MUSCAT – The upcoming visit of His Excellency the President of Türkiye to Oman on Wednesday and Thursday, at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, is poised to further deepen bilateral relations and open new avenues for economic and investment cooperation that reflect the historical and close ties between the two nations.

During His Majesty’s visit to Türkiye, he praised the country’s supportive stances on Arab and regional issues, reaffirming the deep fraternal relations between Oman and Türkiye and their commitment to enhancing cooperation in political, economic, military defence, scientific technological, educational, cultural, energy, and tourism fields.

Both leaders emphasised the importance of strengthening economic ties by increasing trade volumes and encouraging joint investments. They also expressed hope for the successful outcome of the 12th session of the Omani Turkish Joint Economic Committee, held in Muscat in December 2024.

His Excellency Ambassador Saif bin Rashid Al Jahouri, Ambassador of Oman to Türkiye, noted that the bilateral relationship is rooted in more than three centuries of historical connection, mutual respect, and cooperation. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established on June 28, 1973.
He added that a series of high level official visits over the last five decades underscore the leaderships’ commitment to collaborative partnership and mutual respect. Among these: Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal’s visit to Oman in November 1986; President Süleyman Demirel’s visit from December 14 16, 1997; Prime Minister (later President) Erdoğan’s visit to Oman in September 2005; and President Abdullah Gül’s visit from April 12 14, 2010.

The November 28 29, 2024 state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham to Türkiye marked the first official visit of this level in the modern relations between the two countries. The upcoming visit of the Turkish President to Oman is expected to further accelerate bilateral cooperation through high level consultations and strategic dialogue.

During the Turkish visit, a number of key agreements were signed covering entrepreneurship, labour, health, banking cooperation, agriculture and other sectors. Of particular note was the launch of a US$500 million joint investment fund, representing the beginning of a new investment partnership between the two countries.

Through the 12th session of the Joint Committee – in Muscat on December 18-19, 2024 – both sides achieved cooperation accords in transportation and logistics, agriculture, industry, tourism and higher education. Agreements were also reached to explore MOUs in special economic zones and free zones, standards and technical cooperation between both countries’ central banks, and science and technology collaboration.

On the economic front, Türkiye advanced to 11th place in 2024 after ranking 17th in 2023 among the largest recipients of Omani non oil exports, and is the largest European recipient of Omani non oil exports. By the end of 2024, the number of Turkish–participated companies registered in Oman reached 597, up from 385 in 2023 – a growth rate of approximately 55 percent. Turkish capital invested in Oman rose to about OMR 56 million by end of 2024, up from RO 41 million in 2023, representing a 36.7 percent increase.

His Excellency emphasised that numerous opportunities exist to further increase trade exchanges, especially through the negotiation of a potential free trade agreement between the GCC and Türkiye—currently underway.

Both countries possess many economic potentials—such as leveraging their geographic locations, accessing large commercial markets, exploiting renewable energy capabilities (solar, wind, hydro), and cooperation in mining—aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and Türkiye’s “Century of Türkiye” strategy.
On the cultural front, the deep historic and cultural links between Oman and Türkiye underpin enhanced collaboration in museums, exhibitions, arts, language programs, translations, and joint cultural days. A cooperation agreement between the Omani Writers and Authors Association and the Turkish Writers Union, signed in May 2025, is an example of this growing engagement.

His Excellency Ambassador Mehmet Hakim Oglu of Türkiye to Oman detailed that Turkish Omani relations extend back to the Seljuk era and were significantly shaped during the Ottoman period. The two nations’ strategic partnership today builds upon a foundation of shared historical experience, family ties and growing social exchange.

In commenting on the strong bilateral partnership, the Ambassador noted that Turkish–Omani cooperation spans politics, economy, higher education, energy, culture and more; and that the momentum of cooperation over the past decade has been driven by aligned long term interests.
He explained that the state visit by His Majesty Sultan Haitham to Türkiye in November 2024 resulted in agreements in health, culture, investment, SMEs, agriculture, employment and other fields. The visit of President Erdoğan to Oman is meant to build upon that foundation and elevate bilateral relations across all economic, commercial and investment fields.

The Turkish Omani Business Council, active since 2006 and involving Türkiye’s Foreign Economic Relations Board and Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry, continues to hold regular meetings and business forums to enhance bilateral trade and investment. The ‘Turkey Oman Economic Forum’ and Turkish Export Products Exhibition, scheduled for December 2025 in Muscat, aim to highlight new potentials and opportunities.

His Excellency noted that Turkish portfolio investment in Oman’s contracting sector has surpassed US$6 billion, covering infrastructure projects like ports, roads, tunnels, airports, and more – anchoring a key part of the economic partnership.

Beyond commerce, the volume of trade between Oman and Türkiye during the first seven months of 2025 reached RO 196.8 million; Omani exports to Türkiye were RO 54.8 million while imports from Türkiye were approximately RO142 million.