Oman is working to become one of the most attractive countries in the region for living, working, and investing, in addition to being a leading destination for visits.
In this context, he reviewed the decision to move towards implementing a personal income tax in the future, clarifying that this approach reflects a long-term vision to secure sustainable income sources for a stage where reliance on oil and gas will no longer be the basis for cementing social solidarity. He stated that the fair and proportional contribution of citizens represents a financial base for the robustness and harmony of society, supporting the quality of life.
The Foreign Minister referred to the ratification by His Majesty the Sultan of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, considering it a pivotal step in aligning the Sultanate of Oman with international human rights frameworks and a fundamental contribution to the internal development march.
On the political front, he touched upon developments in the situation in the Palestinian territories, and the tragic conditions in the Gaza Strip in particular. He affirmed that Israel's continued violation of international law through its occupation of the State of Palestine and military operations targeting civilians represents the most dangerous challenge to achieving security and stability in the region.
He expressed the Sultanate of Oman's appreciation for the countries that have granted full diplomatic recognition to the State of Palestine, as these steps have added strength to the position of the global majority supporting the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state.
He also addressed the ceasefire agreement reached on 9 October, expressing the Sultanate of Oman's appreciation for the role played by the parties that contributed to its achievement, notably the United States, Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, and Palestinian representatives. He simultaneously pointed out that Israel's clear and repeated violations of this ceasefire, which led to the fall of hundreds of Palestinian martyrs, pose a serious challenge to the credibility of the commitment to this agreement.
Sayyid Badr called for every possible effort by the international community to exert effective pressure on Israel to ensure respect for the ceasefire as a minimum requirement to protect civilians and prepare the ground for any serious political effort.
He stressed the necessity for the Palestinian people to be genuinely represented in any future political path, emphasizing that the right to self-determination includes the right of Palestinians to choose their representatives. He stated that any arrangements concerning the administration of Gaza should not be imposed by external parties or be based on excluding any Palestinian faction from the outset, given the risks this carries for the chances of forming a unified national leadership that assumes responsibility for future sovereignty. He clarified that moving beyond the logic of exclusion and making room for dialogue—however difficult—is a necessary condition for achieving real progress towards a just and lasting peace.
In conclusion, the Foreign Minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations for their efforts in enhancing relations of cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman and their keenness to interact constructively with its internal and external developments.
In their interventions, the Heads of Missions expressed their appreciation for holding this productive annual meeting and their keenness to continue supporting partnership and cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman.
