MUSCAT : Regional conflicts have disrupted trade between Gulf countries and international markets, making investment in stronger maritime and land transport supply chains increasingly important, Oman’s transport minister said on Tuesday.
Speaking exclusively to The Arabian Stories after inaugurating the two-day Muscat Maritime Resilience Forum 2026, His Excellency Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said successive disruptions had forced significant changes on the region.
“COVID had a big effect that was followed by basically the first conflict in June last year and now the current conflict,” he said.
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Al Maawali did not name the conflicts in his remarks. He said discussions at the forum examined the regional situation and its impact on the movement of goods between neighbouring countries and between the region and the rest of the world.
The disruptions underscored the importance of attracting capital from Gulf countries and international partners with commercial interests in the region, he said.
“It is very important that investments come around, whether it is local from the Gulf countries or from outside, from countries that have interests in the area, in terms of bringing robustness to supply chains, be it in the maritime side or in the land transport side,” Al Maawali said.
He said the region offered substantial investment opportunities that could also help protect future economic growth by improving the ability of transport networks to withstand disruption.
“There are a lot of immense opportunities, but also these opportunities bring robustness and insurance, more or less, for future growth of the international economy and the local economy within the Gulf countries,” he said.
Hosted by Asyad Group, the Muscat Maritime Resilience Forum brings together business leaders, academics and maritime experts to discuss operational challenges across shipping, ports, logistics, technology and insurance.
The October 27–28 gathering is being held in partnership with Oman’s Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, and the Oman Investment Authority. Its recommendations will inform the development of a proposed Muscat Maritime Resilience Framework to strengthen cooperation and support the continuity of global trade.
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